hydrometer question

just a quick question for tomorrow when I start brewing... do I need to take a sample for my hydrometer, or can i just stick it into my fermenting bucket?

I usually just pull a sample right before I transfer from the boil kettle to the fermenter. That way there's no chance of cross contamination at the point when the wort is most vulnerable to infection and the like.

If you have a hydrometer you should try to take a smaple before you begin fermenting. This will give you an idea if your process came up with a gravity close to the target. It will also allow you to later figure out how much alcohol there is in your finished beer. If you really don't care about those things I guess there really isn't a reason you have to take a sample.

Towards the end of fermentation your hydrometer also tells you when the beer is finished fermenting.

Edit: I think I misread your question and you're asking where to draw the sample from. I usually put the wort in the fermentor mix it up real good and draw a sample out with a wine thief, but I use a better bottle for fermentation. If you are using a bucket, no reason you couldn't dip in to get a sample, just make sure everything is sanitized that touches the wort.

Zen_Brew said:

If you have a hydrometer you should try to take a smaple before you begin fermenting. This will give you an idea if your process came up with a gravity close to the target. It will also allow you to later figure out how much alcohol there is in your finished beer. If you really don't care about those things I guess there really isn't a reason you have to take a sample.

Towards the end of fermentation your hydrometer also tells you when the beer is finished fermenting.

Click to expand...

i have a hydro, and plan on taking a reading. just didnt know if it was necessary to actually take some wort, put it in a separate glass and then measure it. vs sticking the hydro in the fermenting bucket

edit: just saw your edit. yea that's pretty much what I was asking, and I am using a bucket for primary so I didn't see any reason to actually take some out and put it in a separate glass

Dave6187 said:

i have a hydro, and plan on taking a reading. just didnt know if it was necessary to actually take some wort, put it in a separate glass and then measure it. vs sticking the hydro in the fermenting bucket

Click to expand...

OK, got it now. I have never gone to a bucket for fermentin, at least not since I was brewing as a 20 year old who knew nothing of hydrometers LOL. Putting the hydrometer in the bucket would probably work but it may be hard to read as you need the float level of the hydrometer at or near eye level to get the best reading. Also the sooner you get a lid on the fermentor the better. Most nasties that can get in there fall in with dust particles and things. Someone else may chime in who does their samples this way.

I use a bucket for primary and simply sanitize a 1 cup measuring cup. Dip it in and get about 3/4 cup. Gives me enough for the hydrometer plus some extra for sampling.

When taking a hydro reading to determine completion of fermentation in a ported better bottle wiht rackng adapter and simple flo valve, can the sample be taken via the valve, or is there a risk of contamination. The reason I ask due to the design of my fermentation chamber (a modified base cabinet with a thermoelectric chiller & Ranco stat, it's not practical to take the sample from the top without removing the bottle from the chamber. My guess is that as long as I sanitize the valve before I take the sample (and again befor racking) I should be god to go and in no more danger of contamination than from moving the bottle, removing the closure, inserting my wine theif & replacing the closure.

Thoughts?

I always drop the sanitized hydrometer right into the bucket, never had any problems doing that. If you want to take the FG that way you'll have to wait until the krausen has completely dropped and the surface bubbles are minimal - but there's not much reason to check the gravity before then anyway.

Until I bought a wine thief, I was just using a clean and sanitized turkey baster to pull my sample from the primary. You need your hydrometer to float, so rather than wasting a ton of wort for every sample by using a glass, what I do is just pour my sample into the plastic tube that the hydrometer came in (and lives in).

Don't know how much of a sample to pull out? Simple, just leave the hydrometer in it's plastic tube, and pour your sample right on top of it. Fill the tube up until your hydrometer floats. Easy Peasy.

Just remember to not pour your sample back into your fermenter. This could introduce bacteria/possible infection. Always drink your sample.