Really stupid question

[cyfan964]

I know the original gravity is taked before you add the yeast, but is it the original gravity of the wort boiled and then cooled or is the original gravity of the wort mixed up with the water to the fill total?

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

After you have all your water and wort mixed up, cool it down, then take the original gravity.

 

[pirate252]

Mixed with the water. The gravity reading is a measure of the density of the water, giving you a measure of how much sugar and other things are dissolved into the water. The only way you can get an accurate reading is if you read it mixed with the water to the amount that you are going to ferment it at. You also must make sure you adjust for temperature, either use the piece of paper that came with your hydrometer, or search on here or the internet for a sheet that will tell you the changes to make at certain temperatures of the liquid you are measuring. Most hydrometers are tuned to 60 degrees F.

 

[kornkob]

The total volume of liquid you are putting in the fermenter.

 

[EmptyH]

The original gravity is the full volume of the wort, with the water, cooled. Actually I think hydrometers are calibrated at 60 F so if the reading is taken at room temp you will need to do a temp adjustment.

 

[EmptyH]

wow four people answered at the same time. What are the odds.

 

[cweston]

That is such a stupid question!


(j/k)

The OG is the gravity of the wort that goes into the fermenter: so take your reading *after* you have added water to make 5 gallons (or whatever the amount is that goes into your fermenter).

Be sure to mix extremely well after adding water and before pulling your sample for your OG reading.

If you're doing extract brewing, it;s really not that important to even take on OG reading, because if you follow the directions there's realy no way your OG can deviate more than a point or three (which is insignificant) from what's indicated in the recipe.

 

[cyfan964]

thanks for the help... that is what I have been doing, but my OG have been lower than what they should be every batch I have made so I wondered if I was doing it wrong. I even do adjust for the correct temp and I am still low. I was supposed to have an OG of around 1.053 on my last batch and my reading was only a 1.044 what could be causing this?

 

[cweston]

thanks for the help... that is what I have been doing, but my OG have been lower than what they should be every batch I have made so I wondered if I was doing it wrong. I even do adjust for the correct temp and I am still low. I was supposed to have an OG of around 1.053 on my last batch and my reading was only a 1.044 what could be causing this?

This is almost certainly caused by not mixing well enough after adding your top-off water before you take your sample.

 

[cyfan964]

that is probably it. thanks.

 

[BierMuncher]

wow four people answered at the same time. What are the odds.

Hey, with a post like "Really Stupid Question..."?

We all come running...

 

[cyfan964]

I discovered a way to make people flock to me. Whever I have questions in the next week or so I'll have to start them all like that!!! Although people might begin to figure out it is me all the time.

 

[EmptyH]

Hey, with a post like "Really Stupid Question..."?

We all come running...

I'm a n00b, the "Stupid Questions" are the only ones I can answer.

 

[knipknup]

Do full wort boils. You won't have to deal with adding water and you should get better utilization from your hops. All brewers should be hop-heads!

Man law?... Yeah, man law!