Hydrometer

[nicklawmusic]

Is it imperative that I have a wine thief or turkey baster to get some wort out if the FV into my test jar? Or can I just stick the test jar in?

 

[BigFloyd]

I tend to careful about what I stick in my beer, so I'd go with the turkey baster (which is useful for other things in brewing like squirting Star-San through tubing). I think that the one I got from Bed, Bath & Beyond was less than $5.

I installed spigots on my fermenter buckets for taking gravity samples. It saves having to pop off the bucket lid and disturb the CO2 that I want to stay in there.

 

[big_len]

I can't imagine how I got by without my wine thief - it should be listed as one of those dirt-cheap must haves for brewing!

Better yet, you can also use an autosiphon for this purpose, twice the return on your investment ...

If you are stuck for needing something more immediate, a length of siphon tubing can also be used in a similar way, lower one end of the santised tube in and then cover the other with your thumb

 

[pelipen]

Is it imperative that I have a wine thief or turkey baster to get some wort out if the FV into my test jar? Or can I just stick the test jar in?

The thing I love about a baster is, I can sanitize the whole thing, but I only let the tip touch the wort. Massively less surface area contact. I also have a thief which I use when the baster doesn't reach.

 

[RonPopeil]

i have a siphon. best thing ever. basically the only thing i use for transferring cold fluids. also useful for draining fish tanks and keezers.