Hydrometer readings and foam

[schadelh]

I take my hydrometer readings in my wine thief, but I have noticed that anything besides cooled wort leaves foam at surface of the liquid. This foam makes it rather (or extremely) difficult to read the hydrometer.

Saturday I rolled up and inserted a paper towl to wick up the foam, and that worked alright, but I was wondering if anyone else had good techniques for either measuring gravity through the foam, or reducing the foam for easy gravity reading.

and I already know I need to get a refractometer, but I have other priorities first (like more carboys!)

 

[Yooper]

You can wait a bit for the foam to disapate, if it's only there because of the splashing into the test jar. Or, you can overfill the test jar a bit, so when you drop the hydrometer into it, the foam is displaced. That's what I've done.

 

[Bubba]

I just take a teaspoon and spoon off the excess foam and then take my reading.

 

[ChshreCat]

My sample jar is only a little bigger around than the hydrometer, so no spoon I have would fit in it. If I have too much foam I just blow into it and that helps clear it out.

 

[AnthonyD]

Let it overflow out the top of whatever you're testing in.