Quick and dirty hydrometer sanitization?

When I check the S.G. of my brews to see how they're coming along, I just sanitize my hydrometer in the little plastic tube that it comes in, does anyone else do this or do you guys have suggestions that work better? I thought about using starsan and a spray bottle but it doesn't seem worth it on such a small piece of equipment.

What do you put in the tube to sanitize and how much? Maybe more importantly, why are you sanitizing your hydrometer? Are you using it to scoop samples? Pouring the beer back in from it?

Zacharias said:

..... do you guys have suggestions that work better?

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Yes. Don't sanitize.

Just clean the hydrometer, dry it, and store it. When you take a reading drink the sample.

Drinking the sample is not always the tastiest of options but if you pay attention you can learn volumes from it alone.

I have just been taking the readings right in the primary.

Zacharias said:

I have just been taking the readings right in the primary.

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I guess that would work. If it were me I would simply sanitize it by spraying it with starsan and letting it sit a minute. However, you are missing a crucial part of taking samples. Taking a sample should allow you visualize the color and clarity of the beer, obtain an SG reading and TASTE/SMELL the beer. If you are simply opening the lid and taking a SG reading you are missing a lot of crucial information in my eyes.

Thanks for all the input guys, I have been thinking of using a turkey baster and a graduated cylinder to get more accurate SG readings. Cheers.

Turkey baster or wine thief. I have more luck with the thief though.

I have a nice SS baster that was well marketed but works like **** for pulling samples. a thief has to work better.

The problem I have with the baster is that if I try to take a sample with one I always end up squirting some back out as I lift it up. It either ends up back in the beer, or it squirts across the room.

Buckets with spigots are good for this.....I hate taking the lid off and exposing the wort to open air.

Fermentec makes a thief large enough to put the hydrometer in but still small enough diameter to steal from a carboy. Great idea.

I just like the process of spinning the hydro in the cylinder.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Fermentec makes a thief large enough to put the hydrometer in but still small enough diameter to steal from a carboy. Great idea.

I just like the process of spinning the hydro in the cylinder.

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I have this theif and hardly ever use it. It has a little fluid pressure activated valve at the bottom that still allows beer to leak out when it's full of fluid. The large portion of an autsiphon works in the same way and I prefer to use it instead. I would rather have a basic, no moving parts, sample thief than the fermentec one.

Scut_Monkey said:

It has a little fluid pressure activated valve at the bottom that still allows beer to leak out when it's full of fluid.

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Yes it does, which is my favorite part - although I don't get more than a few drops leaking.

I like to use a test jar for my sample for several reasons - most notably that I can put it down - and having that valve at the bottom makes it easy and mess-free to get the beer into it.

I don't have to hold onto the thief/autosiphon with one hand while taking the measurement (and dripping on the floor) with the other, which is convenient. I also find that I get a lot of foam in the top of the thief when I take a sample, which makes it hard to get an accurate reading. With a test jar, I can let it settle and take a hydro reading at my convenience.

Personal preference. Here's how I do it - click thru for HD if you like:

[youtube]5DlQgomUc54[/youtube]

-Joe

Scut_Monkey said:

I have this theif and hardly ever use it. It has a little fluid pressure activated valve at the bottom that still allows beer to leak out when it's full of fluid. The large portion of an autsiphon works in the same way and I prefer to use it instead. I would rather have a basic, no moving parts, sample thief than the fermentec one.

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I wonder if yours has a flaw in the plastic moulding at the valve seat or something because mine leaks very little. A drop or two at most.

fancy boxers! LOL (1:25)

LOL I was waiting for someone to comment on that They're actually pajama bottoms that my wife made for me. They've got tools on them

-Joe

nostalgia said:

Yes it does, which is my favorite part - although I don't get more than a few drops leaking.

I like to use a test jar for my sample for several reasons - most notably that I can put it down - and having that valve at the bottom makes it easy and mess-free to get the beer into it.

I don't have to hold onto the thief/autosiphon with one hand while taking the measurement (and dripping on the floor) with the other, which is convenient. I also find that I get a lot of foam in the top of the thief when I take a sample, which makes it hard to get an accurate reading. With a test jar, I can let it settle and take a hydro reading at my convenience.

Personal preference. Here's how I do it - click thru for HD if you like:



-Joe

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True, it is a preference thing. To use it as a hydrometer test jar would be very hard to do and inconvenient in my eyes. To use it as a thief it works ok but if you aren't gravity testing with it a simple plastic or glass thief works well also. Unless you have to bounce it up and down to get more fluid in it like you mention. If that's the case the fermentec thief is a good option but the outside tube of an autosiphon does the exact same thing although it does not let you decant the sample as easily.

GilaMinumBeer said:

I wonder if yours has a flaw in the plastic moulding at the valve seat or something because mine leaks very little. A drop or two at most.

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Good question. I'll have to take a look at it when I get home. Perhaps that plastic push valve has some imperfections to it. I just got tired of dealing with it and found the autosiphone portion worked just as well for me.

Zacharias said:

When I check the S.G. of my brews to see how they're coming along, I just sanitize my hydrometer in the little plastic tube that it comes in, does anyone else do this or do you guys have suggestions that work better? I thought about using starsan and a spray bottle but it doesn't seem worth it on such a small piece of equipment.

Click to expand...

I do the starsan and spray bottle you mentioned, but it's not that much work. I make a gallon at a time with distilled water, fill up a Home Depot squirt bottle, and keep it around. No need to dump it since I used distilled water. So it's always available to sanitize hydrometers, autosiphon, etc.

I use a baster and find it to work great.

I hated my winetheif for the same reason mentioned above. I swithced to a long metal turkey baster. To sanitize I either fill my hydrometer collection tube with some starsan and soak it in their or I spray it both inside and out with starsan from my handy spray bottle of starsan and distilled water.