I enjoy brewing 1gal batches. How can I tell the fermentation is done? I feel that if I keep taking readings for the OG I won't have much beer left. Any advice would be great
When brewing 1-gallon batches you lose a lot of beer to the sampling process. The most accurate alternative is purchasing a refractometer because that device only needs a few drops to read the sugar level, thus the approximate gravity level via a conversion scale.The cost of these devices has come down considerably from what they used to be, but I'm not up to date on current prices vs. reliability/quality. Your other options are watching the air lock or the calendar, or a combination of both. Most beers are finished in two weeks (high ABV beers take longer, and the speed of the fermentation is also dependent on your yeast pitch, the age or healthiness of the yeast, etc.), but the key word there is 'most' which leaves some doubt. The air lock process can be faulty if the seal on the lid of your fermenter is leaky, plus you also have the issue of counting bubbles in an hour, or day, etc. to decide if any more bubbles are coming.
Another option is to get a tilt digital hydrometer then you can monitor it, when it's done and prior to bottling take a hydrometer reading to get an accurate reading.
Just throw your hydrometer in the carboy, gallon jug, or whatever and let it float inside. As long as your container is glass, you should be able to take the readings without opening it. Personally, I never take readings except at the start and when I'm ready to bottle/keg. If it's normal gravity beer, just let it ferment for 3 weeks and it should be done. It doesn't hurt to leave it on the yeast for that short a length of time.
