taking gravity levels

[keano]

Hey guys

New to brewing and started my kit 6 days ago. I took the og level with hydrometer. Was just wondering when taking the gravity levels to see whether fermentation is complete, do you have to change the substance in the cylinder each time or can you leave the same liquid in and just check next day. (Does the liquid continue to ferment if exposed to air?)
Or should you just use fresh batch each day when checking

Thanks

 

[Black n Tan]

Get a fresh sample each time, take gravity reading, have a sip (quality control) and then throw the rest. It will continue to ferment in the cylinder, but may not represent what is happening in the fermenter, so you should take a fresh sample each time.

EDIT: typo

 

[Nizmoose]

Definitely a new sample, if you left a cylinder out it'd probably get infected and go crazy and give you very weird readings

 

[keano]

Thanks guys. After each reading do you just rinse the cylinder under water after use?

 

[Pogierob]

Yep. Rinse and dry.. Wash and Sanitise is good practice though

 

[Drop It Like It's Hop]

I tend to drink each sample after getting the measurement (got to see how things are progressing!) and then give the hydrometer and testtube a quick rinse out with water. I don't bother sanitising the hydrometer as it's not coming back into contact with the wort.

 

[keano]

Thanks guys

 

[keano]

Thanks guys. And once you get the same gravity reading for 2 days do you have to bottle immediately or can it stay in the drum for a while?

 

[Nizmoose]

Thanks guys. And once you get the same gravity reading for 2 days do you have to bottle immediately or can it stay in the drum for a while?

It can definitely sit a while and in most cases it will do some good. It really depends on a lot of factors but allowing the yeast to 'clean up' a few products made during fermentation is going to be good for your beer. You can safely keep your beer in the fermenter for three weeks without any negative effects. It's definitely dependant on the situation though so do some reading and try some batches as a general rule let it ferment for say 10 days, test for three days, if stable let it sit for say another two days then bottle or sit it in a fridge to cold crash before bottling (read up on cold crashing if that's confusing)

Edit: the routine above is by no means an actual rule or thing but it gives you an idea of a ballpark fermentation schedule, I tend to leave my fermenter for 2 or 2.5 weeks, test, cold crash, bottle. But I'm in no rush to bottle batches.

 

[keano]

Will do!

 

[Nizmoose]

Oh and make sure that if it's not stable after however many days don't bottle! Let it sit till the gravity is stable

 

[Grott]

have a sip (quality control) and then throw the rest.

Not so good -_-

I tend to drink each sample after getting the measurement

Better