Checking Gravity during Primary Fermentation

Hello all!

I am new to this site and to homebrewing. I must say that everyone on this site is incredibly generous and helpful!

I had a question regarding checking gravity during fermentation. When using a bucket or a carboy, what is the best way to check the gravity to ensure that fermentation has completed and is ready to be bottled?

Thanks!

This is what I use, and it works with both buckets and carboys



And



Here's what I do....

1) With a spray bottle filled with starsan I spray the lid of my bucket, or the mouth of the carboy, including the bung. Then I spray my turkey baster inside and out with sanitize (or dunking it in a container of sanitizer).

2) Open fermenter.

3) Draw Sample

4) fill sample jar (usualy 2-3 turky baster draws

5)Spray bung or lid with sanitizer again

6) Close lid or bung

6) take reading

It is less than 30 seconds from the time the lid is removed until it is closed again.

Probably less if you have help.

I just take some out using a wine thief (http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=10469), and then use a hydrometer to check (http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=801). Very easy.

EDIT: Argh, beaten to it! Just look above.

Wow thanks a lot guys!

for a bucket i just sanitize the hydro and put it in the bucket, read it, and remove it.

for a carboy, the above methods are really your only good option.

technically a refractometer works too but that involves too much math

here is a option that i haven't done. just drop a sterile hydrometer in there and leave it.

psi3000 said:

here is a option that i haven't done. just drop a sterile hydrometer in there and leave it.

Click to expand...

Interesting idea. Anyone do this? I don't see any downside except tying up a hydrometer for a few weeks.

I don't think it's a good idea,as krausen & other gunk & bubbles would build up on it,& alter the reading. I have spigots on my fermenters to make life easier. Especially with hydrometer samples. I use the plastic tube it comes in for the sample. I just saw yesterday that Northern Brewer has a blue,flat grommet to fit the bottom of these tubes to make them stand up steady for like $1.69. I'm gettin one of those! I also saw they the have a refractometer with brix on the left of the reading viewer,SG on the right. Like $56.99 too. Now that's handy looking!

Do you pour the sample back in or pour it out?

Rockindaddy said:

Do you pour the sample back in or pour it out?

Click to expand...

Don't pour it back in. I drink my samples.

I always sanitize the tube & hydrometer,but I only pour the OG sample back in. The rest is for testing,of course.:cross:

If you pour it back you shouldn't tell anyone.

To late now. But being sanitized,& an OG sample to boot,the yeast will take care of anything that might get in. Which so far hasn't. Everything having been sanitized,test done asap,has been fine.

Wow, talk about a zombie thread

Yeah,I just went back & looked. It's the zombie pocyclipse!

Zombies need yeast too.

Maybe even more than we do.

I need a beer atm. Benn a downer lately,many things going wrong. Gotta get this heart test thing done a 3pm to boot. Somethin ain't quite right. So no food or anything till later today.