Keep original sample in hydrometer test tube?

[nottul27]

I am a relativley new brewer. I just brewed up a batch of milk stout using a brewers best kit. I of course took a hydrometer reading before I pitched my yeast to see what my OG was. My question is this. Could I take a sample of the pitched sort and keep that say in a covered test tube so I wouldnt have to open up the bottling bucket to extract a new sample? Wouldnt the sort in the test tube ferment at the same rate as that in the bucket, assuming similar conditions? Would that sample be reliable to determine final gravity? I am just trying to minimize opening the bucket and possibly introducing infections. Thoughts and opinons are most welcome.

 

[krenshaw]

that probably wouldn't ferment the same way as the carboy.. as long as you aren't opening multiple times, and keep good sanitation practices, opening up to take a reading once or twice in fermentation would be fine.. i'm sure that's what 99% of us are doing

 

[unionrdr]

I've always felt that the larger volume in the FV will ferment at a different rate than the smaller sample.

 

[nottul27]

Please replace the word sort with wort. My phone is apparently not brew friendly with auto correct.

 

[billl]

Don't overthink brewing beer. Sanitize the sampling equipment. Take a sample. Put the lid back on.

If you want to minimize the number of samples to take, give it 2 weeks before you even consider opening it.

 

[0202]

You shouldn't have to take many samples anyway, if you are worried about wasting the beer. To be sure instead of assuming they are equal, you should measure from the carboy. I don't think you'll be introducing as much potential infection as you think. People have done all kinds of horrible things like reaching into the fermented beer with unsanitized hands, without obvious infection.

You could always do both and report back to see if they vary.

 

[amandabab]

the whole satellite sample idea is pointless.

you'll never get a small ferment happening at the same rate as the rest of the batch.

 

[jarrodaden]

I always taste the sample after I take a reading and dump the rest. If it is really tasty I drink it all.

I never return it to the fermenter for fear of contamination.

If you are worried about wasting beer for sampling, wait a longer time to take the first sample. Remember, your recipe only gives you a suggested minimum number of days for fermentation to finish. That is never a guarantee. Waiting longer is better.

 

[nottul27]

Thanks to all for taking the time to help our a newbie. All comments and suggestions were much appreciated and well received.

 

[hepcat]

I always taste the sample after I take a reading and dump the rest. If it is really tasty I drink it all.

I never return it to the fermenter for fear of contamination.

If you are worried about wasting beer for sampling, wait a longer time to take the first sample. Remember, your recipe only gives you a suggested minimum number of days for fermentation to finish. That is never a guarantee. Waiting longer is better.

I have only made two braggots so far, first one turned out amazingly good for my very first mead-style beer(or should I say beer-style mead,lol). I took four samples from it, and returned all four samples to the batch which, as stated above, came out fine.
The (second) braggot I'm making now I've taken two samples so far, and have tossed those back in too, less the part I drank (that I poured into a glass).
I just can't bring myself to toss the samples!!
I DO sanitize thoroughly though.
But maybe was just lucky with the first batch.

How many of you toss your samples back into your batch?

 

[bribo179]

Do you really want to chance 5gallons of infected beer over a 50 ml sample of beer?

 

[hepcat]

Do you really want to chance 5gallons of infected beer over a 50 ml sample of beer?

I hear you you but, don't know if you've looked at that thread Revvy started a few years ago about aaaaallllll the many, some really crazy awful, mistakes people have made brewing and the vast majority end up saying their batch turned out fine. And people are still posting on it (there are over 600 posts to that thread as of today).

After reading quite a few pages of that thread, I'm not too worried about it.
I'll say again, I sanitize really thoroughly before I go near the wort.

And yes I get that all those mistakes were unintentional, but, oh well, I guess it's a risk I'm willing to take.

 

[Peppers16]

I've done this with my latest batch! Retained a sample that is. I doubt a 50ml sample will ferment at the same rate as 5 gallons but it should tell you what FG you're aiming for (in fact I believe some brewers even do something similar to predict attenuation... 'quick ferment test' or something like that). As an impatient newbie I find having a mini fermentation to monitor relieves the temptation to keep checking the bucket (I don't even need to use an airlock with my bucket, but it means a lot more guess-work!). It also helped me realise my first lager was too cold: The SG had barely dropped at all in 5 days, then after a night in the warm the sample started fermenting. It probably would have taken me longer to realise things needed warming-up otherwise.
If you fancy keeping a sample hold onto it! The worst that can happen is you infect 50ml of beer...