"Satellite" Fermenting?

Meatball358 · 08-08-2009, 04:05 PM

I recently watched an instructional youtube video in which the guy suggested pitching your yeast immediately before taking your hydrometer reading, then saving the hydrometer beer sample in a 2nd container and reusing it for your hydrometer readings throughout fermentation. His explanation was that the sample would ferment at the same rate as your 5gallon batch and would provide the same readings. This would save you the risk of infecting your batch by repeatedly taking samples from your fermenter.

Does anyone see any problems with this method?

Thanks

**Nurmey** · 08-08-2009, 04:17 PM

The problem is that 5 gallons ferments at a very different rate than 4 ounces. It's an interesting thing to do but inaccurate for home brewers.

As long as you sanitize your equipment, there isn't really much risk to taking a sample. I don't take a ton of readings. I leave my beers in the primary for a least 4 weeks so I take a reading when it's going into the primary and other before I containerize just to be sure it's finished.

Meatball358 · 08-08-2009, 04:22 PM

thanks for the quick reply...I figured that there was something wrong with that concept because it just didnt seem like very sound logic (plus i hadnt heard of the technique on HBT first LOL)