How do you get small amounts of beer from a Carboy?

I've done 13 batches of beer so far, and lately, I've been taking more and more hydro readings (rather than winging it like I did early on). However, unless I'm using one of my plastic buckest as fermentation vessels, I don't see any good way to get SMALL amounts of beer out so that I can take readings and/or taste it. I have a theif, but the f'n thing is no more than 10" long; given that, in 6.5-gal carboys, the surface of a 5-gallon batch is much further from the top of the neck than that, the theif is useless.

I know, I know, I could always spend $25 on a freakin' autosiphon, but I'm trying to pay for a wedding here, and that seems a bit much.

So I was wondering: what if I sanitize my racking tube, stick one end in the carboy, "siphon" out enough to sample with my mouth (the tube is long enough that I could stop the sucking before it ever got near my mouth), put my thumb (or tongue!) over the end, and then pulled it out of the carboy and released it into a cup? I know you're never supposed to get a real siphon started using your mouth, but considering that the beer that I'm taking out will never get put back, and it will never get anywhere near the part of the tube where my mouth is, there's really no risk of contaminating the batch.

Is this crazy? Is there a better way? Eventually I'll get an autosiphon, but until then...?

They make longer theifs. Mine's got to be close to 2 ft long and it works great for my 6 gl carboy! It was pretty cheap too, less than $10 at the LHBS.

I've wondered this myself, and I've been thinking about different techniques because I don't have a thief OR autosyphon. Your idea sounds good, but maybe a more sanitary way would be to stick the racking cane as far into the beer as possible and place your thumb over the open end. This should create a vaccum so that the beer stays in the cane when you pull it out. Then just let your thumb go when you want to release the beer into your container of choice.

$25 for an autosiphon? Where the heck do you shop? I paid $10 for mine.

Just use a length of tube and suck out what you need. It is for a sample reading and it isn't like you are going to dump it back. Why make it harder then it needs to be. Go to Home Depot, buy a length of tubing, sanitize it, stick one end in the beer, suck on the other end, fill the hydrometer jar and call it good. Maybe costs you $1.

kornkob's right. I was wrong---I saw it for twenty-something awhile back, but I just checked Austin, and it's $10.99. I guess next time I get an order together, I'll include it. 11 bucks isn't bad. Until then, I'm going to try sucking on my racking tube and see how things work out.

I just did this for the first time. Insert racking tube into fermenter as far as it will go. Put your thumb over the end. Pull racking tube out, place over hydrometer jar. Release thumb. Lather, rinse, repeat.

It takes a few times to fill the jar, but if you went to the LHBS to get your first hydrometer, and forgot to get a wine thief while you were there...

Maybe my thief is different or maybe its because its still new and clean, but I think the stopper on mine floats as I’m inserting it into the liquid and then closes under the hydrostatic pressure as I pull it out, so I don't actually have to press the tip down to get the liquid in it.

I’ll have to double check since I haven’t tried mine in a carboy yet. I should still be able to reach the sides with mine even if I can't get to the bottom.

Thanks for giving me one more brewing step to be paranoid about.

Now that I think about it, a Fermetech Auto Siphon will work too, just pull the plunger out. The one-way plastic valve will float as you lower it into the carboy and close as you pull it out.

What about a big turkey baster? I have one that reaches to the 5 gal mark on a 6 gallon carboy. Or even attaching a length of tube to the end of a turkey baster.

I use the Turkey baster as well, just make sure it's clean and Sanitized. Cheap and very effective.

Wine theif.

Or get the larget diameter tubing you can seal with your thumb and get two feet of it.
Sanatize, dip into the carboy as far as needed and seal with thumb. (further explination should not be needed)