First time & Brewcraft Kit

[nikon90s]

So I just put my yeast in my first try at home brewing. I can not wait to see how it all turns out. I know I made my mistakes I am sure. But one mistake I think I made was getting a Brewcraft Kit and Recipe Pack. The first thing is that there are no instructions in the Kit other then the siphon and the hydrometer. So I had no idea what some of the parts where for. I am sure most of my problems are just user error but I found myself going to my computer looking up what to do next and what something was used for. The recipe pack instructions where just a generic and not just for the beer that I was making which made my first time that much more tricky.

One question I have is how do I use the hydrometer with our a hydrometer jar? I tried using part of the siphon to take the reading which worked as well as I thought it would. How do I get the reading with out a hydrometer jar? That would be something I would have expected do have been in the instructions that should have come with the kit.

 

[flars]

Did your hydrometer come packaged in a tube that was 2 to 3 inches longer than the hydrometer? If it did you will use that tube for your wort sample to float the hydrometer in. Homebrew shops usually sell these tubes, but any type of clear cylinder will work that is not overly large. Do not put your drawn sample back in the fermenter. This risks infection. I always drink it to track the taste as fermentation comes to completion. I would recommend buying "The Joy of Homebrewing". This will answer many questions and fill in the blanks found with recipe instructions. Very easy to read book.

 

[nikon90s]

My hydrometer did come in a tube and I did not even think about trying to use that. There is a cap in both ends along with some foam but I bet that is what I was to use. Now that I am on day three should I still try to get some readings?