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A confession. I never take two hydrometer readings before bottling. I go mainly by the bubbles in the airlock. Then I take one reading before bottling. If it seems reasonable, I go ahead and bottle.

(In 13 batches, I have had one stubbie blow it's bottom off - but I suspect that was a flaw in the bottle.)

Is anyone else as slack as me, or am I the only heretic?

Malty

My apologies for that stray apostrophe. Those little beggars creep in everywhere.

I use a hydrometer, but not to check if fermentation is complete - I generally let my brews rest for long enough that fermentation should well and truely be complete. I just use it to work out the alcohol.

T.
ps Now I've broken a few, it calls to mind breaking thermometers. We've been through a few. If my wife thinks she's sick and goes for the thermometer, we can tell if she's sick or not, not from her temperature, but from whether she drops and smashes the thermometer.

Malty.

I never check.

I believe in listen, look, smell and believe.
If it isnt bubbling, it is clear, and not snapping and crackling, well then, we are done.

Mind you, I have never bottled in less than three weeks from pitching either.

Dogger

malty wrote:A confession. I never take two hydrometer readings before bottling. I go mainly by the bubbles in the airlock. Then I take one reading before bottling. If it seems reasonable, I go ahead and bottle.

(In 13 batches, I have had one stubbie blow it's bottom off - but I suspect that was a flaw in the bottle.)

Is anyone else as slack as me, or am I the only heretic?

Malty

I hydro for 4 reasons

1. Sample, just love doing it
2. Safety
3. Like to check clarity before bottling (Less shit at bottom)
4. Alcohol %

Having said that, if you leave for long enough, I wouldn't matter as long as it bubbled for a decent time depending on temp and type of brew (lager longer).

Dogger Dan wrote:Malty.

I never check.

I believe in listen, look, smell and believe.
If it isnt bubbling, it is clear, and not snapping and crackling, well then, we are done.

Mind you, I have never bottled in less than three weeks from pitching either.

Dogger

Im with you dogger i never check usually and i also never bottle before 3 weeks and its usually not before 4 weeks Never had a hand grenade but i have explode 1 in the freezer, dont think the hydro would have helped me there

I too am from the lazy arsed school of brewing - no hydrometer.

Nothing too scientific over here - but have to get my act together to move towards AG.

muddy

malty wrote:A confession. I never take two hydrometer readings before bottling. I go mainly by the bubbles in the airlock. Then I take one reading before bottling. If it seems reasonable, I go ahead and bottle.

(In 13 batches, I have had one stubbie blow it's bottom off - but I suspect that was a flaw in the bottle.)

Is anyone else as slack as me, or am I the only heretic?

Malty

...and I thought I was the only one! There are lads out there who swear by the hydro as an assurance of complete fermentation among other things. I say each to their own. I have a hydrometer but it sits on the bench gathering dust so that visitors to the shed of beer think I'm some type of beer technician!!!!

Oh andbefore I forget, stop being a bastard! I read your post three times and still didn't find that rascally apostrophe!

it's in the it's

Here I was feeling guilty! Everything I had read in my homebrew book said to leave the brew no longer than a couple of days after fermentation had finished or infection may set in.

But I don't have time to bottle during the week and so I often leave the brew 2-3 weeks from pitching the yeast just to make sure it was done and done. That way I can avoid taking the hydro test as well. I haven't read up on the science to understand all of that stuff yet.

off - but

melbourne man wrote:it's in the it's

I'm goin blind still cant see that bastard

Are you toying with us?

used my hydro twice this year and neither was for beer .

Schooner wrote:used my hydro twice this year and neither was for beer .

used it on watermellon wine and mead

Schooner wrote:

used it on watermellon wine and mead

Thanks for clarification

my bere at the moment has had nothing happen in the air lock.... i'm going to take another hydro reading tomorrow to see if anything is happening :S

Hatchet Juggla wrote:my bere at the moment has had nothing happen in the air lock.... i'm going to take another hydro reading tomorrow to see if anything is happening :S

If SG is dropping try this.

Rabby wrote:
Boonie,
Ring is on and i wet it before doing it up. The grommet is tight and nothing is leaking around it, (splashed a bit of water on it). Havent had any smell in the box, SG is @1015, brew looks a bit cloudy but smells ok.
Rabby


I was going to ask if you wet the ring ....no ring jokes Lethal or Chris now in Canberra.

I found that if I pushed down on the lid whilst sealing, it did not always seal right.

Put it at a good height, wont hurt to stir it up a bit, try just to twist the lid. Get some one to hold the keg (Not the Tap ...been there) and give it a good nudge. I found that if half undid it and resealed again, it sealed OK.

The SG is telling me that all is OK. If you do not want to try and seal it, dont, I would not worry. The gas on top of the beer should keep out infections.

You know I can't resist,

Is the ring burning Boonie?



I understand there in an Ambusol Homebrewing group out there somewhere



Dogger

Dogger Dan wrote:You know I can't resist,

Is the ring burning Boonie?



I understand there in an Ambusol Homebrewing group out there somewhere



Dogger

The Johnny Cash group?