hydrometer question

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CROM

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Hi guys...

I was wondering, I dont really want to suck out wort into my test tube everytime I want to do a reading, can I just put my hydrometer into the fermenting bucket and take the reading that way?

also, can I just reseal it and let it do its thing untill it gets to a final gravity I like?

Ive asked the gf to buy me a refractometer for christmas so I can avoid this stuff...

thanks again ahead of time, you guys are awesome
 
If you try to limit the times that you 'sample' your brew.... then taking a sample with a sanitized turkey baster isn't a big deal at all. I let my brews sit at least a week before I sample the first time (and taste as Conroe says...), and maybe a couple of weeks later before I keg, secondary, bottle. If your checking everyday, then damn, you won't have alot of brew left to bottle. Patience is a virtue, as well as a good thing for you and your beer. Sometimes it's hard (as we all know....) but you gotta try.
 
I only sample once, either before I rack to secondary, dry hop or bottle. If it's higher than expected I will do it again to make sure it's at FG. The only reason to take many readings is to be safe bottling real soon.
 
Hydrometers break if you look at them wrong and if you break it in your bucket you have ruined your entire batch of beer.

I generally take two 4 ounce samples, one before I pitch the yeast and another 4 weeks later when I rack the beer.
 
You got a spigot on your bucket. That's the easiest way to take a sample.

I use glass carboys so that's not an option....but I'm curious how you can stop nasties from growing in your spigot. I mean, if you've never cracked it open and spray with starsan when you rack, I don't see that as a big deal. But if you sample a couple times from the spigot...isn't the beer inside the spigot going to get funky/sticky/nasty over a couple of days/weeks? Using the spigot to rack off the trub when transfering sounds like a do-able option. Just not sure if I'd use it just to sample the wort.
 
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