Mike-H

Recipes 

WHen you guys check the gravity out of the carboy, what do you use? I was thinking of using a turkey baster... My plan is to soak up an iodophor solution into the turkey baster, let sit for a few minutes and then rinse out the baster. Then remove the blowoff tube from the carboy and suck up some wort.

Is there any problem introducing oxygen into the carboy? I know that co2 is heavier than o2 so co2 should remain in the airspace of the carboy.

What about transfering to the second carboy for secondary fermentation? Is o2 a concern here?

Also, I leave my blowoff tube sitting in a bowl of water that also has iodophor in it, is this correct to do?

I am crazy about sanitization and wonder if I take it a little too far.

kornkob

Recipes 

If youa re going to use the turkey baster, don't rinse after using the idophor to sanitize. A proper solution of idophor should be a no rinse sanitizer and any trace amount of a no rinse sanitizer that contacts your brew will have no detectible impact on fermentation or flavor.

Instead of a turkey baster or a 'wine thief', I use an autosiphon, only without the hose. It's makes that item dual purpose and it grabs a sample from the center of the beer.

Steps to use autosiphon: Sanitize the autosiphon put the plunger into the tube, put thumb over the hose end of the plunger, drop the autosiphon into the carboy so that the end is in the center of the wort, pull plunger up about 75%, remove autosiphon (hold over sink) and replace carboy cap, pour sample into graduated cylinder for measurement, drink whatever's left. I've even put a mark on my autosiphon so that I draw out exactly the amount I need in my graduated cylinder for a reading.

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Jason 'Kornkob' Robinson

I wanna move to Theory. Everything works in Theory.

homebrewer_99

Recipes 

I use a thief also. Then place the sample in the stand that holds the hydrometer.

Sounds like you're being too zealous in your sanitation, but regardless of what I think you're better safe than sorry.

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HB Bill

Yuri_Rage

Recipes 

I used a turkey baster for a while, sanitized with Star San (no rinse). It worked just fine. Now all of my fermenters have spigots, so I just use those for sampling. I don't sample all that often - it just wastes beer most of the time . I do take a sample initially, any time I rack, and at bottling time.

As long as you don't stir, agitate, shake, or otherwise rough-handle the uncapped carboy, you aren't going to introduce any significant amount of oxygen as you take your sample. Remember, it's dissolved oxygen that you're worried about, not free oxygen in the headspace.

As for racking to another fermenter or clearing tank, oxygen is a concern. You want to transfer with as little agitation as possible. Use a siphon hose long enough to reach the bottom of the new container. You should get very little aeration that way.

As long as your blowoff tube is intially sanitized and submerged, you run little risk of infection. Adding some sanitizer to the water covering the blowoff tube is probably a bit unnecessary, but it isn't a bad idea - I do it just for a bit of insurance/peace of mind.

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gonzoflick

Recipes 

I bought a $7 theif that allows me to put the hydrometer directly inside it. Its easy as pie...

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Primary: Fullers ESB Clone
Secondary: Hierra Sevada Pale Ale
Bottled: NOTHING
On tap: NOTHING

Exo

Recipes 

Kornkob, your a genius!

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Primary:
doh!
Secondary:
Wasp Bitten IPA (a Walker-San clone);Cheesefood's Caramel Creme; Wee Heavy Scottish Ale;
Bottled/Conditioning:
Flyin' Hornet Pale Ale(Mirror Pond clone);Oktoberfest Ale
Drinking:
Boom-Boom Apricot Hefeweisen; Forbidden Ale;Pale-Ass Ale (SNPA Clone); Ol' Man Winter Ale
On-deck:
Dead Guy clone
Planning:
Walker's Espresso Stout; BrewPastor's Bastard Lager

Quote:

But honey, how else am I going to get enough bottles for my next batch? *burp*...*fart*

BrewProject

Recipes 

that is a great idea...

i've been using my auto-siphon to fill my cylinder by actually siphoning. it fills quickly and almost takes two people. ineveitably i always spill a little beer in the process...

thanks for the idea of the dual purpose auto-siphon.

brilliant

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Primary 1:
Blue Moon Clone

Primary 2:
Nut Brown Ale

Secondary 1:
Available

Secondary 2:
Available

Kegged and Drinking:
American IPA, Special Holiday Ale

Bottled and Drinking:
Irish Red Ale, Summer Saison Belgian Ale, Pumpkin Ale, Fat Tire Clone

Planning: Chiplote Ale, Blueberry Wheat, Cherry Stout, Chocolate Cherry Stout and been thinking about something crazy like a Wintergreen Stout

dougjones31

Recipes 

Just superglue a string to the hydrometer and sanitize it and drop it into your carboy. I only use glass carboys and that is what I do....I can read it just fine through the carboy.

I get 1 or 2 extra beers in the end because I do not waste sample beer.

kornkob

Recipes 

I don't consider the samples a waste since I drink them. : )

__________________
Jason 'Kornkob' Robinson

I wanna move to Theory. Everything works in Theory.

dougjones31

Recipes 

Drinking unfermented wort, or uncarbed beer is wasting beer. Maybe not waste in the strictest use of the word, but a waste none-the-less. :')