Forgot ot take OG reading

[tricky_dicky]

I put on a Wilkos Hoppy Copper Bitter yesterday, but I forgot to take an OG reading - is there anyway to get a reasonable estimate of what it might be - or are there too many variables...

Kit: Wilkos Hoppy Copper Bitter (1.5kg)
Fermentables : 1kg Beer Kit Enhancer (50:50 Dextrose / DME)
Brewed Short to 20l
Fermenting at ~21C

Any help appreciated

[orlando]

If you immediately take a sample it is possible that if the yeast is still in the lag phase of fermentation and hasn't started on the fermentables yet. Ultimately of course it doesn't matter, men have been making beer for thousands of years without knowing the OG. You will just have to make sure you let it ferment right out and stop after the usual 3 or more readings of the same gravity.

[tricky_dicky]

Yeah too late for taking a sample now, fermentation is well underway...Not too worry I am guessing it will come out at about 4.5% - I always leave beers fermeting for 14 days anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem

[Morten]

Did the kit not come with an instruction on the target OG?

[tricky_dicky]

Did the kit not come with an instruction on the target OG?

To be honest it's my 4th Wilko's kit, so I have filed the instructions in the bin...I don't remember it stating an OG though....

[Morten]

Did the kit not come with an instruction on the target OG?

To be honest it's my 4th Wilko's kit, so I have filed the instructions in the bin...I don't remember it stating an OG though....

[Monkeybrew]

I put on a Wilkos Hoppy Copper Bitter yesterday, but I forgot to take an OG reading - is there anyway to get a reasonable estimate of what it might be - or are there too many variables...

Kit: Wilkos Hoppy Copper Bitter (1.5kg)
Fermentables : 1kg Beer Kit Enhancer (50:50 Dextrose / DME)
Brewed Short to 20l
Fermenting at ~21C

Any help appreciated

I just put your ingredients into some brewing software and it came out at 1.042.

Hope that gives you a rough idea.

MB

[tricky_dicky]

Great - thanks Monkeybrew, really helpful

[batey1963]

I never bother. 14 days in the fermenter and forget about it.

[orlando]

I never bother. 14 days in the fermenter and forget about it.

I have to say, your approach has its advantages. Leaving the beer completely alone reduces the chances of infection from contamination to zero, though it could already be in there, but assuming it isn't your ahead of the game. For us obsessives, knowing how the fermentation is going can tell us quite a bit about how our yeast handling techniques are performing. If there are problems they can be addressed, if you are planning on dry hopping then timing of it is important, knowing when the beer is finished allows the cooling of the beer to help drop the yeast out giving better clarity and beer stability speeding up the whole process, but 9 times out of 10 your approach will just work.