when do you

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tickle

when do you

Post by tickle » Thu Oct 27, 2016 10:10 am

when do you take your og and fg readings
and how do you work out the abv

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Kyle_T
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Re: when do you

Post by Kyle_T » Thu Oct 27, 2016 10:18 am

I take the OG as the wort goes into the FV and I take the FG when I'm about to rack my beer into casks.

I use the HMRC method of OG - FG x .130 or its relevant factor.
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Meatymc
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Re: when do you

Post by Meatymc » Thu Oct 27, 2016 11:40 am

As Kyle plus of course you'll be checking samples pre and post-boil although they need to cool down before you take a reading unless you want to start allowing for temperature.

A few calculators on the web - this is the one I use

http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

Fil
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Re: when do you

Post by Fil » Fri Oct 28, 2016 9:53 pm

a saucepan of ice cubes is a good way to chill the sample in a plastic trial jar for a gravity reading of hot wort ;)
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

BigMouth
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Re: when do you

Post by BigMouth » Sat Oct 29, 2016 12:44 am

As Kyle says but ... if I forget then drink three pints when it's done and calculate abv thus:

1). Whoa heavy head and I'm thinking deeply about the future of mankind settling in other galaxies then 5% plus.
2.) Nicely happy and enjoyed my beer, will sleep warmly then 4.5%.
3.) Could hide this tipple from the wife and enjoyed aromatic hop qualities then 4% area.

But I don't forget, as Kyle says, as it goes to the fv and after fermentation when about to keg/bottle noting temp for the og ( usually 19c for pitching).
I punch the two into an online beer calculator but rule of thumb is the OG will guide you roughly, 1.045 is heading for 4.5%. Gonna get some comments on this rule of thumb re yeasts etc but my expectation is take the number after the decimal as a whole number and divide by 10. That probably tells you I brew middling beers and have a middling efficiency. But if you forget the fg reading in the excitement of kegging/bottling (and i have) you have an idea. Obviously adjust down if you think it is sweet/full bodied or up if it tastes dry but you will be thereabouts.

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