Woodfordes Wherry - original gravity low?

[littlepixielost]

Hello all

Can anyone Help?

Im new to ale brewing.. Ive got a woodfordes Wherry kit in a fermenter.. with a brew belt aroung it and the temp is stable at about 21 degress. It is exactly 2 weeks since i started it. I wasnt aware of gravity testing until last friday when i first took a reading.. this was just below the black line which is just under 10? I've tested everyday since then and it doesnt seemed to have moved too much and is not in the yellow 'bottle it now' section!! the barrel has some scum but the brew hasnt really bubbled much over the whole two weeks, although it had a good froth for the first 4-5 days.

Have i ruined it? should i go ahead and bottle it? should i wait? not sure i can bring myself to empty that much beer down the drain!!!

any advise would be brilliant!!!

thanks :

 

[Muddydisco]

Welcome Along :

Firstly read this How to on reading your Hydrometer and tell us the correct figure, then yeah could move on to answer your other questions.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3326

 

[littlepixielost]

great thanks for the link to the guide. I will test again when I get home and try to get a more accurate reading!

I wanted to be the first female in my circle to make a good homebrew beer, although I've mastered the old fashioned alcoholic Ginger beer... this one is baffling me!!

x :hmm:

 

[littlepixielost]

Hello all

So I tested my brew again last night.. this time it seems to have moved slightly! I have a beer and wine Hydrometer - And Im testing it in the fermenter. It sat right on the line at 10 - this is in the marked black area for beer, but it seems it has to reach the yellow section before you can bottle.

Hopefully I am reading this right? I taseted it and it is not bad... but not brilliant either!! there is no yeast or anything sitting ontop

Any advise would be appreciated! :sulk:

 

[Rwilts]

That reading means 1010 - I bottled mine last week at 1012 so as long as your reading is steady for a few days you are good to bottle.

 

[littlepixielost]

Oh brilliant - thanks for the help!!

If I could be cheeky and ask for any advise on the sugar adding... I will be bottling into some 1 litre swing tops and some old grolsh swing tops - which I think are 450ml..

So 1/2 tsp of sugar per gallon? and is it best to chuck this in the fermenter first then bottle.. or try and work out what each bottle needs and put the sugar in the bottle?

as a young ale drinker - I will be mocked for a long while if I get this wrong!!

Thanks