Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: specific gravity questions  (Read 3180 times)

Offline jarynp

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 3
specific gravity questions
« on: July 18, 2010, 04:47:12 pm »
Hello there AHA, just finished putting my first batch of homebrew into bottles to sit for a few more weeks.  Before fermentation I measured the specific gravity of my brew to be about 1.043.  When my fermentation was through I took the specific gravity again and got a reading of 1.023.  I then added the priming sugar and bottled.  Where I'm confused is my kit says my batch should have a specific gravity of around 1.010 when being bottled.  Did I mess up and take my second reading too early, or did I mess up somewhere else along the way.  Also, how do I determine the alcohol content of my brew using these readings.  Thanks a bunch in advance!

Offline tygo

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2622
  • Sterling, VA
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2010, 06:04:08 pm »
How did you determine that the fermentation was finished?  Looks to me like there was quite a ways still to go.  Be careful with those bottles.  If you weren't done fermenting they might explode.

Give us some more details of the recipe you brewed and we can help you figure out what happened.

 
« Last Edit: July 18, 2010, 06:07:01 pm by tygo »
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2010, 02:07:07 am »
Be careful but at that gravity it's likely they'll just be over carbonated. Chilling the bottles will help. Without more info such as which yeast, temp and length of fermentation who could say it wasn't time to bottle?

You have a hydrometer so don't go by a time set by any recipe. Rule of thumb is when gravity's been stable for several days then it's cool to bottle. Don't sweat it you'll get a real feel for it pretty soon. Palmer's How to Brew is indispensable.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline Janis

  • AHA Project Coordinator/NHC Director
  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 287
  • Which came first, the pelican or the beer?
    • American Homebrewers Association
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2010, 02:10:49 pm »
Hello there AHA, just finished putting my first batch of homebrew into bottles to sit for a few more weeks.  Before fermentation I measured the specific gravity of my brew to be about 1.043.  When my fermentation was through I took the specific gravity again and got a reading of 1.023.  I then added the priming sugar and bottled.  Where I'm confused is my kit says my batch should have a specific gravity of around 1.010 when being bottled.  Did I mess up and take my second reading too early, or did I mess up somewhere else along the way.  Also, how do I determine the alcohol content of my brew using these readings.  Thanks a bunch in advance!

Hi Jaryn,

When I saw your post this morning, I thought I would post the link for how to use a hydrometer from the AHA's Homebrewopedia wiki, but when I looked in the wiki, I found the procedure had not been entered yet.  We hope to have additional information added to the wiki soon (thanks to our intern!).

http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/

It would be great if some of the experienced/knowledgeable homebrewers on this forum would add material to our wiki!  That's what a wiki is all about.  Thanks!

Cheers,
    Janis

Janis Gross
National Homebrew Competition Director
AHA Project Coordinator
janis@brewersassociation.org
Janis Gross
National Homebrew Competition Director
AHA Project Coordinator
janis@brewersassociation.org

Offline jarynp

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2010, 08:08:54 pm »
Hello there AHA, just finished putting my first batch of homebrew into bottles to sit for a few more weeks.  Before fermentation I measured the specific gravity of my brew to be about 1.043.  When my fermentation was through I took the specific gravity again and got a reading of 1.023.  I then added the priming sugar and bottled.  Where I'm confused is my kit says my batch should have a specific gravity of around 1.010 when being bottled.  Did I mess up and take my second reading too early, or did I mess up somewhere else along the way.  Also, how do I determine the alcohol content of my brew using these readings.  Thanks a bunch in advance!

Hi Jaryn,

When I saw your post this morning, I thought I would post the link for how to use a hydrometer from the AHA's Homebrewopedia wiki, but when I looked in the wiki, I found the procedure had not been entered yet.  We hope to have additional information added to the wiki soon (thanks to our intern!).

http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/

It would be great if some of the experienced/knowledgeable homebrewers on this forum would add material to our wiki!  That's what a wiki is all about.  Thanks!

Cheers,
    Janis

Janis Gross
National Homebrew Competition Director
AHA Project Coordinator
janis@brewersassociation.org


I guess i must have just jumped the gun with my bottling.  Since it was my first time brewing I did not really on my hydrometer, instead I just bottled after the seven days the recipe called for. I had used a True Brew pale ale kit provided with my basic startup kit.  Thanks for the pointers though, I'll get back to this post as soon as I get to sample!

Offline tygo

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2622
  • Sterling, VA
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2010, 08:12:19 pm »
After another few days you might want to pop one of them open to see how much pressure is building up in the bottles.  Just to be on the safe side.
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline mavand

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2010, 09:07:19 am »
Thanks for all the info in this thread.  I have my first batch fermenting right now and planned on bottling per the directions but I think I'll rely on the hydrometer instead.

Cheers!

Offline jarynp

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2010, 08:06:01 pm »
I had my first glass of the homebrew today.  Since it has only sat in the bottles for about 8 days it was still fairly cloudy, but tasted pretty darn good.  As for the specific gravity I haven't taken another reading yet, I'm going to wait a couple more weeks.  The pressure inside the bottle wasn't anything crazy though, but the head on the beer did seem to be a little large for a pale ale...

Offline dmtaylor

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4724
  • Lord Idiot the Lazy
    • YEAST MASTER Perma-Living
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2010, 06:10:14 am »
You are very lucky.  Exploding bottles aren't just messy -- they are dangerous.  I thought for sure you had bombs on your hands.  If you are already experiencing full carbonation, you need to get every single bottle into the refrigerator RIGHT NOW, TODAY to prevent them from becoming bombs in the next week or two.  Don't say I didn't warn you.
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline rabid_dingo

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 787
  • Brighton, CO :D
    • Mile High Monks
Re: specific gravity questions
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2010, 05:34:03 pm »
Or put them in a plastic tub. The probably cardboard box will not hold the liquid and depending on where
you keep them could be a mess in the making.
Ruben * Colorado :)