Will the trub affect my gravity reading?

I brewed my first batch of beer yesterday and today the airlock is already bubbling. So far so good. I have decided to take the suggestion of some folks here and not bother with a secondary, just do the whole process in the primary.

Later when I use my thief to take a sample for my specific gravity reading, will the contents of the trub contaminate the reading or does it not have an effect? Or is there a technique to taking the sample that avoids that problem?

As long as you aren't sucking up from the bottom of the fermenter you shouldn't have any trub in your hydro sample.

This is what I use, and it works with both buckets and carboys. I replaced the plastic one a year ago with an extra long stainless baster from a kitchen ware store and it is awesome. But the plastic one from any grocery store works fine.



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. And unless a bird flies in your place and lets go with some poop, you should be okay.

With the disclaimer that I Am Not A Chemist:

Molecules in solution will affect gravity. Particles in suspension will not.

I wish I could go swimming in my fermenter. Seriously. I think it would be cool...even though I probably wouldn't float well.