I'm on my very first kit of beer purchased for me as a gift and have two more lined up to ferment after this one. I have a day or two left before I should be seeing the perfect reading but i cannot take one because of all the foam (about 2-3 inches thick). It states clearly that you should be careful not to disturb the contents of the barrel so how do I do this and take a successful reading? Do I scrape some of the foam away? Will it go by itself in the next 2 days? Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks
How do I take a hydrometer reading with all this foam?
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drunkpapaj
- Steady Drinker
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:14 pm
- Location: Kent
Re: How do I take a hydrometer reading with all this foam?
How long has it been going?? Generally kits say 5-7 days for a full ferment but most people actually leave it for 2 weeks before touching it...
Re: How do I take a hydrometer reading with all this foam?
If you still have a lot of foam, then you don't need to take a reading... it's still brewing! Wait until the foam fully subsides, then take a reading. No point before the foam subsides.
Personally I'd leave it at least 10 days before attempting to take a reading, as it wont likely be fully fermented until 7-10 days... ignore what the destructions say, they are usually very optimistic and encourage people to be impatient!
Personally I'd leave it at least 10 days before attempting to take a reading, as it wont likely be fully fermented until 7-10 days... ignore what the destructions say, they are usually very optimistic and encourage people to be impatient!
In the past:
21.5L Coopers Stout + Treacle OG 1054 (Start 6/11/2015)
21L Coopers English Bitter + Hops OG 1047 (Start 6/11/2015)
20L Coopers APA OG 1050 FG 1014 (Start 26/10/2014, PB'd 30/11/2014 Dry hopped 100g Cascade on 18/11/2014)
20L Coopers Stout OG 1048 FG 1016 (Start 30/11/2014, PB'd 17/12/2014)
20L Coopers Stout OG 1048 (PB'd 17/12/2013)
20L Coopers Lager OG 1047 (Start 03/12/2013, PB'd 04/08/2014!)
21.5L Coopers Stout + Treacle OG 1054 (Start 6/11/2015)
21L Coopers English Bitter + Hops OG 1047 (Start 6/11/2015)
20L Coopers APA OG 1050 FG 1014 (Start 26/10/2014, PB'd 30/11/2014 Dry hopped 100g Cascade on 18/11/2014)
20L Coopers Stout OG 1048 FG 1016 (Start 30/11/2014, PB'd 17/12/2014)
20L Coopers Stout OG 1048 (PB'd 17/12/2013)
20L Coopers Lager OG 1047 (Start 03/12/2013, PB'd 04/08/2014!)
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Bunderson
Re: How do I take a hydrometer reading with all this foam?
Thanks for the feedback.
It's a Young's U Brew kit and it's been on the go for 5 days. I will wait for the foam to subside first thanks for the info. I am also happy to leave longer if this will help things along.
It's a Young's U Brew kit and it's been on the go for 5 days. I will wait for the foam to subside first thanks for the info. I am also happy to leave longer if this will help things along.
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darkonnis
Re: How do I take a hydrometer reading with all this foam?
Yeah, you can ferment and have it done in a fw days (depending on temp) but as im finding out, the longer you leave it the better results you seem to get. My IPA was done after 3 days (coopers) after a week it looks a lot clearer and despite only a 0.002 change in gravity in 4 days, it doesnt half taste and smell a bit better for it. Temperature is the big thing which is how you can do it fast or slow... (using coopers own destructions i go at a high temp, which im going to stop following as im told better results will happen with a slower ferment)
If you have a tap, you could drain some into a tall glass and put your hydro in there, which i do literally just to get an appreciation of how fast different things tick over and what effect they have. As the guy above me says though (sorry shit with names) if you have that much foam, you'd only be doing it just for your own interest. Also, personally, i dont put anything in the full FV once i set it off, don't want any nasties getting in, and i'd be well pissed if i got 40pints of "off" beer.
If you have a tap, you could drain some into a tall glass and put your hydro in there, which i do literally just to get an appreciation of how fast different things tick over and what effect they have. As the guy above me says though (sorry shit with names) if you have that much foam, you'd only be doing it just for your own interest. Also, personally, i dont put anything in the full FV once i set it off, don't want any nasties getting in, and i'd be well pissed if i got 40pints of "off" beer.