Noooo!!!

[Gildog]

after doing a sg test on my fermenting beer last night i left the hydrometer in the case next to the sink to dry, i got a call today from my wife and she droped and broke it!!!

Im flying blind on this one. my last sg was 1.019 down from 1.052 after 5 days, im supposed to be in the 1.012-1.014 range, should i jsut give it another day or so and then go and bottle it?

im pretty sure you cant measure sg any other way than with a hydrometer, at least not without alot of mess and calculations

a little assistance would be great

 

[becksbolero2]

How long has it been fermenting so far ?

I wouldn't bottle it untill you know for sure....who knows ? it could have gotten stuck a little early. don't be afraid to let it sit in the primary until you are able to pick up a new hydrometer.

remeber when you were in elementry school, and you had to make those containers for an egg and then drop it out of a 2nd story window ? I'm thinking about making one for my hydrometer.

 

[trn]

Why the rush? You can wait until you get a hydrometer and then take a measurement. Or you can wait three more weeks and then bottle. I betcha the SG won't be dropping any more then. Nothing will happen to your beer by waiting... may even get better.

 

[jpc]

If she was a good wife, she'd go get you a new one. Right now.

 

[llazy_llama]

To be honest, I've gotten a bit lax on my hydrometer readings recently. I know it's not the "right" way to do things, but after 4 weeks in primary, assuming healthy viable yeast pitched at an appropriate amount, and assuming it's a normal gravity brew (<1.060 OG) I bottle. Usually I take an SG reading, but not always.

My advice: let it sit in primary for 4 weeks total, use that time to pick up a new hydrometer, then check SG and bottle.

 

[KatoBaggins]

The beer will be fine until you can get another hydrometer. Even if you have to order one.

I just busted mine yesterday when I started a mead. So no OG for me, but I have a similar mead with the same amount of honey, so I have edujamakated guess at it.

But for your beer, even if you let is still for a few days before you can get a reading (assuming it makes a difference to you), the beer will be fine.

Otherwise, I think I'd wait till Sunday just be on the safe side and then, bottle.(assuming there is not airlock activity for a few days)

 

[Gildog]

If she was a good wife, she'd go get you a new one. Right now.

i wish she were that understanding, but of course my LHBS is like an hour away so that would be hard to do and as for the rest of the replies, i know that i can just wait till i get a new one, but i have ABSOLUTELY NO PATIENCE, i really dont mind if i get a few bottle bombs, ill just store my cases in garbage bags. this may not make sense to those of you with patience but it is literally killing me to not have this beer NOW. but then again if i go the the LHBS i bet i can guilt my wife into a new brew maybee i dont need to rush it after all. ill just wait till i can get to the LHBS and after that ill be distracted by my new project

 

[flyangler18]

If you want bottle bombs, that's your prerogative - but I'd let it sit in primary at least 14 days before even thinking about moving to packaging.

Proceed at your own risk.

 

[Chad]

Ditto the 10 to 14 days in primary. Your beer will be much better for it.

Chad

 

[Catch-22]

agreed, the longer you let it sit the better it should be. The finished product will be more clear as well. I had the patience problem and still do. What I'm finding though is as I bottle and the patience starts to wain....I open, drink and enjoy somewhat. Then as that magical time comes when the beer is no longer green. I'm only left with a half a case or so. So in my humble, no too brew educated opinion. Let it sit. And buy two hydrometers next time.

 

[ivanavich]

Cant you measure with refractometer? Well after my dad and I broke 4 hydrometers within my first 5 kits I gave up on them. I just leave it a total 4 weeks and hope for the best. Anyone know of a better way?

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

Cant you measure with refractometer? Well after my dad and I broke 4 hydrometers within my first 5 kits I gave up on them. I just leave it a total 4 weeks and hope for the best. Anyone know of a better way?

+1, You have to do some calcs for FG, but beersmith does these for me.
Oh yeah, buy Hydrometers in PAIRS

 

[hamiltont]

And buy two hydrometers next time.

+1 on the spare hydrometer. Especially if you live that far from a LHBS. I'm 4 hours round-trip. But I'm a member of a local brew club that I could tap in an emergency. As others mentioned, let it sit for a few weeks and you should be okay...

 

[bull8042]

Cant you measure with refractometer? Well after my dad and I broke 4 hydrometers within my first 5 kits I gave up on them. I just leave it a total 4 weeks and hope for the best. Anyone know of a better way?

I have found that my refractometer is off by 3 - 4 points when trying to measure FG even if I use the B3 spreadsheet and have the OG. It works perfectly for the OG though. Sounds like you would be better of buying a new hydrometer to measure your final gravities and trying to be more careful.

 

[llazy_llama]

i wish she were that understanding, but of course my LHBS is like an hour away so that would be hard to do and as for the rest of the replies, i know that i can just wait till i get a new one, but i have ABSOLUTELY NO PATIENCE, i really dont mind if i get a few bottle bombs, ill just store my cases in garbage bags.

There's a reason we stress the importance of patience.

No patience = green beer = tastes like crap.

Either wait it out, or your beer will suffer for it. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's the truth.

 

[AJ_in_HD]

I'm late to the horse beating party, but bottling after barely a week doesn't sound like the best way to get good beer.

Place an order online for a new hydrometer and some new ingredients for your next brew while you're at it. Don't have a free primary? Maybe now is also the time to acquire one and brew another batch while you wait. I am impatient, but nothing soothes the savage beast more than brewing more beer!

 

[Gildog]

just an update, gots me a new hydrometer, and i managed to get a whole new batch of ingredients, and some yeast to do a cider my beer went into bottles after a week, i know that im gonna get crap for it, but it tasted great even flat and warm, so im not worried about my results. im working on the wife to get a second fermenting setup (mmmm carboys) so hopefully i wont have to bottle so soon after fermentation next time. ill let you know how it comes out.

 

[danorocks17]

If she was a good wife, she'd go get you a new one. Right now.

:rockin: couldnt have said it better myself

 

[chris1979]

better than having a beautiful sunday out in the 78 degree weather brewing. i finish up get the wort into fermenter and go out to bring every thing inside to clean up and have my hands full and decided hey i put my hydrometer in my mouth to carry it in. so i head the steps with my hands full about the 3rd stuck pow the hydrometer pops sending glass shards all through out my mouth and cutting the roof.( bad judgment i know but theres alot of time to drink during an all-grain brew) i panicked dropping my pressure cooker and wort chiller for a have a mouth full of glass and taste blood. i get it all cleaned up the cut is only superficial and all the glass is gone. i learned a valued lesson.... i need a refractometer

 

[Gildog]

thank god it wasnt a mercury thermometer

 

[zanemoseley]

LOL, call me lazy or patient but all I ever do is check the SG and FG after 3 weeks. Patience is a virtue especially in this hobby RDWHAHB

 

[Gildog]

i cant RDWHAHB i have no HOME BREW!!! this is my first batch, once its done i will RDWAHAHB