Testing SG

[Brews and Blues]

Newbie here - I've done 4 or 5 kits now and one small thing has always perplexed me. What is the best way to get samples out of the fermenter to test SG? I am using brew buckets and just want to make sure fermentation is completed before bottling. I have a friend that says he uses a sanitized baster to draw the sample out and into the hydrometer tube. Is that the best way? I just don't want to screw anything up by taking the lid off of the bucket. Thanks!

 

[wsmith1625]

If you're doing 5 gal batches, the simplest way to get SG is to cool your wort, transfer to the fermenter, and carefully place your sanitized hydrometer into the fermenter to get a reading. You can do the same for final gravity too. Just use caution that your hydrometer doesn't bottom out. If it does, you can't get a reading and you could also crack your hydrometer.

A better way would be to use a test jar made for hydrometer samples. You can find them on all the homebrew sites and Amazon. Then to collect the sample, a wine thief or turkey baster work fine. Just don't squeeze the baster into your beer because you'll be infected air into your finished beer which is NG.

You could also add a valve to you bucket and use that for samples. IMO, this is the best way. The valve is also useful for transferring to your bottling bucket or keg.

 

[Brews and Blues]

If you're doing 5 gal batches, the simplest way to get SG is to cool your wort, transfer to the fermenter, and carefully place your sanitized hydrometer into the fermenter to get a reading. You can do the same for final gravity too. Just use caution that your hydrometer doesn't bottom out. If it does, you can't get a reading and you could also crack your hydrometer.

A better way would be to use a test jar made for hydrometer samples. You can find them on all the homebrew sites and Amazon. Then to collect the sample, a wine thief or turkey baster work fine. Just don't squeeze the baster into your beer because you'll be infected air into your finished beer which is NG.

You could also add a valve to you bucket and use that for samples. IMO, this is the best way. The valve is also useful for transferring to your bottling bucket or keg.

Awesome thanks! So lifting the lid on my brew bucket isn't going to unleash the Dementors onto my beer? LOL

 

[wsmith1625]

No, lots of brewers do it to get gravity readings. Just sanitize and be quick to keep the Dementors away.

 

[McKnuckle]

Doesn't your Brew Bucket have a spigot? That's the best way. Otherwise you have no choice but to lift the lid and dip something in. It's less a concern about contamination as it is about oxygen exposure.

 

[wsmith1625]

Google "Italian Spigot". It's a simple upgrade to a bucket fermenter.

 

[mcmeador]

When I was fermenting in a bucket, I always just sanitized a small measuring cup, lifted the lid, and dipped it in to get a sample. Never caused an issue.

 

[Brews and Blues]

Doesn't your Brew Bucket have a spigot? That's the best way. Otherwise you have no choice but to lift the lid and dip something in. It's less a concern about contamination as it is about oxygen exposure.

I have one bucket with a spigot that I use for my bottling bucket. In hindsight, I shouldn't have bought any buckets without a spigot. That will be a nice little upgrade for the next batch

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Mount a tap in the bottom of the bucket, just remember to spray starsan after sampling.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

I have one bucket with a spigot that I use for my bottling bucket. In hindsight, I shouldn't have bought any buckets without a spigot. That will be a nice little upgrade for the next batch

You can just drill a hole with an Irwin drill and mount it.

 

[jddevinn]

When I used carboys I would use a syringe with a long SS pickup tube through the airlock. Still use the reverse of this method to add gelatin when needed.

See:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/most-sanitary-way-to-test-beer.537696/#post-6992331

 

[mcmeador]

I have one bucket with a spigot that I use for my bottling bucket. In hindsight, I shouldn't have bought any buckets without a spigot. That will be a nice little upgrade for the next batch

I personally wouldn’t use a bucket with a spigot for fermenting, at least not with a spigot mounted at the level of the spigot on a bottling bucket. It wouldn’t be ideal for pulling samples or transferring to the bottling bucket because it could get stopped up with trub or suck it up when it’s opened.

 

[McKnuckle]

The best kind of spigot terminates in a rotating dip tube. Stainless fermenters typically offer that, both the $$ conicals and the bucket variety such as offered by SS Brewtech and Anvil.

Next comes a variety of plastic fermenters such as Big Mouth Bubbler, Fermonster, and Speidel. Those may not offer a rotating dip tube, but the spigots are convenient and make both sampling and transferring a breeze.

Buckets are last on this list, but mostly because of their shape and giant opening which lets oxygen in easily and often doesn't seal. The spigots are fine. A little trub on first opening, but then typically no more. Not a big deal and still beats opening the lid.

Some of these choices are quite inexpensive and will help you improve your fermentation practices. Fermentation is arguably where home brewers should be spending more of their resources, not less, when compared to the hot side which typically garners all the attention.

 

[Deadalus]

Since I have a lot of carboys, I use a three piece wine thief, easy to clean and sanitized. It can be a real pain to get a hydrometer out of a narrow neck!

If you don't already have a hydrometer tube, go with as narrow a tube as you can find to keep the volume used down.

 

[bwible]

Sanitize the thief and your hydrometer, take your reading in the thief, return the sample to the fermenter. Works with buckets, carboys, barrels, etc

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/fermtech-wine-thief

 

[scurry64]

Awesome thanks! So lifting the lid on my brew bucket isn't going to unleash the Dementors onto my beer? LOL

Not as long as you conjure a Patronis.