How do YOU take a hydrometer reading?

I use a plastic fermenter or a 6 gal bucket to ferment in with spigots. So to take my hydrometer readings I generally just use the spigot to fill up my hydrometer then discard the beer that I've taken out, as this seems the easiest way. My problem is...I'm wasting precious beer by doing this. Because of this I take as few readings as I can but I'm just wondering, is there a better way that I've missed? Cheers

I always use a beer thief/turkey baster. Place it in the test tube and take my reading that way. Then I sample the beer. I do this habitually after 10 days of fermentation then again at 21 days. Usually it is done by then.

I would think using the spigot you would get some extra yeast cake in the sample. I'm not sure if that would alter your reading or not.

Discarding the beer is wasting beer. You might as well sample it so you get to know the process better and see how the beer develops over time.

I have started to sanitize my hydrometer and put it in the fermentor directly. No issues yet but you gotta make sure you keep everything sanitized.

I also put the sanitized hydrometer in the primary. If I pulled a sample big enough to set my hydrometer in, after I was done taking my reading, I'd drink that sample. Waste not, want not.

I also use a thief. I transfer about 70ml over to a trial jar and take a reading from there. Surely putting a hydro straight into the beer gives for a hard reading?

Another "thief" user here.

On brew day, as I start pumping the cooled wort into my fermenter, I aim the hose into my hydrometer tube first, then quickly move the hose into the carboy and fill it up. It's a little messy, but I haven't yet found a better way.

To check during fermenting, I used a santitized stainless steel turkey baster to steal a sample from the carboy.

After fermentation, when racking to the keg, I again collect the first bit from the siphon in my hydrometer tube, then quickly move the tube into the (bottom of the) keg.

Now that I've typed it out, I can see how my process is probably a little messier than it needs to be. I'm open to suggestions.

I also use a thief to collect and sample the wort. Hydrometers fit nicely in the thief's tube and the sample size is relatively small. Of course I taste it after I get my reading.

Agree with most of the above posters - using a sanitized beer thief to take my sample, then consume the beer once I've got my readings.

Again like most posters, I hate "wasting" this young beer that would otherwise make it to the bottle. I'm considering investing the $50-60 for a refractometer. It only needs a couple drops of wort to pull an accurate reading. To be fair, the SG scale looks like it's printed in very tiny font. Has anyone else tried this?

Impulse115 said:

I'm considering investing the $50-60 for a refractometer. It only needs a couple drops of wort to pull an accurate reading.

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I've bought a refractrometer, but haven't used it yet, to be honest.

Note that refractrometers are only accurate for determining the O.G., before fermentation has produced any alcohol. After there is alcohol present, you must apply a formula and do some sort of conversion, as the straight reading is no longer accurate.

I ferment in buckets and use a sanitized Pyrex 1 cup measuring cup. Dip it in and pull out a 1/2 cup or so for the sample, then drink the sample once the reading has been taken.

kombat said:

On brew day, as I start pumping the cooled wort into my fermenter, I aim the hose into my hydrometer tube first, then quickly move the hose into the carboy and fill it up. It's a little messy, but I haven't yet found a better way.

To check during fermenting, I used a santitized stainless steel turkey baster to steal a sample from the carboy.

After fermentation, when racking to the keg, I again collect the first bit from the siphon in my hydrometer tube, then quickly move the tube into the (bottom of the) keg.

Now that I've typed it out, I can see how my process is probably a little messier than it needs to be. I'm open to suggestions.

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What about stopping the pump/syphon before moving from one thing to the other?

GMJager said:

What about stopping the pump/syphon before moving from one thing to the other?

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It becomes a problem of not having enough hands. Between holding the hydrometer tube and the tube transporting the wort, I'd need someone else helping to turn off the pump/lift the autosiphon at just the right time. But it's definitely something I could try - I'll see if I can talk my wife into it.

bad67z said:

Another "thief" user here.

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This is what I use. Sanitize well and get some beer in it, then I just drop my hydrometer in it and take my grav. reading right from there.

I've gotten a good enough pipeline though that I am rarely rushing beer to drink. So, I usually just let things sit for 3 weeks before I start taking samples. So far, I haven't had any that have varied. Also, I adjust my recipes now to 6 gallons. I lose a lot to trub loss, but it still allows me a few samples without having to worry at all about not coming out with 5 gallons in the end.

I usually just drink the sample when I'm done with it. I grew up in one of those families where waste was not an option. It pains me to dump beer.

I strain all going into the fermenter so there's a thin compacted cake at the bottom of primary. If I don't have to swirl it for some reason,the spigots stay clean. I take a sample in the plastic tube the hydrometer came in for the test. I sanitize the hydroemter & tube for the OG test,as it goes back in pretty quick. After that,they get sampled for flavor & aroma.

I use a wine thief, then I drop the hydrometer into directly in the thief. And I spin the hydrometer.
Not sure why I spin it.

It gets the co2 bubbles off the bottom of the hydrometer that can cause a false reading.

I measure the OG with a refractomer. (It only takes a drop.) After 2 weeks fermenting, I start taking a refractometer reading once or twice a week until the Brix reading stops falling. Then I keg and take a final gravity reading with a hydrometer. The refractometer has paid for itself, not in unwasted beer, but because I no longer break and have to replace hydrometers.

-a.

I just turn on the spigot...

ajf said:

There are only 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

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Love it!
I wonder how many get it?

pb

bad67z said:

Another "thief" user here.

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This is my instrument of choice as well. Spin the hydrometer as I drop it in. I do this a few times to smooth out any variance in my reading. After I always drink the sample to see how the batch is coming along. I only take a sample once a week or less so I am not really wasting any beer.

seriousbeef said:

I also use a thief. I transfer about 70ml over to a trial jar and take a reading from there. Surely putting a hydro straight into the beer gives for a hard reading?

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Honest question, what is a "hard reading" on a hydrometer?

ajf said:

There are only 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

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Cute.

There are two types of people in the world. Those who can infer from incomplete data.

There are two types of people in the world. Those who divide the world into two types of people and those who don't.

There are two types of people in the world. Those who are accurate, those who are not, and those who simply can't count.

I put my hydrometer in the thief before filling it from the carboy - this way you only have to draw off enough beer to make it completely float. Sure it's tasty at this point, but I'd rather save as much as possible for after it's carbonated. (I was shocked the first time I used the thief though, it only takes about 4oz to float the hydrometer)

Straight into the fermentation bucket it goes. Easiest method for me.

+1 for strait into the bucket. Just keep it clean and sanitized. I've checked every batch I've made like this, and many multiple times with zero problems. No wasted beer.

I take a sample with a sanitized turkey baster. Y'all realize that the sample you're wasting is only about 3-4 oz depending on the size of the tube you put they hydrometer in? That doesn't concern me very much. It's a couple of sips. After checking the gravity I pour the wort/beer in a Ballast Point sampler glass I have and stick it in the fridge so I can taste it cold

Tupperwolf said:

After checking the gravity I pour the wort/beer in a Ballast Point sampler glass I have and stick it in the fridge so I can taste it cold

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Putting it in the fridge and trying it later. Now why haven't I thought of that?

I have had a hydrometer for a while, used it for the first time today to test a batch of Belgian blond ale. It was 1.020... (it also said it was between 3% and 4% alcohol... is that part of the scale usually pretty accurate?).

I'm looking around the board to learn more about hydrometers and what the readings mean and how to use them, but in the meantime, somebody tell me what it means that it was 1.020? Is that pretty useless without knowing the OG? It tasted really good...

It depends on what the OG/FG range was for the recipe. For an average ale of 1.04X OG,1.020 is a bit too high yet. 10.010-1.012 would be a normal average FG.

Cool, thanks. Recipe says OG is 1.062. What is the usual change between OG and FG? Is there a thread on this around somewhere?

It's not that cut & dried. It depends on what's in the recipe,mash temp/time,etc. There is usually a typical range listed for a recipe or kit though. Many sites have PDF's for there kit's recipes that give the numbers. But for an OG 1.062,I'd say 1.010-1.014 would be a normal,average FG range.

Thanks.

Tell me if I have the basic concept -

Gravity readings not changing means fermentation is done, and unless the temp is too low or something else is wrong, that means the yeast have fermented all the available sugar and the beer is ready to bottle.

I carbonate and refrigerate the sample to see what it will taste like bottled. It's actually, usually pretty good so no waste.

A stable gravity reading means one of two things. If it's within the stated FG range of the recipe,it's done fermenting. higher than that,& there was a process problem. Like stressed yeast stalling out before fully fermenting the beer.