Best tool to extract beer from a carboy

[Southern_Junior]

So I want to extract a bottle or two of beer from a carboy to bottle and test. What's the best tool for doing this?

I was thinking about using a sanitized turkey baster? That way I could extract a bottle or two here and there.

 

[TheCarnie]

You need a wine thief, or what I use is a broken auto-siphon.

 

[TopherM]

What do you mean "bottle and test?" You can take gravity readings with just 5-6 ounces of beer, you certainly don't need two bottles worth. Why do you need to take a bottle or two out here and there? Just wait till the beer is done and bottle the whole thing, no reason to waste several bottles testing to see if it's done!

Anyway, back to your question, it is generally tough to get beer out of a carboy with a turkey baster due to the narrow neck. Your best best is a wine thief:

http://www.google.com/#q=wine+thief...63e9aa&bpcl=36601534&biw=1024&bih=578&safe=on

 

[Southern_Junior]

Well because the beer is a new recipe and I don't necessarily know when it will be done.

 

[kombat]

Well because the beer is a new recipe and I don't necessarily know when it will be done.

You'll know it's "done" when the specific gravity stops changing. Then you bottle it and give it a couple of weeks to carbonate and condition.

 

[TopherM]

It won't do you much good to taste test uncarbed beer. The beer will taste different once it's carbed, conditioned, and cold.

Use the wine thief to get a small sample to make sure you are at FG, but then bottle and carb/condition for 2-3 weeks. Then start to put one bottle a week in the fridge, letting it chill for 48 hours before tasting. If it tastes good, refridgerate more, if not keep them conditioning at room temp, wait a week, repeat.

 

[steber]

A turkey baster will work if you're in a pinch. I've done it before will decent results. These days I did the hose of my racking cane into it, plug the one end and pull out enough to fill my graduated cylinder. Wine thief, i suppose, would be best. But my method hasn't failed me yet.

As for not doing much to taste the uncarbed beer, i always try my SG samples. As they're getting poured down the drain anyway. Helps to fully understand the process and appreciate all the steps. Taking bottles out at a time to test is just rubbish. I put my hydrometer in my cylinder and fill it till it floats.