Beer thief through bubbler?

[Andyoesq]

Anyone know a good beer thief which will fit through the airlock hole on a plastic bucket fermenter lid, which would be long enough to get down to the beer? I have a glass one but it is too wide. It seems like it would be a lot easier / less risky to be able to just pop the airlock off, and steal a bit through there, to heck gravity, instead of having to take then entire top off.

 

[Subdivisions]

You'll have to take the lid off to check gravity. You won't get enough volume in something that thin unless you dip it in 10 times. Then you're asking for possible contamination problems. I always wait 2 weeks before taking the lid off to check gravity. If you want to check on it earlier then pull the airlock off and shine a flashlight through the side of the bucket and look in the airlock hole to see if the krausen has fallen before opening the lid up.

 

[Andyoesq]

I use a refractometer, so i only need 3 drops to check gravity

 

[YeastMode]

I do basically the same thing by taking some 1/4" tubing, sanitising it, and sliding it down the hole. I then suck it (stop giggling) and start a siphon. I then check my gravity. Works like a charm and I have not had any issues with the process.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Not sure how big the opening is, but I use one of these to get my sample. I drop the hydrometer into it after I've taken the sample, and then empty it into a glass so I can taste the sample as well. When the level of the beer is too low in the carboy to get a big enough sample by dipping alone, I suck on the top of the thief to get enough into the tubing for the hydrometer to float.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

I widened the hole in my bucket lid with a 1.25" hole saw. It's now the same size as a carboy neck so I can use a standard carboy rubber plug and get my thief in, too.