So I'm getting ready to bottle my milk stout later this week after two weeks in the fermenter. I just had a few questions for the vets here if anyone would be so kind: I want to take some gravity readings to be sure fermentation is over. Do I wait until the 14th day then take a reading, then come back a few days later to be sure the gravity isn't still dropping? Should I be taking the reading a few days before the 14th day and then check again at the 2 week point? Also I'm using a plastic bucket fermenter. Do I fully take the lid off and spin the hydrometer in there, or remove the airlock and put it through the hole? Or something else I'm not thinking of? Sorry for the ridiculously rudimentary questions. I'm a little OCD about this and want my first batch to come out well and not make any stupid mistakes late in the game! Thanks all.
I don't like to keep checking gravity because of disturbing the CO2 in the headspace of the bucket. When I do check it, I prefer to draw a sample with a sanitized measuring cup and pour it into the hydrometer tube. There's nothing wrong with placing it right in the bucket if you can read it (never tried this). That said, I don't check gravity of any beer I make before the 3 week mark, so I generally don' t have to check more than once before bottling.
The "right" way is to take readings on three consecutive days, and if they are all the same, then fermentation is complete. I've only done this once. Now I just wait 2-3 weeks, then check it when I transfer/bottle/keg. You should remove a sample with a turkey baster or wine thief (SANITIZED!) and put it in a hydrometer test jar, instead of putting the hydrometer into the fermenter. So, you need to remove the lid, unless your airlock hole is large enough for the baster. Here's some good guidance on using hydrometers: http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html
Taking readings on three consecutive days is unnecessary. You can a reading, skip a day, and take another one. If day one and day three are the same, you can be pretty sure it wasn't any different on day 2.
+1 to the above Also, if you don't have one of these one your bottling bucket AND your fermenter, get some. They make bottling and taking gravity readings from your fermenter really easy. http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/bottling-spigot.html. Just remember to take out the airlock before you open the spigot. Also get one of these if your hygrometer did not come with one. http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/breakdown-test-jar.html You don't have to buy them from Northern either.
