hydrometer in carboy

[user 85995]

Hi all

Does anyone see a problem with dropping a sanitized hydrometer in to the carboy and just letting it stay there? Seems to me its safer than using a thief multiple times, and easier and less wasteful of the beer. Downside is you can't use the meter while its in there but I'm not brewing anything til that batch is bottled anyway.

Thoughts? Arguments? Brawls? ;-)

Thanks

Tony

 

[frazier]

First, the readings probably won't be at all accurate, due to attached bubbles, kraeusen, etc etc. Second, and this is just my opinion, but multiple readings are unnecessary anyway. The gravity is what it is, there's not a lot you can do about it. I take a reading at the start and another at the end, that's all. If those two samples use up too much precious beer, get a refractometer.

Cheers!

 

[studmonk3y]

If you're going to do that maybe you want some brew balls. http://www.brewballstore.com/
Disclaimer: not affiliated

 

[ArcaneXor]

Unless you are experiencing an abnormal fermentation, you don't need to take more than one sample to determine that you have, indeed, reached final gravity. Leaving the hydro in the carboy isn't something I'd recommend - stuff will get stuck to it and skew the reading.

 

[jsled]

Seems to me its safer than using a thief multiple times, and easier and less wasteful of the beer.

There is very little risk of sampling via a sanitized thief, even multiple times, unless your environment is pretty filthy anyways. And, as other have said, too many readings aren't usually useful.

 

[countrygent73]

I think the two biggest arguments against this practice to me, would be; A) it would be very difficult to read the fine print through a carboy. and B) if it were to break, id would break in the carboy ruining the whole batch. but who knows, it might work great!

 

[C-Rider]

First, the readings probably won't be at all accurate, due to attached bubbles, kraeusen, etc etc. Second, and this is just my opinion, but multiple readings are unnecessary anyway. The gravity is what it is, there's not a lot you can do about it. I take a reading at the start and another at the end, that's all. If those two samples use up too much precious beer, get a refractometer.

Cheers!

I've read that after alcohol is present you can't use a refractometer. ???

 

[kh54s10]

I've read that after alcohol is present you can't use a refractometer. ???

Not true. But you do have to correct for the presence of alcohol.

If you don't really care what the final gravity numbers are all you have to do is see the same numbers to know that fermentation has finished.

 

[samc]

I've left the hydro in and it worked fine. However as others have stated after you brew a few batches you really don't need the constant readings or babysitting of your beer. Take a reading, pitch yeast and come back in 10-14 days and take another reading (approx timing of course). Good excuse btw to drink the sample is having a test jar.

 

[Spartan1979]

If you're going to do that maybe you want some brew balls. http://www.brewballstore.com/
Disclaimer: not affiliated

Has anybody actually used these?

 

[eastoak]

Has anybody actually used these?

i use them, so far only in better bottles where it's sometimes hard to tell how many balls are actually floating near the end. in a bucket it would be easier to look in and tell if you have one or two floaters. right now i can only see one ball in the better bottle so i have to spin the bottle around a few times to see if it's at 1005 or if there is another one floating which would be the 1010 ball. i still use my hydrometer at the end but it's nice to see the progress as it happens.