hydrometer

sleepyhollow3518

still have not got the idea about hydrometer readings, have a good one that says ready to bottle on it , in big yellow writing, that does me ,is it right way to think? if after two days the same at yellow reading just bottle?

HBO_Staff

It depends on the kit, the coloured bands are a good guide, but each kit has a recommended gravity reading you need to try and get the brew down to, or lower. By popping the hydrometer in the beer and taking a reading after the time it suggests, maybe a week or so, just take a reading where the hydrometer passes through the brew, and that number will be around what the instructions suggest - if it is higher then the brew needs a bit longer. A good check is to take a second reading the next day, which if the brew has finished fermenting will be the same. If it has gone any lower when taking another reading, then the brew needs a bit longer so keep checking it each day until it has stopped moving. Try and keep the brew around the temperature the instructions suggest (quite often around 20 degrees) and this will help it to ferment more quickly. Lower temperatures will often increase fermentation times