hydrometer

[midlandrinker]

hi i am new to HB and have used the fiery ginger beer recipe. being a complete noob i only got a hydrometer today (3 days after pitching the yeast) and have discovered that i needed to make an OG before pitching. Anyways i tested the hydrometer today in a sample i siphoned and it read 1030 or 5%abv. is it a meaningless measurement? can i check again in a few days and see if it changes?

 

[31bb3]

If you leave it another week you will see it as dropped more unfortunately its too late now to get an accurate final gravity reading as you didn't get a OG

 

[calumscott]

Ah, yes, utterly meaningless I'm afraid...

The 5% refers (as I believe you have the standard triple-scale Stevenson-Reeves one like mine) to what that the ABV might be if it fermented to dry as a wine would.

There is no way for you to tell the ABV of your ginger beer I'm afraid. We could take a stab at what your OG was from your ingredients and volume which will get you somewhere in the ballpark...

...then by using the calculator on here and the guesstimated OG and whatever your final gravity (FG) is you would end up with an estimate of ABV.

 

[simonlpearce]

I did exactly the same.

Well actually to be fair the kit i bought didn't tell you to take an OG. From what i can tell its near impossible to go too far from the suggested OG if your kit has one in the instructions, so your end reading should still be reasonably accurate.

 

[midlandrinker]

thanks for the replies! i wont be making this mistake next time, but blimey its lovely :thumb:

 

[31bb3]

As long as you enjoy the alcohol isn't everything

 

[PD]

quote.

As long as you enjoy the alcohol isn't everything


you ok Eddie ?

 

[midlandrinker]

quote.

As long as you enjoy the alcohol isn't everything


you ok Eddie ?

I read it as "As long as you enjoy alcohol. Isn't everything -->> completethesentence :