When to Take Hydrometer Reading?

[scdigger]

Hey guys...first brew has been in the fermenter 10 days...airlock activity is virtually done...my plan is to bottle Saturday or Sunday...

Took hydrometer reading on brew day and SG was 1.05.

Do I need to open the fermenting bucket now and take a sample and do a reading now? Or...should I just wait until Saturday and take the reading just before I bottle?

I also assume I take the reading BEFORE I add the priming sugar...

Thanks for the input.

Brewing a 1 gallon batch of Cream Ale for my wife tomorrow!

Greg

UPDATE!
OK...took a hydrometer reading and it was right on 1.010 - which puts it right around %5.25 or so. I said what the heck...drank the sample...other than being a little warm and flat...it tasted like beer! Good beer! I'm amazed with myself...I haven't ruined it yet. Here's a pic of my first brew! Irish Red Ale (extract kit from MoreBeer).

 

[myndflyte]

Yes take it before adding the sugar. And yeah you're going to have to open it and take out a sample. Typically you want to do readings over a few days to make sure gravity doesn't change and fermentation is done before you bottle.

 

[dkeller12]

From what I have found and what other people have said, it is best to leave the beer in the fermenter for 3 to 4 weeks before bottling. Not that you cannot do it if your gravity readings are consistent over a few days or so, but leaving it sit longer gives the yeast time to clean up after themselves leading to a better, clearer beer. Lots of beer directions push you to bottle faster than you should.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

If you plan to bottle Saturday you're best to take a reading on Thursday. That way if it's the same on Sunday you know it has essentially finished fermentation and can be bottled safely.
Yes, take the FG reading before adding sugar as it will alter the SG slightly.
Depending on the yeast viability, wort fermentability, etc. 2 weeks might not be quite enough but if it's a 1g batch you likely overpitched yeast and they're well on their way to completion.

 

[unionrdr]

When the rapid bubbling slows or stops, only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly, uneventfully creep down to a stable FG. At 10 days, it might be done, so take an hydrometer sample & see what the numbers say.

 

[scdigger]

bump for update n/t

 

[freisste]

Looks like pretty good clarity. Nice work. Good luck being patient with it.

 

[surffisher2a]

Keep it in the fermentor for at least another week or two. The yeast might be done turning the sugars to alcohol, but now they are eating / cleaning some of the byproducts of fermentation that can cause off flavors. Give them time to finish the job before you bottle.

PS -- the beer looks great! Good job on the brew.

 

[unionrdr]

I've found that clean up usually takes 3-7 days. If there's a lot of off-flavors, it won't clean up all of it. But in your case, a few days should do.