Taking a Sample from Secondary

I have racked my brew to secondary for the first time. What is the recommened length of time to leave your brew in secondary?

I have read...
Primary for 1 week, secondary for 2 weeks, condition for 3 weeks

Take hydrometer readings and when they stabilize package. This begs the question, How do you get your sample from secondary?

Secondary! We don't need no steenking secondary. I eat hops and trub for breakfast.

Thanks,

Erik

2 weeks is a normal time, but some people leave the beer in the secondary for months and months.

to get a sample: my method is to take a 1 foot long piece of hosing and jam it onto the end of a turkey baster (all sanitized, naturally). Squeeze the baster bulb, drop the hose into the beer, and release the bulb.

You should get a decent sized sample this way.

-walker

or you can invest 10 dollars or so in a wine/beer thief. those make it real nice and easy. just sanitize and put in the secondary, it will automatically take enough for a hydrometer sample and taster.

Thanks for the input. The wine thief is a good idea.

I just checked on it this morning. Still getting about 3-5 bubbles a minute.

Erik

yes, a wine thief is nice, but I'm like Alton Brown in this sense.... I don't liek to have any equipment that serves only a single purpose if I can avoid it. If I bought a wine theif, it would have one purpose.

I already have a baster that serves other purposes, so....

-walker

sweet, alton brown's program is a gas! i refuse to purchase auto-syphons or thiefs as well

i use a curved ss racking cane. i sanitize it, dip it in, hold my thumb over the end, hold it over the sample container, let my thumb up and bingo the brew goes in... usually two or three times and there is enough.

I used to do the same thing, T1, but I just used a length of hose instead of a racking cane. One day I realized I had a turkey baster that got used about once or twice a year, so I commandeered it so I could get my samples much faster... one dip into the beer and I'm out of there. The fermenter is only open for a few seconds.

-walker

i'd be treading in dangerous waters commandering anything outta my brides kitchen collection.... i caught serious hell when she saw me using her good mixing bowels to dump hot break into....

I have a stainless baster that I can sanitize, and it is long enough to reach the beer on its own (I secondary in a 5G carboy), and takes enough for a hydro sample. when using a baster, make sure that you squeeze the bulb prior to submersing, so that it doesn't inject room air into the beer.

Haven't had any contamination issues yet.

I have one of those wine thiefs that looks like the bottom half of an autosiphon but I don't like it. The reason is that I find the interior diameter of it is just a little too small and the hydrometer tends to bind a bit against the sides. It's handy to get the beer out of the carboy and into the test cylinder but lots of stuff can do that. Waste of money IMHO.

Cheyco said:

I have one of those wine thiefs that looks like the bottom half of an autosiphon but I don't like it. The reason is that I find the interior diameter of it is just a little too small and the hydrometer tends to bind a bit against the sides.

Click to expand...

I used to run into the same problem with mine. I was putting the hydro in the thief and then taking the sample so the hydro would float up in the liquid. Then, someone told me to first take the sample then drop the hydro into the opening of the thief by gently spinning the top with my fingers. This technique also loosens any bubbles that might try to attach themselves (thus altering the reading) when you drop the hydro in.

Another thing I recently realized is that if I hold the thief at the very top with my finger tips after inserting the hydro, gravity takes the lean out of the thief and allows the hydro to float perfectly vertical. Breaks the surface tension between the hydro and the thief, allowing it to float freely. I've found taking readings much less a PITA lately.

Walker's dedication to AB's creed is admirable, but if you've already blown the cash, don't toss the thing out. Give it another chance.

My secondary is just about ready. I am confused though. What is everyone doing with the sample beer to take the hydro reading? Do you put it into a tall skinny container or do you just put the hydrometer in the turkybaster, wine thief, auto siphon, etc.? Then do you put the sample beer back or discard it?

Just drop the hydor into the thief/vial and spin. When you're done taste your brew Why waste good beer.

Ditto! I fill the tube that I keep my hydro in, take the temp of it, take the hydro, adjust, and drink the sample.