Objections to leaving hydrometer in primary as fermentations completes?

Just curious if anyone has any objections revolving leaving the hydrometer in the primary during the last couple of days before the recommended fermentation time is coming to an end.

As long as its sanitized i wouldnt suspect a problem. This is just a pure laziness question so i dont have to keep running up and down the basement washing and checking, washing and checking.

Your thoughts guys?

No worries, go have a beer!

How do you plan on reading it though all the built up krausen and hop gunk? You'd really have to hang yourself over the bucket to even be able to make out the meniscus. How do you expect it to get an accurate reading if you have krausen and hop gunk even touching it?

I just find that it takes less than 30 seconds to take a grav reading the "normal" way...seem to me you'd have the bucket open much longer just trying to get a good look at the meniscus...hell you could get all manner of skin and haircells falling in in that few minutes.

New brewers often waste more time and energy, and potentially risk ruining their beer, by AVOIDING the most important and easiest of things, like sanitization and hydro readings.

revvy beat me to it. I think this could be done if the hydrometer was put in after the krausen had subsided and you're fermenting in a carboy. But then again you have to get the hydrometer back out without breaking it or getting trub everywhere...

Revvy said:

How do you plan on reading it though all the built up krausen and hop gunk? You'd really have to hang yourself over the bucket to even be able to make out the meniscus. How do you expect it to get an accurate reading if you have krausen and hop gunk even touching it?

I just find that it takes less than 30 seconds to take a grav reading the "normal" way...seem to me you'd have the bucket open much longer just trying to get a good look at the meniscus...hell you could get all manner of skin and haircells falling in in that few minutes.

New brewers often waste more time and energy, and potentially risk ruining their beer, by AVOIDING the most important and easiest of things, like sanitization and hydro readings.

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No gunk and i can read it just fine. Its been sterilized (not sanitized) so there shouldnt be any risk to the brew. If it took me 30 seconds to take a grav reading, i wouldnt be posting this question, Revv

brewd00d said:

If it took me 30 seconds to take a grav reading, i wouldnt be posting this question, Revv

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Then maybe you need to learn to be more efficient in how you take a grav reading then mucking about with ways to avoid it, eh????

If you can't do it faster, then the problem isn't with using a hydrometer and taking a sample, the problem is the brewer's process.

This is what I use, and it works with both buckets and carboys. I replaced the plastic one a year ago with an extra long stainless baster from a kitchen ware store and it is awesome. But the plastic one from any grocery store works fine.



And



Here's what I do....

1) With a spray bottle filled with starsan I spray the lid of my bucket, or the mouth of the carboy, including the bung. Then I spray my turkey baster inside and out with sanitize (or dunking it in a container of sanitizer).

2) Open fermenter.

3) Draw Sample

4) fill sample jar (usualy 2-3 turky baster draws

5)Spray bung or lid with sanitizer again

6) Close lid or bung

6) add hydrometer and take reading

It is less than 30 seconds from the time the lid is removed until it is closed again. More like 15 if you ask me.

Probably less if you have help. And unless a bird flies in your place and lets go with some poop, you should be okay.

I have faith in your skills, that you can handle that.

i believe i can. thanks

Any krausen or residue on the hydrometer will render it inaccurate. Attempting to retrieve the hydrometer could render it into small shards.

I use a Thief and put it in there.. to take the reading. then whats in the thief easily goes into my glass to taste.. Everytime i pull Beer out It has to be tasted best way to learn about how the beer is transforming.. other than OG readings..

I use a Thief and put it in there.. to take the reading.

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you just blew my mind
I know how I'm checking the gravity next time

Google Brew Balls

The Thief by Fermtech is by far the easiest tool to use.
Bull

bullinachinashop said:

The Thief by Fermtech is by far the easiest tool to use.
Bull

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That's subjective, a matter of personal experience and opinion. I started with a theif, and put the hydrometer right in it after drawing a sample. But I just had a hard time reading it in there. Usually there was too much foam on the top line.

I seem to get less foam when drawing with my baster.

And to transfer to a sample jar was a pain too. Plus I got more dribble sit seams from my winetheif then my turkey baster. That's why I switched.

It's all part of the brewing process, finding what works for YOU. And usually that comes from trial and error.

Hope that helped?

hudsonj6 said:

you just blew my mind
I know how I'm checking the gravity next time

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