Hydrometer reading in fermenter?

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alaskanmoosehunter

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Alright...Don't jump my ass. Can I just sanitize the hydrometer and read it out of the bucket or is this a common practice? Messing aroung trying to get liquid in the hydrometer tube, just to read it just as easily in the bucket seems unessasary.

Or am I missing something here?
 
Many people do this. I tried it once, but felt I couldn't get a good reading since I was not looking at the hydrometer level. It's really simple to take a sample with a tube. Buy a turkey baster at wallyworld, sanitize it (spray bottle with star san works great), take the sample, measure the gravity and then the best part....taste it!!!
 
I do this all the time. Some people will cite sanitation concerns, but IMO it's more likely that you've successfully sanitized the outside of your hydrometer than it is that you've fully sanitized the inside of your thief. Whether I'm right or not the only time I've ever had an infection it happened because of peach skins and I had never taken a gravity reading in the fermenter on that batch.
 
I take readings from tap. I have drilled holes in fermenters a bit high, to make sure my tap is above yeast cake - very convenient. just take it slow so you dont get air sucked through airlock.
 
My brother does that. He likes it but one hydrometer hit bottom and the paper scale moved inside the glass. Another broke when it hit bottom.
Finally, then you need a hydrometer for each batch you have going at any time. 3 batches at once means three hydrometers.:D
 
yeah the krausen is in the way until a week or more deep into fermentation. i've tried dropping he hydrometer in the fermenter but can't read it well enough. taking out a sample with a turkey baster only takes a few seconds and you'll be able to more precisely measure the SG than trying to see it down in the fermenter
 

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