Hey guys,
I have been reading other posts in the beginners forum and found a lot of advice saying that you should not pour samples back into the brew. I have wondered about this for a while now actually.
I bought The Thief for taking specific gravity readings after my second batch, as the turkey baster that came in the kit from my lhbs leaked beer all of the counters and floors. I figured the point of The Thief was so that i could quickly take a reading and use its little nozzle to drain the beer right back into the fermenter. Sounds like I should maybe take the sample and drink it instead of pouring it back (I have been tasting my brew every time i siphon between stages - just siphon a little into a cup)
In the back of my mind I also have concerns that the Thief (and other equipment) sometimes still has some sanitizing fluid on it (OneStep) I usually stand it upright on clean paper towels and then try to "whip" the water out. Is this a major no, no? If so, how long can you sanitize before using equipment? I have been sanitizing and leaving the supplies to dry for about an hour before using.
So - should I stop my (perhaps bad) practice of taking a reading and draining back into the batch? TIA
I have been reading other posts in the beginners forum and found a lot of advice saying that you should not pour samples back into the brew. I have wondered about this for a while now actually.
I bought The Thief for taking specific gravity readings after my second batch, as the turkey baster that came in the kit from my lhbs leaked beer all of the counters and floors. I figured the point of The Thief was so that i could quickly take a reading and use its little nozzle to drain the beer right back into the fermenter. Sounds like I should maybe take the sample and drink it instead of pouring it back (I have been tasting my brew every time i siphon between stages - just siphon a little into a cup)
In the back of my mind I also have concerns that the Thief (and other equipment) sometimes still has some sanitizing fluid on it (OneStep) I usually stand it upright on clean paper towels and then try to "whip" the water out. Is this a major no, no? If so, how long can you sanitize before using equipment? I have been sanitizing and leaving the supplies to dry for about an hour before using.
So - should I stop my (perhaps bad) practice of taking a reading and draining back into the batch? TIA