Wine Thief

As long as I sanitize my wine thief, is it ok to put the sample back into the fermenter after I do my hydrometer (of course the hydrometer has to be sanitized also) test?

I wouldn't. It's such a small amount of beer it's not worth the risk. Besides, you're supposed to DRINK the sample! It's your beer's gift to you for caring about it enough to check it's SG now and then. Plus, it gives you a chance to see if anything is going haywire.

To offset the loss of drinking hydro samples, make your batch 1/2G more. Then as chehre says you can monitor your brew and still get a full batch.

My oh my. I wouldn't think you need an extra 1/2 gallon. Anyhow, just drink it or pour it out. No reason to risk infection over a few ozs.

Eat the worm!!!! I mean, drink the sample!!!

I drink the sample

JebCkr said:

My oh my. I wouldn't think you need an extra 1/2 gallon. Anyhow, just drink it or pour it out. No reason to risk infection over a few ozs.

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10G batch, 2 buckets, twice as many samples needed. The little extra stays in the fermenters so I don't rack any yeast. 5% overbrew is a small price to pay for beer that doesn't have to settle again in the keg.

I have in the past and so far have been okay, but I have "The Thief" which is actually designed to have a hydrometer dropped into it directly and then release the liquid back into the carboy. I have to admit it makes me nervous and have been thinking about adding extra liquid and just drinking it.

Another possibility is to get a refractometer to measure the gravity. It only uses a drop or two. But then you don't get to taste the sample. I think it comes down to how often you are fiddling around checking the gravity. If you're like me and only check it two or three times for the entire batch (OG, maybe one sample when moving to secondary, and FG) then you're probably OK with a hydrometer and drinking the samples. If you are checking the gravity frequently, consider getting a refractometer.

Sounds good, Thanks everyone.

I like my thief for removing beer from the fermentor, but I like to take my readings in the cylinder that came with my hydrometer. It fits so tightly in the thief that I'm afraid I'll get false readings. Plus it is more to drink! I aim for 5.5 to 6 gallons into my buckets, so I'm not worried about a pint here and there!

But yes - with a properly sanitized thief and hydrometer you should be able to put the beer back. Of course, the key word there is properly. Well, and sanitized.