Gravity readings using the "thief"

I'm embarrassed to ask this question since it's off the scale on the noob-o-meter.....
The starsan bubbles are preventing me from getting a read on my hydrometer.
How the h.. do you guys use this thing after sanitizing?

Have you tried spinning the hydrometer with your fingers while dropping it into the thief, as if you were spinning a top? It will come to a rest and should float around the center, sometimes needing a few flicks on the side of the thief to get it there. I use iodophor, but that usually gets rid of any bubbles that may throw the readings off for me.

I do give it a spin, but the sanitizer bubbles remain on top of the sample preventing a read. The only thing that works so far is overfilling the thief and pouring some out, which kinda defeats the purpose of this gadget.

SEndorf said:

I do give it a spin, but the sanitizer bubbles remain on top of the sample preventing a read. The only thing that works so far is overfilling the thief and pouring some out, which kinda defeats the purpose of this gadget.

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I've had excessive bubbles before (not from starsan, just from beer). Instead of wait for the bubbles to go away, the impatient maniac in me grabbed a drinking straw and sucked up the bubbles, leaving as much beer as possible behind. If you hold the straw at a bit of an angle, it will pull in a bunch of air (making that annoying sound your younger brother used to make when drinking milkshakes), which is the perfect technique.

Are you saying that you have all these StarSan bubbles from right after you but the wort in the fermenter?

You could either:

1. Wait an hour or so for the bubbles to dissipate, or

2. Take the sample such that you don't take any of the liquid (and bubbles) from the surface. If it's the type of thief that has a hole in the top to put your finger onto to trap the liquid in the cylinder, put your finger over it before you stick it thru the StarSan layer, and only release it when it's submerged. That should make it so that you don't get any (or much) bubbles in the hydrometer tube. If it's a baster, just squeeze the ball before you insert it.

I rinse my thief after starsan if that's what I use. When I bottle it's Iodophor which doesn't give any bubbles.

Do not rinse starsan.

Dawgs47 said:

Do not rinse starsan.

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Are you sure Dawg? You don't think he should be rinsing a no-rinse sanitizer?

ResumeMan said:

just squeeze the ball before you insert it.

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What she said...

but for real... ;-)

Just "steal" an inch of beer, then use it to rinse the starsan by shaking the thief... starsan will go into the little sample of beer... toss it away, then take your sample...

It's called conditioning and very common when taking environmental samples... you rinse the container with the same stuff you want a sample from...

SEndorf said:

I do give it a spin, but the sanitizer bubbles remain on top of the sample preventing a read. The only thing that works so far is overfilling the thief and pouring some out, which kinda defeats the purpose of this gadget.

Click to expand...

Are you saying you have the thief full of sanitizer when you put it into the wort to extract a sample?

No. I rinse the thief with sanitizer, completely remove the sanitizer, but the bubbles remain inside. Take the sample, insert the hydrometer, and the bubbles interfere with the read since they are on top of the sample. I realize we do not rinse starsan!

atreid said:

but for real... ;-)

Just "steal" an inch of beer, then use it to rinse the starsan by shaking the thief... starsan will go into the little sample of beer... toss it away, then take your sample...

It's called conditioning and very common when taking environmental samples... you rinse the container with the same stuff you want a sample from...

Click to expand...

AHA! I knew it would be something simple. Just couldn't wrap my head around it. We have a winner......

Do y know of I'm reading this correctly. There are bubbles on the surface of your test vial where you are trying to read the hydrometer? How bout you just gently blow them off?

Chefencore said:

Do y know of I'm reading this correctly. There are bubbles on the surface of your test vial where you are trying to read the hydrometer? How bout you just gently blow them off?

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The purpose of the "thief" is to easily return the sample back to the fermenter with the release valve on the bottom.
The problem with the bubbles would easily be solved if I just contaminated the sample and tossed it out after the gravity read.

I sometimes get the bubbles on the surface, despite the hydrometer spin. I gently shake the thief side to side to get the hydrometer to tap against the sides. This usually releases the bubbles.

Don't shake it too hard and break the hydrometer, or you'll have to add your story to the Broken Hydrometer thread.

SEndorf said:

The purpose of the "thief" is to easily return the sample back to the fermenter with the release valve on the bottom.
The problem with the bubbles would easily be solved if I just contaminated the sample and tossed it out after the gravity read.

Click to expand...

The purpose of the valve at the bottom is to release the wort sample into the sample tube. In most cases this is the tube your hydrometer came in. Returning the sample to the fermentor risks infection. Drink the sample for a check on how your beer is progressing. When releasing the sample into the tube, leave any remaining starsan bubbles in the thief.

Yeah I wouldn't return it to the fermenter...

OK. I'll have a tasty sample then!

Get a sample jar. A 100 ml graduated cylinder - I recommend plastic! - works perfectly.

Don't return your samples to the fermentor. A bottle of beer is 355 ml and a sample is less than 1/3 of that.

Ok how about trying the simplest method to remove the bubbles around the hydrometer at the surface............use a straw to suck them away.........works every time.

Just blow on the bubbles. Blow it!

Or get a test jar.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NDHGEM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I've got that test jar. Now that I know not to return the sample I'll use it!

I use a sanitized spoon and scoop the bubbles out of the grad cylinder against the cylinder wall. Takes less time than it took me to type it. I type pretty fast...

Ugh, I got the thief, tried to use it once, haven't touched it since. My hydrometer kept sticking to the sides and it leaked pretty good. A glass thief and sample jar work much better for me.