How much risk waiting overnight to add yeast?

[patd]

My first all-grain is in the fermenter now, and ready for yeast. Unfortunately I broke my hydrometer a few hours ago...would it be ok to let the wort sit overnight (15 hours) and get another tomorrow to take a SG reading before pitching? Am I better off pitching now?

 

[Ohio-Ed]

What about taking a sample to measure later and pitching now?

 

[patd]

What about taking a sample to measure later and pitching now?

Perfect, thanks. This is why I'm still posting in the beginner forum

Sanitizing a bottle now...

 

[prosper]

gravity sample bottles don't need to be sanitized. You're not going to put the sample back into the beer now are you? Draw off 3 oz or so, and store it in the refrigerator until you've got a hydrometer.

 

[JKoravos]

To answer the original question, if your sanitation is good throughout the process, leaving it overnight should be fine.

 

[JetSmooth]

I have an 8 gallon batch of APA that I split into a glass carboy and a corny keg (4 gallons each). I pitched into the carboy that night but waited alsmot five days before pitching into the corny (sealed with a keg charger).

I didn't plan to split the batch, but wanted to try two different yeasts and the LHBS was closed for two days and I didn' thave a chance to get more yeast for five days.

The first half of the batch was well on it's way to being done before I got to the second. The second half was pitched with Notty, which is really agressive. It seems to have caught up with the first and now they're both about finished and waiting for me to bottle ... when I have a chance.

No worries about holding off pitching as long as your sanitation is good and you sleal that sucker up so nothing gets in it.

 

[wyzazz]

To answer the original question, I routinely wait to pitch yeast until the next morning. After a long brew-day I'm often inebriated and don't want to screw anything up, so I wait until the next day.

On my No-Chill batches I don't have a choice but to wait until the next day to pitch yeast.