Getting a gravity reading from a carboy.

[paulnb9]

Does anyone have any cool tricks for pulling enough beer from their primary/secondary glass carboy to get a gravity reading?

 

[kapbrew13]

Siphon it, wine thief, or steel Turkey baster.

 

[Boodlemania]

I use my sanitized autosiphon with no hose. Moving the 250ml graduated cylinder along with the siphon's spout as I pump out a sample.

Remember to sanitize the hydrometer and graduated cylinder if you're planning on putting the sample back into the carboy after taking a reading. Otherwise, just make sure they're good-n-clean.

 

[cehlo]

thieves are invaluable for sampling and enable you to return to vessel or dispense for tasting. proper technique is to take cross-sectional sample without disturbing sediment/cake.

accurate hydro reading can be taken directly in thief with practice. brix uses even smaller sample size but takes more practice to read accurately.

 

[teresalgl]

I use the end of my auto siphon (the larger tube with the valve). I take off the trub barrier, stick it in the carboy, and give it a few shakes -- viola I have my sample. It works great!

 

[jcdouglas]

+1 Turkey baster

 

[Revvy]

I use a long turkey baster.

 

[kh54s10]

Remember to sanitize the hydrometer and graduated cylinder if you're planning on putting the sample back into the carboy after taking a reading. Otherwise, just make sure they're good-n-clean.

Better yet, it is only a few ounces. DO NOT PUT IT BACK... Taste it and/or dump it.

I use the thief that came with my kit. The siphon or turkey baster are perfectly good, just sanitize well.

 

[hopsalot]

ET's finger

 

[gcdowd]

Better yet, it is only a few ounces. DO NOT PUT IT BACK... Taste it and/or dump it.

I use the thief that came with my kit. The siphon or turkey baster are perfectly good, just sanitize well.

+1 here. I personally would never put the sample back into the fermenter. Taste it, then dump what you dont want.

 

[Skarekrough]

I finally invested in a thief after a few years of a cheap turkey baster. Totally worth the money....right up there with an auto-siphon.

 

[bechard]

Wine thief, but it does take practise to keep the hydrometer from sticking, and to keep your hand perfectly level. Spin the hydrometer in the thief while you try to get your hand level.

 

[johnnyspade]

I use the end of my auto siphon (the larger tube with the valve). I take off the trub barrier, stick it in the carboy, and give it a few shakes -- viola I have my sample. It works great!

Yep. This is how I get my samples from the carboy as well. Your bottling wand will work for this as well but you'll need to do it more than a few times.

 

[shafferpilot]

Wine thief... Sometimes i have to kinda bounce it up and down a bit to pump enough into it to get the hydro to float.

 

[scrambledegg81]

x5 for:

 

[govain]

Better yet, it is only a few ounces. DO NOT PUT IT BACK... Taste it and/or dump it.

I use the thief that came with my kit. The siphon or turkey baster are perfectly good, just sanitize well.

+2 here. While you've got the sample out, why not test it for 'quality purposes'? I always taste my samples after I'm done with the gravity reading.

 

[audger]

when necessary, i just take a hydrometer, sanitize it, and pop it into the carboy. to remove it, take a piece of 3/8" silicone tube (sanitized) and carefully put one end on the top of the hydrometer. apply suction with your mouth or other handy vacuum source. then just pull it out.

as long as you are careful not to sneeze, the beer will stay sanitary. no need to take a sample and waste the goodness.

careful you dont suck too much CO2, though...

 

[certaut]

I usually only sample when racking, but for the times I do sample I take the auto siphon body leave the inner stem out use it as a thief. You don't even have to plug the top but you want to cool and if you have small thumbs a #3 solid stopper fits
"any tool is the right tool" (Red Green)
pete

 

[diS]

Refractometer?
You can buy it for less than $30.