Evan!
Well-Known Member
I've done 13 batches of beer so far, and lately, I've been taking more and more hydro readings (rather than winging it like I did early on). However, unless I'm using one of my plastic buckest as fermentation vessels, I don't see any good way to get SMALL amounts of beer out so that I can take readings and/or taste it. I have a theif, but the f'n thing is no more than 10" long; given that, in 6.5-gal carboys, the surface of a 5-gallon batch is much further from the top of the neck than that, the theif is useless.
I know, I know, I could always spend $25 on a freakin' autosiphon, but I'm trying to pay for a wedding here, and that seems a bit much.
So I was wondering: what if I sanitize my racking tube, stick one end in the carboy, "siphon" out enough to sample with my mouth (the tube is long enough that I could stop the sucking before it ever got near my mouth), put my thumb (or tongue!) over the end, and then pulled it out of the carboy and released it into a cup? I know you're never supposed to get a real siphon started using your mouth, but considering that the beer that I'm taking out will never get put back, and it will never get anywhere near the part of the tube where my mouth is, there's really no risk of contaminating the batch.
Is this crazy? Is there a better way? Eventually I'll get an autosiphon, but until then...?
I know, I know, I could always spend $25 on a freakin' autosiphon, but I'm trying to pay for a wedding here, and that seems a bit much.
So I was wondering: what if I sanitize my racking tube, stick one end in the carboy, "siphon" out enough to sample with my mouth (the tube is long enough that I could stop the sucking before it ever got near my mouth), put my thumb (or tongue!) over the end, and then pulled it out of the carboy and released it into a cup? I know you're never supposed to get a real siphon started using your mouth, but considering that the beer that I'm taking out will never get put back, and it will never get anywhere near the part of the tube where my mouth is, there's really no risk of contaminating the batch.
Is this crazy? Is there a better way? Eventually I'll get an autosiphon, but until then...?