EamonJ Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Hi, I'm getting ready to bottle my first brew using the Coopers DIY kit and wanted to check that I'm using the hydrometer correctly. The trial jar has a broad red plastic base and a small red cap that fits on top at the other end. The cap has a tiny, round hole in it. At first, I couldn't work out what was the purpose of the cap on top (especially as the hydrometer will not fit inside with the cap on, even for storage.) So, for measuring the OG, I just ignored the cap. But now I'm trying to measure the FG, I find the sample is very fizzy when it comes out of the tap. I read a few posts about agitating the sample to degas it, so now I take the sample, put on the cap, place my thumb over the little hole and give it a good shake. I can feel the gas pressure against my thumb, so I let the gas out through the little hole. I repeat this a few times till I think I've got all the gas out. I remove the cap, put in the hydrometer, and then have to wait about 10 minutes to let the head die down before I can read the hydrometer reading. Is this right? Or is the cap meant for something else? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The cap has no use that I know of, and the wait is just par for the course. Tossing the sample between two glasses can de-gas it, but I've never tried that. Another tip - when you measure it look to make sure there are no bubbles stuck to the hydrometer. These will actually lift it a little and give you a false reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Hi EamonJ, & welcome to the forum. [happy] Your procedure for "De-gassing" before taking your gravity reading sounds spot on. So based on that, follow the same procedure DAILY, until you have a consistent gravity reading over 2 consecutive days. Once you have that consistent reading, you have that point in the fermentation cycle where you can safely bottle/carbonate the beer. I hope that helps. Good luck with your future brewing & don't be shy about posting your questions on this forum. Great bunch of guys here, with a wealth of brewing knowledge to draw on. Even the odd Irishman amongst us! [wink] Good luck with your future brewing. Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 ... So based on that' date=' follow the same procedure DAILY, until you have a consistent gravity reading over 2 consecutive days.[/quote'] Or if you'd like to get as much of your beer into bottles as possible then try your best to exercise a bit of patience (this is not easy at first, but it will come [wink]) and leave it a few days between samples instead. My usual method is to take an initial reading, a second reading a week (or more) later and another just before bottling at the two week mark. I would usually expect the second two to be almost the same so I know it's fine to bottle, but if not then something isn't quite right so I'll wait a bit longer and investigate. You know what though? If this is your first go then to hell with that. Take as many readings as you want! You'll develop patience in time - for now you can enjoy spending hours monitoring it [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Or better yet, leave it for at least 7 days after pitching the yeast before testing for FG. There's little to no point in taking a reading every day, as Ruddy says it just wastes beer. Having said that, I'm not sure Lusty meant to take readings every day from the beginning of fermentation, and being your first brew it is a bit hard to just leave it alone. [lol] Your method for using the hydrometer sounds all good though! [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EamonJ Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 Thanks for all the advice, and so quickly too. Actually, there was another worry behind my question about the hydrometer. I started the brew on a Saturday, in an unheated basement kitchen (UK Autumn), and within a day the temperature had settled to 20C and stayed at 20C until the Friday (6 days in), when I had to go away for a week \u2013 expecting to return and find everything ready for bottling. When I came back on the Sunday (day 15) when I found the temperature had fallen to just 16C. Anyway, I took a gravity reading, 1013-1014. Monday, still 16C, I took another gravity reading, 1013-1014 again. This was a bit higher than I'd expected (it's the just original larger kit with Brew Enhancer 1 that comes with the equipment) so I hesitated: had it really completed fermenting, or was the temperature too low for the yeast? So I put a heater near the fermenter, brought the temperature up to 22C and left it like that for 24hrs. Just taken another gravity reading and it's down to 1012. So I guess I need to keep the heat on and wait another couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Good to see your fermenting temperature is pretty well bang on where it should be! [biggrin] That Lager kit actually contains an ale yeast, so 20C is fine. Hydrometers are calibrated to either 20C or 15C, I'm guessing the Coopers one would be 20C. Basically what this means is if the temperature is higher or lower than 20C, the reading will be out. This is probably why it read 1013-14 at 16C but 1012 at 22C. The higher the temp, the lower it will read. Test it in water at 20C - it should read 1000. 16C shouldn't be too cold for that kit yeast, and in actual fact it's probably not a bad thing that it's been sitting for an extra week at those sorts of temps. Most of us leave our beers for a few days to a week after fermentation has finished before bottling, as it lets the yeast clean up a bit and clears the beer a little. I'd say it's finished, according to PB2 it should achieve an FG between 1012-1016. Bottle away mate! [cool] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EamonJ Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 Thanks for that, Kelsey. I'll stop fussing like a mother hen and bottle it! Cleared some space in another basement room that warmer, so I can put the bottles in there. Thanks again, \xc9amon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 At first' date=' I couldn't work out what was the purpose of the cap on top (especially as the hydrometer will not fit inside with the cap on, even for storage.) [/quote'] Welcome Eamon. My hydrometer fits in the tube with the cap on for storage. When you pulled it out of the box was it packed that way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EamonJ Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 Hi Hairy, No, they were all separate parts when they were packed (or, I should say, arrived): the hydrometer, the tube, the base and the cap. If I put the base on the tube, place the hydrometer inside, then the cap will not fit on top - a (small) part of the tip of the hydrometer protrudes. So, the cap can't be for storage. The other thing is the small hole in the cap: it's perfectly round and has to be deliberate, not a fault. I reckon it's just an easy way to release the CO2 when you agitate the sample. But, what do I know! \xc9amon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EamonJ Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 [ My hydrometer fits in the tube with the cap on for storage. When you pulled it out of the box was it packed that way? |Hairy, I tell a lie! I've just bottled 40x500ml bottles, washed everything and packed it away. Blow me if the hydrometer doesn't fit into the tube with both the base and cap attached, just as you suggested. Maybe the cap is just for storage, with the tiny hole to allow evaporation and to prevent mould, as I saw posted elsewhere. Anyway, I still like it for degassing. Now i'll be squeezing the bottles everfy few hours to see if they're firm! Too exciting, \xc9amon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Now i'll be squeezing the bottles everfy few hours to see if they're firm! Too exciting Be careful that you don't develop RSI. I was fine because I developed strong wrists during my teenage years [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilboBaggins Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I was fine because I developed strong wrists during my teenage years [biggrin] [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I see you've met the resident BS artist then Eamon. Actually that could be a few of us [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Blow me if the hydrometer doesn't fit into the tube with both the base and cap attached' date=' just as you suggested. [/quote'] I will leave this one for Kelsey then [innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Well since it apparently does fit into the tube in that manner, there's nothing I need to do. [tongue] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotm Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Be careful that you don't develop RSI. I was fine because I developed strong wrists during my teenage years [biggrin] Both wrists? Ambidextrous [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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