adjusting Hydrometer readings

[New_Brew26]

ok, if i take a hydro reading @ around 70-75 deg F, on the calculator it told me adjust by 1%. WHICH WAY?! thanks for all the help people!

[sully626]

I believe the warmer you go you are adjusting up. The program I use says a 1.075 @ 70 comes out to 1.076 and @ 75 it's 1.077. I don't know if that is completely correct, but the beer has tasted ok so I'm not questioning it, haha.

[New_Brew26]

1% stronger?! man! here i have been thinking my beer was weak because they have been finishing out @ around 4%(before i knew to adjust for temp)

[vance71975]

ok, if i take a hydro reading @ around 70-75 deg F, on the calculator it told me adjust by 1%. WHICH WAY?! thanks for all the help people!

Ok here is what my Hydrometer says on it.70-75 +1 to your gravity reading 76-85 +2 to your reading 86-92 +3 to the reading,92-96 +5 to the reading, 96-102 +6 to the reading,102-106 +7 to the reading,110 +8 to the reading, above 110 it doesn't much matter cause you will likely kill your yeast.

Also that is what you add to your starting gravity reading, NOT the % of ABV. Your ABV is figured using your Starting Gravity reading and your Final Gravity reading. I recommend this site for figuring ABV because you don't have to do any math. http://www.beermath.com/index2.html

Hope this makes it easier!

[New_Brew26]

aaaah. ok, that makes sense. thanks!

[Croesius]

I recommend this site for figuring ABV because you don't have to do any math. http://www.beermath.com/index2.html

Hope this makes it easier!

...I was told there would be no math!
I concur with Vance, a program is much much easier than working out equations. I downloaded the trial version of BeerSmith, and it is now a constantly open program on my comp. I bought it before the trial even ended! Saved my bacon many a time.

[brazilhead]

It's been a long time since I've read Papazian's Complete Joy of, but he used a simple analogy that has always stuck in my mind. Imagine you put a hydrometer in a bunch of honey. If the honey were hotter, the hydrometer would sink down more. The same thing applies to wort and beer.

[barleyburps]

I always pull a sample, place it in a testing cylinder, then stick it in the refrigerator to let the temperature come down to 60 degrees (sixty is what mine is calibrated for).

Also, not to get off the subject, but if it is fermenting beer which I am sampling to see how long it has progressed, I will pour the sample back and forth between two mugs/large measure cups numerous times (at least 20) prior to getting it to 60 and checking the reading. This helps to remove most of the CO2 so that the bubbles don't tend to "float the hydrometer".

I don't know how necessary this is, but it is the way I learned to do it from a german brewmaster, so I've always done it.

[laneto]

Not much of an equation. Basically it's the difference multiplied by 130.