Should I Just Ignore My Hydrometer Readings?

[Cwrw666]

Just finish fermenting the kit and when you drink it you'll know weather the og reading was accurate. And if it's good does it really matter.

 

[mancer62]

it matters in the sense that I am looking to brew my beer at around 4.8 - 5% not 3% I dont want to have to drink the full 40 to get drunk lol.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Stirring the sugar, water and extract in most cases gives appearance of being really well mixed. But in fact it often forms a whirlpool and the denser ( sugars and syrup ) will accumulate in the middle of the ferment bucket. I can see this quite dramatically in a clear fermenter when making wine kits. Stratification is a big problem. Temperature difference of different components also effects this ie cold extract warm water.
Fully dissolving the extract and sugar is more difficult than you'd think. You need to mix clockwise, anticlockwise backwards and forwards. Wait a while and come back and do it again. Then try your gravity reading.
Once the reading is stable after several goes at this you are reasonably sure it is mixed effectively.
As others have mentioned make up a known solution with table sugar at 20 c and that will allow you to check the higher reading because the gravity will be correct. Don't try and make a 1.090 solution go for a 1.050.
If it's off on this then take it back and get another one or get a refund.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Don't try and make a 1.090 solution go for a 1.050.

I made this mistake when trying to calibrate my iSpindel. The one high OG measurement was notably off when I came to plugging it into the software and it stuck out on the graph like a sore thumb

 

[buddsy]

I just tested it in 20 C water and it read 0.

I think he has.

Could it be the kit at fault?

buddsy

 

[Agentgonzo]

I think he has.

Could it be the kit at fault?

buddsy

I think the most likely explanation is (even dispite a lot of mixing) that the extract/sugar wasn't fully mixed with the water. I'd trust the kits, they are mass produced and unlikely to be wrong. I would chalk it up to experience, and use the OG from the kit and discard your hydrometer OG reading.

 

[mancer62]

36 hours are I brewed it is bubbling along nicely . I took a hydrometer reading in a test tube. I don't know what good (if any) it will do but I was just curious. Now at room temperature and obviously with the addition of yeast into the wort my reading is 1030. Is this just useless info or would it maybe give an indication of where ther true reading was about 36 hours earlier? For instance how many points would you expect the hydrometer to decrease in an average brew per day?

 

[The Baron]

I would put this down to experience and just brew it out. The new reading of 1.030 to OG 1.032 does indicate that it was higher than this in real terms as it would have probably dropped more than 2 points in the first 36 hours so take the ABV of the kit as a guideline. It looks like it was not mixed/dissolved fully and your reading was false.
All yeast ferment at different rates due to type heat and other conditions so it is not possible to give a figure on how much a yeast has fermented in the 36 hours just ferment out and enjoy

 

[Agentgonzo]

As baron said, different yeast ferment at different rates, but getting roughly half way down the gravity in the first 36 hours is normal. Here's my latest fermentation chart (using MJ36 liberty bell).
Temperature went higher than expected though.

 

[The Baron]

Ps I use Kveik a lot and that is a beast and can be nearly done in 36 hours in the high temperature ranges

 

[mancer62]

The Mystery continues. Tonight I brewed another batch of extract IPA. Instruction on the pack estimates once u add sugar u will get approx 5%ABV. I tried it with 1pint less tonight ie 39pints to see if any difference.
Of course there wasn't lol. You've guessed it OG 1032!!!.....It was a 1.6kg extract kit and I added 1kg of brewing sugar. And I mixed it well, very well for over 10 mins.
I pitched yeast at 64F/18C.....I also done water test with hydrometer at 20C and it was bang on the water line.
In all the years with my old hydrometer I never ever had readings this low ever. Quite Frankly I find it hard to believe these readings. As someone previously said these kits are massed produced and probably accurate when they say make 49 pints add sugar and get 5%ABV they likely to be pretty much on the money. Whereas as 1032 I would think I'd be lucky to get a beer much stronger than 3%. What's going on here should I just bin the hydrometer altogether? Lol

 

[mancer62]

That should read when they say add 40 pints add sugar and get 5%ABV etc

 

[shd]

@mancer62
As previously advised, get yourself an additional/new hydrometer for the cost of around 3 quid, ready for your next reading and you’ll have something to compare

 

[mancer62]

will do i think i need to lol ty