Hydrometer samples and testing

[mwm5461]

Hello all,

I have gotten pretty frustrated with hydrometer testing. Whenever I take a sample with my wine thief the hydrometer frequently gets stuck on the side of the thief. I have included a picture below. I repeatedly drop and spin the hydrometer in the wine thief sample but can't help but feel that I'm not getting an accurate gravity reading. In addition, I am working with a 3 gallon glass carboy for fermentation so I have to take multiple pulls from the wine thief, empty it into a glass, and then pour it back in the wine thief to fill it enough to test the gravity.

I just got a refractometer but I understand that those readings are only reliable before fermentation begins. I was wondering if anyone has any helpful methods or equipment recommendations so that I can take samples more efficiently and obtain more accurate hydrometer readings without the worry that my readings are off.

I appreciate any helpful advice or suggestions. Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

You can get fairly accurate readings using a refractometer even after fermentation has started if you apply the appropriate "correction" factor.
There are many calculators that will do the work for you - this one, for example, for beer, and on this page you'll find one for wine (scroll down a few pages, it's there ).

And if you're just trying to determine if FG has been reached (successive identical SG readings over time) the calculators are almost unnecessary.
If the raw refractometer value doesn't change, whatever the SG is isn't changing, either...

Cheers!

 

[MaryB]

Get a proper sample jar that will sit flat and level. That way the hydrometer floats centered instead of off to one side. Pretty cheap... I think my glass one was $6...

 

[mwm5461]

Get a proper sample jar that will sit flat and level. That way the hydrometer floats centered instead of off to one side. Pretty cheap... I think my glass one was $6...

How do you actually retrieve the sample from your fermentor using the sample jar to test?

 

[MaryB]

I use a beer/wine thief... I ferment in buckets so easy access. If you are using carboys you could use an auto siphon to take a sample.

Test jar http://www.northernbrewer.com/glass-hydrometer-test-jar-13

Beer thief http://www.northernbrewer.com/3-piece-thief-plastic

 

[hezagenius]

How do you actually retrieve the sample from your fermentor using the sample jar to test?

Take the sample with the wine thief, empty it into the test jar, put the hydrometer in the test jar.

If you take a large enough sample, the hydrometer will displace enough beer to overflow the test jar and the portion of the hydrometer above the liquid will stick out of the jar and not rest on anything. You just need to figure out how much liquid it will take to do that and then mark your thief at the appropriate level so you know you are getting enough liquid.