Hydrometer readings

[azezal]

Hi. I took hydrometer reading just before I added yeast. It was 1.030. One min after that I tested again after adding and stirring the yeast. It became 1.040. How is this possible because fermentation has not even began?

I always seem to start with 1.040 and end up with 1.000 which is a good result I think.

 

[Parva]

You're doing something way wrong here. The difference in the gravity readings I would attribute to temperature when you took the reading. Possibly the brew was hot on the first reading and after stirring you got a cooler sample. Getting down to 1.000 is nothing to be proud of, the lower the final gravity the 'thinner' the beer. Yes, it will have alcoholic strength but it will lack body and taste like paint thinners. I aim for 1.012 to 1.016.

You've either got a dodgy hydrometer, you're not taking temperature into account or something wierd is going on!

 

[azezal]

I double checked the reading and its more like 1.002. I have had 3 brews now that started at 1.040 and ended up between 1.002 and 1.000. They tasted ok. I had followed the instructions to the letter. I don't think the hydrometer is faulty, because I have two that I use. Also the temperature is fairly constant at room temperature. I think this bitter is meant to have about 4.5 abv. I did the hydrometer calculations online and it has never been stronger than 5.7 abv.

It says in the guide that I bought with the Young's kits "do not bottle until the S.G. has dropped to between 1,006 - 1,000."

I am baffled though, about the first reading yesterday. It was only a couple of min between stirring the yeast in and the reading went from 1.030 to 1.040. The temparature of the water was about 20 c, and I don't think stirring it cooled it down that much or anything.

 

[Aleman]

The most likely cause is that you hadn't stirred the sugar and extract enough and it wasn't fully mixed . . . when you stirred after adding the yeast it became fully mixed and gave you a 'true' reading.

For a kit 'n kilo beer then it is possible that the gravity will end up at around 1.000 . . . especially if you use a good amount of a good yeast. . . . As Parva said this is not always a good thing an all grain beer will finish between 1.010 and 1.016 (or higher depending on initial OG) and this gives the beer body and a residual sweetness. I have had beers finish (intentionally) at 1.006-1.008 caused by mashing at cooler temperatures for longer. To increase the body of your kit beer you could try exchanging 500g of the sugar with 500g of Extra Light dry malt extract. . . . This will not ferment completely and will give the beer more body.