Hydrometer crash course

[MARK123]

If I make an all malt brew using say 11lbs of pale extract on a 5 gallon recipe and the OG is 1.080.......Will the FG go down to 1.015 or lower eventually???...Or will it only drop to 25% of OG?????...I use a secondary and was wondering if I left it in there a month would it drop.
Thanx for the help

[Tweek]

depends on the yeast used and how healthy of a ferment that took place. But yes it could potentially go down that far or even further with the right yeast. Once it is done fermenting however leaving it in the fermenter will not drop the gravity more. Leaving the beer in the fermenter past fermentation only serves to age the beer and let solids drop out of suspension resulting in a cleaner beer.

[brewmonkey]

Final gravity depends on several factors. What type of extract was used and how it was produced will play into the equation. Not all of the extract will be fermentable and the to what degree it is will depend on how it was made (malts used, mash temps etc...) The yeast selection will also have an effect on your TG. If you pitch a yeast that has a maximum attenuation of 68% you will have a higher TG then if it were a 73% yeast.

With a starting gravity of 1.080 I would be suprised with an extract based beer to see 1.015 as a TG without pitching something that has a decent attenuation and is alcohol tolerant.

[MARK123]

I used dry nottingham ale yeast......I just bought a hydrometer after about 10 batches...I have always aimed for a 6-9 %alcohol brew....none seem sweet yet...I was told to bottle when it does not taste sweet.....What would I bottle a 1.080 brew at????...Would it help to pitch again when I do the secondary???..The extract is the house bulk brand..."Pale colored syrup produced exclusively from pale malt grain" is what they say...Here is John Palmer on the yeast...


Nottingham Ale (Lallemand)
A more neutral ale yeast with lower levels of esters and a crisp, malty finish. Can be used for lager-type beers at low temperatures. High attenuation and medium-high flocculation. Fermentation range of 57-70°F.

[barley ben]

That would depend on the yeast's exact attenuation. The best way for you to know if it is ready is to look for no airlock action and then take gravity readings. Once you go a few day without the gravity dropping anymore, it should be ready to bottle. As long as you don't have a stuck fermentation. Do you know the current gravity?

[paul84043]

Sometimes on a big beer repitching is necessary because the high alcohol content kills off the yeast.
1.080 is not quite a barleywine, but is still potent enough to require repitching depending on the yeast strain.

Taking gravity readings is very important when making big beers, or experimenting, it's the only way to know exactly what's happening and to keep from making a batch of bombs.

[MARK123]

Current gravity is 1.027

[evilredlight]

You could add a couple beano tabs if you really want the FG to go down!