After the Gravity Reading

holla back youngin's,

If you sanitize the test tube and the hydrometer and everything else, why is it not a good idea to dump the beer back into the fermenter after taking a reading? I ask because I did this on my last batch, before I heard that you shouldn't do that. I am just going to RDWHAHB, but was just wondering the theory behind this. If everything is sanatized, then why won't everything be ok?

P.S. The opening statement was meant to be a joke. I am not really that obnoxious.

or am I? :rockin:

Because you're supposed to drink it.

Seriously I guess it's just an unnecessary risk for so little gain (like 1/2 cup of beer). Plus I think you really should drink it. I'm getting into the whole "learn by taste" thing, chewing on grains and hops, tasting the wort, drinking the hydro sample..

Drink the hydro sample, it's good. I sampled my AG version of Dude's Lake Walk Pale Ale last night. Liquid goodness.

its a pain in the ass to sanitize the graduated cylinder. i primary in buckets, so I sanitze the hydro, drop it in, take my reading, and I'm done.

if I'm sampling from secondary carboy, i pull a sample with my thief (which is the only thing that gets sanitized), run my test, and drink the sample since secondary is less yeasty/trubby and thus a reasonable way to start gauging how the beer turned out.

drink it always. sometimes even the unfermented wort.

i also taste pizza dough as it rises so...

It's also a good way to get you pumped for how it's going to turn out each time you take a sample!

I do this with sauces, pasta dough, cake batter, cookie dough, etc.