I've had my first brew in primary 6.5gl carboy since Tuesday. I plan on waiting a full 2 weeks before dry hopping to a secondary 5gl carboy. Between now and then what is best way to take hydrometer readings without disrupting the fermentation?
sAyou can always go to Dairy Queen or some other place that provides really long straws. Use those to reach into the carboy and place your finger over the top hole to grab a sample. Make sure to sanitize it beforehand though.
Another option would be to get some tubing that will fit over the end (small diameter) of a flavor injector and use that to pull out about 2 ounces at a time. I would get a brand new injector, though, to make sure you don't have anything nasty get into your brew.
I was going to use that method, until I got used to using the glass wine thief. The wine thief is really easy to use, as well as clean. I know there are plastic ones that are larger, so you can get more of a sample in a single plunge. I'm just not sure how easy those would be to get clean. I suppose you could get a brush to get into them (not sure if the standard bottle brush would work, or not)... For the glass one, a soapy sponge for the outside, and run hot water through the inside after you use it. Sanitize just before using it, and you should be in great shape.
I would also suggest letting the brew go at least 2 weeks in primary. At that point, take a gravity reading. Give it a couple more days and take another reading. If it doesn't change after 2-3 readings, then fermentation is complete. I would probably dry hop into the same carboy too. That is, if you're planning on carbonating with sugar. Otherwise, you'll leave a good amount of yeast behind in secondary when you rack to the bottling bucket.
How long are you planning on dry hopping for? What brew did you make, for your first??
Leave it in primary until it's done and the krausen has fallen. Wait another week, and you can dryhop. Wait a week, then keg.
Dont turkey basters bubble up alot of air though?
There are a few ways around double-dipping. You can suck the beer up like a giant straw, or try my slightly inappropriate shakey-shakey method:FYI, had to pull 2 times.
...huh? How exactly are things going south? It's not like you're whipping air into the beer, since the wine thief is submerged the whole time. The surface barely ripples.I wouldn't shake fermenting wort, too much chance of things going south that way.
...huh? How exactly are things going south? It's not like you're whipping air into the beer, since the wine thief is submerged the whole time. The surface barely ripples.
-Joe
Oh I see. So you just assumed I was shaking the fermenter to get a sample out? Interesting.
Well, as I noted in the video, allowing the wine thief to fill up in the carboy doesn't give me enough beer for a sample. So I'd have to take 2 dips. By moving the wine thief up and down in the wort, the 1-way valve allows the beer to fill the thief above the height of the beer in the carboy.
Hope that helps clear things up,
-Joe
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