So you taste your hydrometer sample?

Well, let this be a warning. I took a sample today of a brew on its way into the bottling bucket and got a really weird reading: o.998?????? "That can't be right" I thought to myself. Somehow I figured a taste was in order..... "What the heck is that!" I thought when I felt something solid bump off my lip on its way into my mouth. Needless to say, I spit out everything, then spit a few more times for good measure. It wasn't long before I realized the salty taste of blood. "Ah-Ha!" both sensations were quickly explained when I looked into the wine thief to see a broken hydrometer . Glass is really sharp, BTW. Nothing severe, but I did cut my lip and tongue in the process. Heads up to everyone, I guess.

My hydrometer is plastic FTW! What was teh solid lumpy thing? Glass? That's makes me cringe to think about.

Yep, It was definitely a tiny piece of glass. I'm just glad of three things:

1. It wasn't a piece of lead
2. I didn't swallow anything
3. I didn't need stitches on my tongue!

I usually drink all my samples, but not the same way you did...OUCH!! Sorry, dude.

I do but not out of the thief.

I do but I take the hydrometer out first

One word: refractometer...

nuff said

refractometer: #1,382 on my list of things I need for brewing. Right below diamond-encrusted gold-plated fermenter.

I usually take the hydrometer out of the test tube after I get the reading, and pour the beer into a beer glass...so the chances of this horrendous accident happening with me are almost nil.

I feel for ya, though...that sounds hideous.

Ó Flannagáin said:

My hydrometer is plastic FTW! What was teh solid lumpy thing? Glass? That's makes me cringe to think about.

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yea, I'm a dumba$$. My test tube is plastic .... what I thought you were talking about. I actually broke my hydrometer once, but it was from a drop in the sink.

Evan! said:

I usually take the hydrometer out of the test tube after I get the reading, and pour the beer into a beer glass...so the chances of this horrendous accident happening with me are almost nil.

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I do it just the same way. Great Evans think alike, I guess.

I've found that this is an excuse to take more hydrometer readings than are necessary -- I just want to taste what's going on in that magical fermenter!

e lo said:

I do it just the same way. Great Evans think alike, I guess.

I've found that this is an excuse to take more hydrometer readings than are necessary -- I just want to taste what's going on in that magical fermenter!

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So do I!




9 10

I second or third or what ever pouring into a glass you can pick up the diferent sublties in the aroma alot better out of a wider mouth glass then out of the hydrometer sample tube.

Glad to hear you weren't seriously injured, lesson learned i guess.

Cheers

Of course I do, doesn't everyone?

Customer at the LHBS said he just sanatized his hydrometer and floated it in the primary. I asked how long it took to drink the sample....

I look forward to that first hydrometer sample, about 3 days after the krausen falls. It reassures me that everything is going to be ok.

shafferpilot said:

Yep, It was definitely a tiny piece of glass. I'm just glad of three things:

1. It wasn't a piece of lead
2. I didn't swallow anything
3. I didn't need stitches on my tongue!

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This caugt my attention...met an old friend at the grocery store-he couldn't speak very well.

He just got his tongue sewed up from the EX gf who bit his tongue nearly off. Seems he decided to leave her 'cause he thought she was a little crazy.

I just sanitize and float my hydrometer in the primary prior to pitching. There's less surface area on that hydrometer than the inside and outside of the wine thief I have. No matter how well I try to clean and sanitize, I just don't 100% trust something, especially since it has the gravity type of release on the bottom.

However, if I ever do break the hydrometer in the primary, I'm out 5 gallons and a few hours' work. Needless to say, a close inspection is done prior to use.

henry Hill said:

He just got his tongue sewed up from the EX gf who bit his tongue nearly off. Seems he decided to leave her 'cause he thought she was a little crazy.

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Proved him right!