Most sanitary way to test beer

[chuckcomm]

I know I'll be labeled a heretic, but here I go. Sanitize my hydro with starsan, pop open the lid, (gently) put in the hydrometer in, take the reading, remove hydro and replace my lid. No infections yet (about 375 gallons so far). YMMV

Exactly the way I do it. Simple and no issues so far.

 

[Tegra]

I would not assume that a straw without an individual wrapper was sanitary

With all due respect, if I was making insulin I would feel the same. However, I am dipping about a square cm of glossy plastic safe for food products from a covered box in for about a second.

The first 100 times I did it I was anxious, the second 100 I was worried, the next 100 concerned, a 100 more and I would still give it a second thought. Now I feel it might actually become part of my process.

Tom

 

[ArcLight]

I ferment in a bucket.
And have a 5 gallon bucket of Star San that I replace every 6 months.
I drop the hydrometer in the starsan, and a minute later I put the hydrometer in the beer.
I have a wine thief but no longer use it.

 

[mattdee1]

I've got a wine thief and it does what it's supposed to do, but I find it a bit messy. I'm only 2 batches in so maybe I just need to hone my technique, but every sample I've pulled with this device so far has resulted in a bunch of dripping inside the chamber (fridge) and all over the floor at my feet before I'm able to dump the sample into the hydrometer cylinder.

I really like that syringe-through-the-airlock-port idea. Not only does it look cleaner, but taking off the fermenter lid makes me nervous.

 

[TeamAshBrewing]

I've got a wine thief and it does what it's supposed to do, but I find it a bit messy. I'm only 2 batches in so maybe I just need to hone my technique, but every sample I've pulled with this device so far has resulted in a bunch of dripping inside the chamber (fridge) and all over the floor at my feet before I'm able to dump the sample into the hydrometer cylinder.

I really like that syringe-through-the-airlock-port idea. Not only does it look cleaner, but taking off the fermenter lid makes me nervous.

If you are using a bucket, I would just sanitize a measuring cup, It will be faster.
On your wine thief, it might be defective, or dumb question:you are plugging the top hole with your finger right? It shouldn't leak more than a drop or 2.
I usually hold the thief in for a couple of seconds to fill up (hole unplugged). Then plug the hole and fill the hydro tube. Repeat 2-3 times until full.

 

[kh54s10]

I often take my OG sample using my refractometer then never take another one.......

You keg, right?

I keg now, but have bottled a few without taking a final gravity sample. I do this only if I have made a starter or re-hydrated dry yeast. Have gotten good active fermentation quickly and didn't have any reason to think it had stalled. I had only one overcarbed batch and that one I did take a final gravity reading.

 

[RareBreed]

I know I'll be labeled a heretic, but here I go. Sanitize my hydro with starsan, pop open the lid, (gently) put in the hydrometer in, take the reading, remove hydro and replace my lid. No infections yet (about 375 gallons so far). YMMV

Exactly the way I do it. Simple and no issues so far.

I ferment in a bucket.
And have a 5 gallon bucket of Star San that I replace every 6 months.
I drop the hydrometer in the starsan, and a minute later I put the hydrometer in the beer.
I have a wine thief but no longer use it.

This is the method I use, never had an infection in hundreds of gallons brewed. People have told me that that is the worst way to do it because it's the most high risk way. I simply answer back, So you are telling me that sticking something plastic (tubing, thief etc.) that could have tiny scratches where an infection waiting to happen could be hiding is safer?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Not sure where this ranks on the "sanitary scale", but this is how I test beer.

If one or more of the tops come off, I did a good job.

 

[Natdavis777]

I just pull a sample as I am transferring to the kegs. Ill transfer about half way, clamp the tubing, pour about a cup into a pyrex dish, then resume filling the keg. All beers have been attenuated fully every time. I must be one lucky son of a....

 

[N4teTheGreat]

I'm planning to take a reading tonight to see where things are at (beer has been fermenting for 4 weeks). My beer is fermenting in a bucket and the whole take the lid off drop in the sanitized hydrometer etc seems like the best bet.

My only concern is that my apartment always has windows open and an exhaust fan running. I can of course close those windows and let things settle, but, are there any other precautions I can take? I'm planning to wipe down all the surfaces where I'll be working with sanitizer as well as the bucket lid itself. Hopefully that will help minimize the risk.

-- Nathan

 

[rawlus]

Disposable eye droppers and refractometer.

 

[jwalkermed]

Disposable plastic pipettes sanitized 1st of course

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IQTSE0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

cheap for a 100 count. I use these with my refractometer from brewing through fermentation. When I keg a pull a sample for the hydrometer because my refractometer is usually +/- 1 point after correction.

 

[petey_c]

Not sure where this ranks on the "sanitary scale", but this is how I test beer.

If one or more of the tops come off, I did a good job.

I WISH I could test beer like that...