I've had my first brew in primary 6.5gl carboy since Tuesday. I plan on waiting a full 2 weeks before dry hopping to a secondary 5gl carboy. Between now and then what is best way to take hydrometer readings without disrupting the fermentation?
How to take a reading from a fermenting carboy?
- Thread starter trizzant
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nostalgia
Well-Known Member
Short answer would be sanitized turkey baster, or a Fermtech Wine Thief.
Slightly longer answer: check out the similar threads at the bottom of the page. There are dozens like it for your reading pleasure.
-Joe
Slightly longer answer: check out the similar threads at the bottom of the page. There are dozens like it for your reading pleasure.
-Joe
If you have a wine thief, that's the easiest. I often use a turkey baster, but it's hard to reach 5 gallons in a 6.5 gallon carboy, so that's most useful in a bucket ("ale pail").
hotbrew
Well-Known Member
As mentioned above, a turkey baster is best. In lieu of a turkey baster or wine thief though, you can always go to Dairy Queen or some other place that provides really long straws. Use those to reach into the carboy and place your finger over the top hole to grab a sample. Make sure to sanitize it beforehand though.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Another option would be to get some tubing that will fit over the end (small diameter) of a flavor injector and use that to pull out about 2 ounces at a time. I would get a brand new injector, though, to make sure you don't have anything nasty get into your brew.
I was going to use that method, until I got used to using the glass wine thief. The wine thief is really easy to use, as well as clean. I know there are plastic ones that are larger, so you can get more of a sample in a single plunge. I'm just not sure how easy those would be to get clean. I suppose you could get a brush to get into them (not sure if the standard bottle brush would work, or not)... For the glass one, a soapy sponge for the outside, and run hot water through the inside after you use it. Sanitize just before using it, and you should be in great shape.
I would also suggest letting the brew go at least 2 weeks in primary. At that point, take a gravity reading. Give it a couple more days and take another reading. If it doesn't change after 2-3 readings, then fermentation is complete. I would probably dry hop into the same carboy too. That is, if you're planning on carbonating with sugar. Otherwise, you'll leave a good amount of yeast behind in secondary when you rack to the bottling bucket.
How long are you planning on dry hopping for? What brew did you make, for your first??
I was going to use that method, until I got used to using the glass wine thief. The wine thief is really easy to use, as well as clean. I know there are plastic ones that are larger, so you can get more of a sample in a single plunge. I'm just not sure how easy those would be to get clean. I suppose you could get a brush to get into them (not sure if the standard bottle brush would work, or not)... For the glass one, a soapy sponge for the outside, and run hot water through the inside after you use it. Sanitize just before using it, and you should be in great shape.
I would also suggest letting the brew go at least 2 weeks in primary. At that point, take a gravity reading. Give it a couple more days and take another reading. If it doesn't change after 2-3 readings, then fermentation is complete. I would probably dry hop into the same carboy too. That is, if you're planning on carbonating with sugar. Otherwise, you'll leave a good amount of yeast behind in secondary when you rack to the bottling bucket.
How long are you planning on dry hopping for? What brew did you make, for your first??
I use a turkey baster go to the 99 cent store they usually have them there. but if were you i wouldn't take so many hydrometer reading i personally just take two. You dont need to take a reading before dry hopping.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
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this would only work if you if you were using a refractometer. A straw is no way to grab a sample for a hydrometer sample, unless you want to dip the straw in 60-70 times
I made an American IPA. I was thinking of dry hopping for 1 week and then over to a 5gl soda keg and continue to dry hop in it. I'm not bottling unless I plan on entering competitions later. Should I dry hop in the primary for an extra week and go straight to keg, skipping the secondary?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I've not dry hopped just yet, just so you know...
That being said, I would advise letting the brew finish fermenting before you dry hop it. Give it 2-4 weeks in primary, then either add the hops there, or move it to the keg and add the hops. If you add the hops in primary, then you have less cleanup in the keg later. I would give it a week with dry hops, then start tasting it. Once it goes just beyond what you want, keg and carbonate (I would slow carbonate with either CO2 or sugars) it to your desired level.
If you put the hops into a [nylon mesh] hop bag, then you'll have less addition to the trub in the primary, or keg. I'm using a mesh bag for oak chips in a corny as well as a carboy, so that I can simply remove them once I like the flavor level. Since I don't have any spare carboy's/kegs right now, I need to be able to keep the brews where they are.
That being said, I would advise letting the brew finish fermenting before you dry hop it. Give it 2-4 weeks in primary, then either add the hops there, or move it to the keg and add the hops. If you add the hops in primary, then you have less cleanup in the keg later. I would give it a week with dry hops, then start tasting it. Once it goes just beyond what you want, keg and carbonate (I would slow carbonate with either CO2 or sugars) it to your desired level.
If you put the hops into a [nylon mesh] hop bag, then you'll have less addition to the trub in the primary, or keg. I'm using a mesh bag for oak chips in a corny as well as a carboy, so that I can simply remove them once I like the flavor level. Since I don't have any spare carboy's/kegs right now, I need to be able to keep the brews where they are.
Leave it in primary until it's done and the krausen has fallen. Wait another week, and you can dryhop. Wait a week, then keg.
Thanks!
Hockeyhunter99
Well-Known Member
Squeeze bulb before putting into liquid
nostalgia
Well-Known Member
There are a few ways around double-dipping. You can suck the beer up like a giant straw, or try my slightly inappropriate shakey-shakey method:
-Joe
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Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I don't worry about pulling more than one time with the thief, since everything that touches it (and the wort) has been sanitized. I put the bung onto a sanitized cloth/towel, and make sure what the sample goes into was also sanitized moments before. Never had an issue using this method.
I wouldn't shake fermenting wort, too much chance of things going south that way.
I wouldn't shake fermenting wort, too much chance of things going south that way.
nostalgia
Well-Known Member
...huh? How exactly are things going south? It's not like you're whipping air into the beer, since the wine thief is submerged the whole time. The surface barely ripples.
-Joe
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I won't shake what it's fermenting in... I don't do the tube, so I didn't watch the video...
For the wine thief (I have at least) letting it rest in the brew for a moment has it fill up without issue. You give it a few seconds, then plug the top with your thumb and you're good to go. No shaking (of anything) required to get the sample into the tube.
nostalgia
Well-Known Member
Oh I see. So you just assumed I was shaking the fermenter to get a sample out? Interesting.
Well, as I noted in the video, allowing the wine thief to fill up in the carboy doesn't give me enough beer for a sample. So I'd have to take 2 dips. By moving the wine thief up and down in the wort, the 1-way valve allows the beer to fill the thief above the height of the beer in the carboy.
Hope that helps clear things up,
-Joe
Well, as I noted in the video, allowing the wine thief to fill up in the carboy doesn't give me enough beer for a sample. So I'd have to take 2 dips. By moving the wine thief up and down in the wort, the 1-way valve allows the beer to fill the thief above the height of the beer in the carboy.
Hope that helps clear things up,
-Joe
juslod
Well-Known Member
I have been using this method for a few months now after seeing that video and it is amazing how easy it is to do and how well it works!
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