Leaving hydrometer in secondary

I'm told that a few consecutive gravity measurements will indicate that my beer is ready to be bottled. Does anyone have any thoughts about just dropping my hydrometer in my secondary carboy and leaving it there so that I dont have to draw samples? I believe there is enough head space at the neck.

You're putting this into a carboy? If it were me, I wouldn't, mostly because in tipping things over to get it out, I'd worry about breaking it. Hydrometers are ridiculously fragile. On the other hand, I wouldn't have any major problems with putting it into a plastic fermentation bucket where I could just reach down and pluck it out when ready. Of course, be sure you sanitize it before doing this.

If you do this, though, do it after the krausen falls. Otherwise, it'll get gunked up with stuff which will change its weight and make all of its readings inaccurate.

I do the very same thing when I use a secondary mostly because it is a 5 gallon carboy and I have been making smaller brews, around 3 - 3.5 gal. With all that headspace I don't want to open the airlock at any time. So, I drop the hydrometer in and wait it out. So far so good. I just remove it at cleaning time when I fill the secondary up with water.

GLWIII said:

I do the very same thing when I use a secondary mostly because it is a 5 gallon carboy and I have been making smaller brews, around 3 - 3.5 gal. With all that headspace I don't want to open the airlock at any time. So, I drop the hydrometer in and wait it out. So far so good. I just remove it at cleaning time when I fill the secondary up with water.

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If you are using a carboy, how the hell do you get it out without breaking it? like the previous post stated, these things are very fragile.

Your beer should be finished fermenting before you transfer to a secondary, so there wouldn't be a point in putting it in secondary.

I don't even check my gravity unless I'm racking to secondary or bottling. What's the point?

PseudoChef said:

Your beer should be finished fermenting before you transfer to a secondary, so there wouldn't be a point in putting it in secondary.

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This is true, but a matter of personal preference. "Primary fermentation" by definition may be over before you ever get close to FG. I frequently rack to a secondary after Krausen has fallen.

I've done the hydrometer in a secondary thing before and the most difficult things were keeping it from migrating to the side of the carboy, and being able to clearly read the hydrometer readin.

BigNastyBrew said:

"Primary fermentation" by definition may be over before you ever get close to FG.

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How is this possible? If it is dropping points, then it is fermenting.

PseudoChef said:

How is this possible? If it is dropping points, then it is fermenting.

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Yes, absolutely. I didn't imply that it is not fermenting. I was simply pointing out that there is a difference in "primary fermentation" and "primary fermenters."

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-2-2.html

I don't want my beer to be 100% complete when I rack. I still want to have 20-30% left when I transfer (if I do--depending on the style, how much room I have, and how long I'm actually planning on leaving in any fermenting vessel). In this case, the yeast still have a little work to do and I have less to worry about autolysis (debatable topic--that's why I originally said "personal preference"). I can still allow the yeast to creat it's own natural CO2 barrier in the headspace of the secondary.

Don't leave it in there. It will get all gunked up and not work properly. If you are worried about taking too many samples, look into a refractometer or brew balls.

As I said before, I think you could do this if you want, but personally, I'd ask, "Why?"

I relish the obligation/opportunity to test the SG of my beer and, therefore, taste a sample! Heck, I learn much more about whether I'm ready to bottle or keg a batch by tasting than I ever do by taking a hydrometer reading. Enjoy tasting it occasionally -- It's why we brew!

PseudoChef said:

Your beer should be finished fermenting before you transfer to a secondary, so there wouldn't be a point in putting it in secondary.

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weirdboy said:

I don't even check my gravity unless I'm racking to secondary or bottling. What's the point?

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+1, +1.

Or, there's Brewballs. Saw them at GABF Saturday. They're made to be put into your fermenter. Kinda cool.

Honestly, I don't see the point either. I don't even bother taking a reading until bottling (3-4 weeks) or the rare secondary. If it's a big brew maybe then too. If you've kept the temp at the right spot for the yeast, you should be done after a week, then the remaining time is for the yeast to clean up after themselves.

I just take about an 8oz sample from the bucket and put it in a graduated cylinder, and leave the hydrometer in there. Yeah, I lose a tad of my beer, so I guess it's a matter of personal preference but it works for me.

I guess the fun I have watching the fermentation in the little cylinder is enough for me... so I am over the lost 8oz. I'm easily entertained . The hydrometer gets full of crud but no biggie. Plus I don't have to open the bucket.

Just watched my irish red bubbling away and it smells great...bubbling all over the hydrometer...

rjvanden said:

I just take about an 8oz sample from the bucket and put it in a graduated cylinder, and leave the hydrometer in there. Yeah, I lose a tad of my beer, so I guess it's a matter of personal preference but it works for me.

I guess the fun I have watching the fermentation in the little cylinder is enough for me... so I am over the lost 8oz. I'm easily entertained . The hydrometer gets full of crud but no biggie. Plus I don't have to open the bucket.

Just watched my irish red bubbling away and it smells great...bubbling all over the hydrometer...

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Although cool, your beer in your graduated cylinder won't ferment at the same rate as the beer in the bucket. You have different thermodynamics, which affect the yeast, different concentrations, different all kinds of stuff.

It will probably be similar, but it won't be the same.

Wow thanks for all the responses. I just started browsing this forum and didn't realize it was so active.

To answer a few of the questions.
Why would I want to do this?
Well my LHBS said my beer will be ready to bottle from secondary after 3 consecutive days of hydrometer readings where it doesnt change. He said this will be after about 1-2 weeks in the secondary. Therefore I felt that by dropping in my hydrometer there would be less risk of contamination.

Its going to get gunky and not work?
Not really if I drop it in near the end when I think the fermentation is finished. Like I said, it would save me the trouble of testing 3 days in a row to be SURE my fermentation was done.

How would I get it out?
I didn't really think about that. Probably have to fill the whole carboy with water so it floats up.

My beer should be finished fermenting before secondary?
My LHBS told me to transfer from my primary (5 gallon pale) after 2-4 days when the airlock stops vigorously bubbling. Therefore when its in my secondary (glass carboy) it still has another week or 2 of fermentation going on. However I am not sure why I am racking after 2-4 days and not waiting till it just finishes. I believe the reason he gave me was that the dead yeast in the primary after a few days affects the taste.

After reading the responses I don't think I will be dropping my hydrometer in my beer.
Cheers.

Well my LHBS said my beer will be ready to bottle from secondary after 3 consecutive days of hydrometer readings where it doesnt change. He said this will be after about 1-2 weeks in the secondary. Therefore I felt that by dropping in my hydrometer there would be less risk of contamination.

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And while this is true, after your first couple of batches you will learn that given consistent fermentation conditions, yeast is pretty predictable. As I said, I check my gravity when I'm racking to secondary and/or getting ready to bottle. If the gravity looks correct at that point then I can be pretty sure it's done fermenting. If it still seems high, I'll maybe even rouse the yeast a bit, and see what it looks like after another week.

Specs said:

My beer should be finished fermenting before secondary?
My LHBS told me to transfer from my primary (5 gallon pale) after 2-4 days when the airlock stops vigorously bubbling. Therefore when its in my secondary (glass carboy) it still has another week or 2 of fermentation going on. However I am not sure why I am racking after 2-4 days and not waiting till it just finishes. I believe the reason he gave me was that the dead yeast in the primary after a few days affects the taste.

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Welcome to HBT!
The advice given to you by your LHBS isn't very good for a couple of reasons. By taking it off the yeast before it is finished, you stand a great chance of stalling your fermentation. Once it is stalled it is hard to get it going again.

Another thing is that yeast does more than just ferment. After it has eaten all the simple sugars (fermentation), it will clean up its waste (off flavors). It could take a couple weeks for this to happen. Most folks here either leave it in the primary for 3+ weeks and go straight to bottle OR they leave it 2 weeks in primary then rack to secondary.

The old "get it off the yeast fast" theory is has been proven incorrect time after time and is considered outdated information at best.

I can't believe no one has mentioned this - get a wine thief from Femtech. They're designed to take a sample and hold it, which allows you to measure the hydrometer, and then return the sample to the fermenter. Or, you can drain the sample into a glass, or down the drain. I don't know why people get worked up about losing a few ounces of beer.

^^^^TMV is my favorite band, surprised I haven't caught your name before now! \m/

sonetlumiere85 said:

I don't know why people get worked up about losing a few ounces of beer.

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Lose a few ounces of beer? I don't lose any beer when I take a hydro sample. I know right where it is right up to when it goes in my stomach.

shortyjacobs said:

Although cool, your beer in your graduated cylinder won't ferment at the same rate as the beer in the bucket. You have different thermodynamics, which affect the yeast, different concentrations, different all kinds of stuff.

It will probably be similar, but it won't be the same.

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Similar is all I'm looking for here. Close enough for government work...