Turkey baster fail

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drycreek

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Reading some different threads on here convinced me to go by a test vial and a turkey baster, and start drawing samples for my hydrometer readings, rather than doing it directly in the fermenter.The turkey baster I got was $1.99 at Target. I didn't feel like spending $7.99 for the Michael Graves one with a special design.

Having never used a turkey baster before, I assumed it would work just like a pipette in chemistry lab. Squeeze the bulb, stick tip into beer, release bulb, draw sample.

Well I was kinda wrong. I just now tried to draw a sample from my carboy, and as soon as I would lift the tip out of the beer, the sample would trickle out the end of the baster and back into the carboy. I tried this 2-3 times, then sort of panicked, and eventually managed to get enough beer out that I could fill my test vial.

Once everything was closed back up, I tried using the turkey baster in a pitcher of water, and it seemed it would hold the water as long as I kept it completely vertical. If I tilted it slightly in any direction, the water would trickle out.

Is this normal? Are turkey basters usually this sensitive, or am I paying the price for buying the cheapest one? Trying to decide if I should go back and buy the other one for future use.

Also, I'm slightly concerned that I oxidized or contaminated the beer with as many attempts as it took to get a sample. The turkey baster was sanitized inside and out before I started, but you never know.
 
drycreek said:
Reading some different threads on here convinced me to go by a test vial and a turkey baster, and start drawing samples for my hydrometer readings, rather than doing it directly in the fermenter.The turkey baster I got was $1.99 at Target. I didn't feel like spending $7.99 for the Michael Graves one with a special design.

Having never used a turkey baster before, I assumed it would work just like a pipette in chemistry lab. Squeeze the bulb, stick tip into beer, release bulb, draw sample.

Well I was kinda wrong. I just now tried to draw a sample from my carboy, and as soon as I would lift the tip out of the beer, the sample would trickle out the end of the baster and back into the carboy. I tried this 2-3 times, then sort of panicked, and eventually managed to get enough beer out that I could fill my test vial.

Once everything was closed back up, I tried using the turkey baster in a pitcher of water, and it seemed it would hold the water as long as I kept it completely vertical. If I tilted it slightly in any direction, the water would trickle out.

Is this normal? Are turkey basters usually this sensitive, or am I paying the price for buying the cheapest one? Trying to decide if I should go back and buy the other one for future use.

Also, I'm slightly concerned that I oxidized or contaminated the beer with as many attempts as it took to get a sample. The turkey baster was sanitized inside and out before I started, but you never know.
Click to expand...

From what you describe, I think you are fine. It'll be OK. From your decription, your baster may have an overly large hole in the tip.
 
Yeah, basters can do that, PITA, but no big deal as long as you sanitized it before sticking it in your beer. No worries with oxidation, unless you were engaging in zany antics, like squeezing the baster bulb and squirting beer back into your primary repeatedly. In that case, the baster ain't the issue...
Happy brewing man!
 
Until you get that thief - when you use the baster, use one hand to squeeze the bulb, and the other to hold the base of the bulb where it makes the evidently poor seal with the tube. Your added musclepower will make a good enough seal to get the sample without drips. That's how I do it, at least. Try it out.
 
Hehe. I actually went for the Micheal Graves one from target and ran into the same issue. The beer would trickle out until you are left with close to nothing. You have to dip in about 3-5 times to fill your tube. So yes, it's normal. I eventually got fed up and bought a refractometer. Great investment if you do all-grains.
 
It might help to use a zip tie to get a better seal where the rubber bulb attaches to the rigid tube. If it isn't tight enough, you'll get air in which will let the wort flow out.
 
Legin said:
Hehe. I actually went for the Micheal Graves one from target and ran into the same issue. The beer would trickle out until you are left with close to nothing. You have to dip in about 3-5 times to fill your tube. So yes, it's normal. I eventually got fed up and bought a refractometer. Great investment if you do all-grains.
Click to expand...

It was my understanding that the reading on a refractometer is not accurate when there is alcohol present. Have I been misinformed? I use my refractometer to take OG readings but then switch to my hydrometer for FG readings.
 
jerryalan said:
It was my understanding that the reading on a refractometer is not accurate when there is alcohol present. Have I been misinformed? I use my refractometer to take OG readings but then switch to my hydrometer for FG readings.
Click to expand...

Well, they work fine, but you have to understand what's going on. The alcohol does affect the reading. But you can use a spreadsheet formula to compensate and get accurate readings. In order for the formula to work, though, you have to know how much fermentables you had in there to start. So record your Starting Gravity, you will need it to calculate your Final Gravity.

The formula is very complex and by reading the current amount of sugar it thinks it sees, and by factoring the original gravity, it can tell how much alcohol is in there, and therefore how much to adjust the reading to account for the alcohol.

You can use a hydrometer or Refractometer for Starting Gravity. Write it down! Calibrate your refractometer (I do because somehow it always seems to wander a bit for me. Probably due to temp differences or something...) It takes a few seconds to calibrate to water. Read the Specific Gravity. Enter both OG and FG into the spreadsheet formula and it will tell you the true Final Gravity.

I used both instruments for 4 batches and as long as I had the refractometer calibrated, they both matched exactly all 4 times. I don't even use my hydro anymore. I keep it in my kit for backup.
 

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