How to use a wine theif?

I must be stupid, I cant figure out how to use the glass wine theif that I ordered. It is only about a foot long glass tube. It doesnt go far enough into the carboy to get enough liquid for a hydrometer reading... Am I missing something?? It is the fermtech glass wine theif...

It has a type of check valve in the tip. Once you have the end of it in the beer you need to thrust it up and down (those with a dirty mind, shame on you). Each time you thrust it down, the level in the thief will increase. The little check valve will keep that level in the thief. Just keep doing it until the level rises enough to be able to float the hydrometer.

John

johnsma22 said:

It has a type of check valve in the tip. Once you have the end of it in the beer you need to thrust it up and down (those with a dirty mind, shame on you). Each time you thrust it down, the level in the thief will increase. The little check valve will keep that level in the thief. Just keep doing it until the level rises enough to be able to float the hydrometer.

John

Click to expand...

I know the process you're talking about. I do that to get the Star-San bubbles off of my syphon and thief before using them.

Nope, I tried this with both ends...

My theif looks kinda like this... thrusting doesnt really do squat for this POS
http://www.brewersartsupply.com/images/glassthief.jpg

I lied, its also not a fermtech I dont think, its a glass tube. It came in a hydrometer cylinder type case, maybe i'm supposed to use that with it for something? I tried thrusting it with both ends, putting my finger on it during the upthrust, nothing, I cant get the thing to fill with water.

Don't you just dip it into the liquid and then put your finger on the top? That will hold the liquid until you put it into your hydrometer testing vessel.

Is it open on both ends? If it is, I think it works like Dude said, like a straw.

I can do that, but I dont get enough liquid, I guess i'd have to do it 3 or 4 times. I was thinking it was a one step operation because they are advertized as "easy", I guess its just a case of things not being what I expected. I got so used to using my auto-syphon to "draw up" the liquid that this seems rather pointless.

feedthebear said:

Is it open on both ends?

Click to expand...

Yep, its open on both ends

Just place it in the liquid. When the level inside the tube is the same as the level outside the tube you place your thumb over the hole to create a vacuum and remove the tube from the fermenter.

Place the tube over your test tube/glass, lift your thumb and the liquid will flow.

I have a plastic one that has a needle in the bottom. It looks more like a large bottle filler.

Yea, it took 6 draws from a 5 gallon carboy to fill the hydrometer tube. It would be impossible from my 6.5 fermenter. Throwing this thing away.

If your autosiphon has a flap valve in the bottom of it, you may be able to:

1. remove the inner tube
2. dunk the outer tube with the method johnsma22 described.

That's what I do. If you have an autosiphon, a wine thief is a waste of money.

Generally I can get enough for a sample with the autosiphon, without using the piston. Just drop the housing into the carboy, lift it out (over a glass to catch the dribbles) and pour into my graduated cylinder.

Yea, that's what i've been using... I get plenty with the plunger... I just thought the wine theif would be nicer because the autosiphon drips a little... My wine theif drips too! Oh well, I wasted 5 bucks, not the first or the last time Anyone want to buy a wine theif? $2.00

I think the idea is that you're supposed to use it with something like a bucket, so you can actually submerge the thing all the way. trying to do it through the neck of a carboy is going to be a pita, as you've discovered

I use a sanitized turkey baster. Easy, Cheezy, Japaneezy