i thought i knew.. but i guess not. i wasted 1 White Greek main and 1 Kathleen's Black breba today. White Greek was so unripen that it was dry inside. Kathleen's Black looked and felt ripen, but half of the inside was still dry.

my Paradiso Gene was also about 2 days early. it was edible, but i could still see the latex.

i feel for how soft the fig is, and how well it drooping.. any other way to determine when it's dead ripe?

When a fig is dead ripe they shrivel or wrinkle up, some crack, some drip honey. You have to watch your weather during this period to much water and they will explode, split open or sour. It is a trial and error thing some say you can press your thumb into the side and the dent stays in the fruit. I just eat them and say I need to give it more time. You will get an eye for it by the end of the season.. Some Breba will not ripen fully and stay dry it is up to the tree.. It is early for main crop figs give it another 4-6 weeks then it will be on.....

Each variety is different.

See Ripening and Harvest

Pete,

I did the same thing yesterday (7/22 Sunday). It was the only fig on my unknown LSU fig (not Purple maybe Gold). I was checking it every day and it was soft I thought it was time. It turned loose from the stem with just the slightest side pressure. It was moist but decidedly not ripe. Now  I have to wait till next year. I was so sure! Bummer.

I have 3 VdB, that I'm letting hang.  Not soft enough, and not easy to snap off.  Plump, black, soft............

Some figs need to be really "ugly", really over ripe looking before they are ripe. You have to do some trial and error to figure out each variety. Part of the fun of figs.

They are all different.  Some ooze honey from they eye like Smith, Alma, Strawberry.  Some green one will turn yellow, droop, and develop brown spots.  Some wll wrinkle and droop.  Some will crack all around.  So, it depends on the cultivar.  KB will crack on the side.