Fermenter Headspace

[GANEWBREW]

Hello 3rd brew new bucket for primary/secondary. Brewing a kit stout. Cellar Science Cali. Brewers Best bucket. Started brew 1/27/25. Had a lid leak so I don't know when the brewing started rapid ferment but checked 3rd day, I saw krausen resealed lid it was good.

So it's 3rd week. I wanted to check gravity which is 1.022. The point of all this is leaving the lid off to get sample a all the headspace of this bucket. The wine thief I used took so many dips to fill the sample jar. I am concerned because of all the information out there, books, YouTube and groups. Any concerns or thoughts?

 

[Snuffy]

Drill your bucket and add a spigot. You'll have to uncap your airlock to pull a sample but it introduces a lot less air than opening the lid. Even better, get a Tilt or similar floating device that provides SG and temp and eliminates the need to sample at all.

 

[GANEWBREW]

Great advice for next time. How high up from the bottom?

Drill your bucket and add a spigot. You'll have to uncap your airlock to pull a sample but it introduces a lot less air than opening the lid. Even better, get a Tilt or similar floating device that provides SG and temp and eliminates the need to sample at A

 

[Snuffy]

Great advice for next time. How high up from the bottom?

Just high enough to clear the trub. Mine are centered at 1.5".

 

[AlexKay]

Alternately, you only need a few drops to take a refractometer reading, if you want to keep using that wine thief.

(Just remember to use a refractometer calculator with the original and current Brix to get an estimated current density. Otherwise you'll be making another post, "why is my gravity so high?")

Other advice: much less checking. While it's a learning experience to watch the gravity go down during fermentation, the information isn't actually particularly useful (at least until you start repitching yeast) and more samples means more oxidation. Let it go for two weeks, and then check gravity on successive days to make sure fermentation is complete. That's it.

As a practical matter, even if fermentation doesn't start for X days, there isn't much by way of intervention you can do that's any better than just waiting another X days (which, to be sure, often works.)

If it's driving you crazy, you can upgrade to a PET fermenter like a Fermonster for around 40 USD so you can watch without needing to open it up. But then be vigilant about keeping it out of the light as much as possible, or it will skunk.

(Never ferment in glass.)