Took first hydro reading of first batch...

[arover]

Question: How exactly do you read it? I dropped the hydrometer in the wine thief, it floated at 1.020, then dropped to 1.012-1.014 after I let it sit for a few seconds...It sticks to the side, so I don't know exactly how/where to read it.

On a side note: My nut brown ale tastes like real beer! Woohoo! Albeit flat, and a tad bit strong

 

[newbeerpig]

I am guessing the hydrometer might be a little fat for your theif but what I do to help is spin the hydrometer as I drop it in and read it while spinning, keeps it off the side and tends to give a good reading.

 

[double_e5]

Take a look and this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/images/7/7e/Hydrometer_read-1-.gif

When you drop it in spin it so that no bubbles get stuck to it. They are a lot easier to read of you get a test tube to put the beer in instead of leaving it in the wine thief.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

Sometimes my hydrometer sticks to the sides of my thief too so I try to tilt the thief back and forth until I can get the hydrometer to balance in the middle long enough to take a reading.

 

[arover]

The hydrometer actually came with a tube to test it in, but I just saw the picture for the instructions of the theif, and they had the hydrometer in there...so I figured, why not lol. Anyways, I think I'll put it in the test tube next time..

 

[rth97601]

1.012-1.014 isn't an out of whack final gravity for a heavier beer, so you're probably not too far off. Congrats on the first batch. Here's to many, many more.