Should I keep my hydrometer in the primary?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jining

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
Lynnwood, WA
Hello! I am new to homebrewing, my buddy and I just picked up a pretty decent kit from our local home brewing store (The Cellar in Seattle, WA).

We just got the wort in the primary today, we are attempting to make a light wheat ale, seems to be an easy beginner beer.

Anyways, just curious if I should keep the hydrometer in the primary, or continue to extract samples? Seems like more risk of contamination if I keep opening it and extracting samples.

Thanks for the help!

Aaron
 
Once the yeast start going to town they will form a foam on the top which will definitely adhere to your hydrometer. Once they do that it will weigh it down enough to throw off your readings, not to mentions make it nearly impossible to read.

Just follow good sanitation processes when extracting samples for testing... I would wait a couple of weeks before testing anyway. Welcome to homebrewing!!
 
Neither, like nealf said you won't get accurate readings but also just leave the beer alone for three weeks. Before transferring the beer just take one reading and make sure the FG is where you expect it to be. Minimize messing with the beer. :mug:
 
+1. Just wait till you see that crud, you will soon see why it won't work. ;)

PS remember this, your first post. A few brews down the line you will have a palm/forehead moment and wonder if you ever really asked this on your first post here. Enjoy it! :D
 
You can just leave the original sample in the tube & check that occasionally. It will finish faster than the fermenter, but can be interesting to watch. Just give it a good shaking before each measurement to de-gas it.
 
I was thinking about doing the same thing, but after my first batch I noticed how much krausen residue was left on the sides of the carboy and I decided it would be a bad idea ha ha.

With regards to wheat beers I don't even use a carboy, it goes from bucket to bottle in 3 weeks :D
 
Hello! I am new to homebrewing, my buddy and I just picked up a pretty decent kit from our local home brewing store (The Cellar in Seattle, WA).

We just got the wort in the primary today, we are attempting to make a light wheat ale, seems to be an easy beginner beer.

Anyways, just curious if I should keep the hydrometer in the primary, or continue to extract samples? Seems like more risk of contamination if I keep opening it and extracting samples.

Thanks for the help!

Aaron

I won't re-quote what everyone else. But I will say welcome and seems you and I both started at Cellars. Here's to Seattle brewin!
 
Welcome to HBT!

If you break your hydrometer IN the carboy, you have ruined 5 gallons of beer and hydrometer break very easily. It's riskier to leave the hydrometer in the carboy than taking out samples.
 
Ok! Looks like I will extract samples. I am planning to use a secondary so from what ive read, I will probably transfer in a weeks time or once it has stabilized.

Thanks again for the help!!!
 
one hell of a sight glass and a imbedded Hydrometer.... Off to Home Depot.
 
To quote llazy llama about leaving your hydrometer in the fermenter:

"A) Your hydrometer could become covered in krauzen, making it unreadable.
B) You can't use that hydrometer on other batches you have fermenting.
C) If it breaks inside the fermenter you have bits of broken glass in your beer, as well as whatever sort of metal your counterweight is made of. Some are steel, some are lead.
D) If you don't use a thief/baster, you no longer have hydro samples to drink.
Or E) all of the above.

I'm going with E."
 
Back
Top