Getting A Hydrometer Reading

So here is a dumb question. Last night, while doing my first batch of home brew, I had a real moment where I didn't know what to do. After I poured the wort in to the primary bucket I went to get my OG. So, holding a long sanitized cylinder in my hand, I had no idea how to extract the cooled wort in to the cylinder so I could get a hydrometer reading.

Now that I look back, should I just have put the hydrometer right in the bucket to try to get a reading? How do you guys take your hydrometer readings from primary buckets?

If you are going to fill the primary with your cooled wort before taking a reading, you need to get yourself a devise called a "Thief" at your LHBS. It is nothing more than a long plastic tube that allows wort to go into it when immersed and then out when pressed down. It has one of those tips like on your bottle filling tube that lets liquid in and out when depressed. Instead of this, when you are filling you primary bucket, just pour some cooled wort into a glass or jar for use in determining gravity. Also don't dump the wort used in determining gravity back into your primary. Throw it away once you are done with it.

Dr Malt

A wine thief is the tool for the job. Sanatize it and take a sample to fill your hydrometer tube.

Or drink it

Get a turkey baster. Works great when you forget to get a sample before putting in the fermenter. As for putting your hydrometer into the fermenter... you could do that, but I would make every effort to sterilize it and your hands before putting it in there.

As for now don't worry about it. Just take a reading after it's done fermenting. If it's close, at, or near what it should be, then you'll know it's done. All depends on what you've brewed and the recipe you've followed.

Just put the hydrometer in the bucket. Why complicate things and waste good beer?

In the last minute of the boil I take a 1 cup pyrex measuring cup and get at least 6 oz and then put it in the fridge. By the time I have everything chilled, pitched and cleaned, the sample is down to 60-70 degrees and the break material has settled out of the sample. Pour in hydrometer and take reading. Now, I'm doing full boils, so this won't work for partial boil extract brews, but then again, extract brews don't deviate from the OG that much either, so a hydrometer is not as necessary.

Turkey baster or a thief. Awesome. Thanks guys.

grnich said:

Just put the hydrometer in the bucket. Why complicate things and waste good beer?

Click to expand...

well, if it's a carboy, you can't.

if you stirred the crap outta the wort in the bucket to get it aerated, there's too much foam on top to see the hydrometer.

however, when its at the end of fermentation, yeah I agree, just drop the sanitized hydrometer in the bucket, spin it a few times, and take your reading.
:fro:

Outta the bucket I just use a stainless steel measuring cup and dip out a sample.

Outta the carboy, I just use my racking cane to siphon off a cup...takes about 3 minutes from idea, to cleaning the racking cane..

I always drink my samples...like a mad scientist.

I use a five gallon glass carboy and just tip the fermenter and pour out enough for a gravity reading.

After the boil...I just pour out a sample and take a reading when it has cooled

I always drink the samples to determine how the brew is progressing. The first taste after the boil is the best b/c the balance between hops and malt is most distinct.

matt

You need to take the hydrometer reading at eye level to get an accurate measure. I took the plastic tube that the hydrometer came in and used teflon tape around one of the threaded ends to seal it. The tube will sink in water so I just santize the entire tube along with the rest of the stuff. After all the wort in the primary and generally after aeration, I just dip the tube in the primary to extract a sample. Try to keep your fingers out the wort. I then take my reading ( over the sink ) directly from the tube. To the best of my knowledge, the static charge of the plastic tube is not enough to affect the reading. Just spin the hydrometer a couple of times and take the reading when it is not touching the sides of the tube. I have done this a half-dozen times without consequence.