OG Sampling

[huckbof]

For a full kettle boil...

To reduce contamination and increase yield I have started to collect the last quart of trub from the fermentor in a quart jar and let it settle out in the frig then pour off the top wort layer to get the measurement. Ends up being a really clean sample compared to the boil kettle. The measurement agreed with a normal sample from the boil kettle. Anyone else do this?

 

[unionrdr]

Many here that used to do that stopped, so far as FG sampling is concerned. Since every fermentation is different, that little one would be ok if you did a full boil for OG. But keeping the hydrometer tube clean & sanitizing it real quick isn't that hard to do. So I just take it from the fermenter. Of course I still top off, so I basically have to.

 

[C-Rider]

Once cooled I put a drop or two on my refractometer.

 

[Calder]

I don't take OG samples. I calculate my OG. I partial mash, and take readings of the mash to understand how much sugar I am adding, but for extract and simple sugars, you can just calculate it.

If you don't fully mix the wort (assumes you are not doing full boil), and it is harder than you think to get it fully mixed (search for low and high OG readings - there are a lot of threads on it), your OG measurement may not be accurate.

Besides, I really don't trust you can get the bottom of an hydrometer jar completely clean. Sanitizer works on the surface, but if there is a greasy (or other) film on the surface at the bottom of the jar, it will not completely sanitize it, and you could still contaminate your wort. Unlikely, but possible.

 

[huckbof]

If you don't fully mix the wort (assumes you are not doing full boil), and it is harder than you think to get it fully mixed (search for low and high OG readings - there are a lot of threads on it), your OG measurement may not be accurate.

I will edit the OP, I should have mentioned that this method is for a full boil, so no calculation is needed.

Besides, I really don't trust you can get the bottom of an hydrometer jar completely clean. Sanitizer works on the surface, but if there is a greasy (or other) film on the surface at the bottom of the jar, it will not completely sanitize it, and you could still contaminate your wort. Unlikely, but possible.

I think you misunderstood this method. The sample is taken from
the last quart of trub that is going to be tossed anyway. You're not supposed to add it back to the fermentor. Using the trub to get the sample means you don't have to sample the good clean wort.

Also, I have the kind of hydrometer cylinder where the bottom is removable and can be cleaned if you want to. But as ageneral rule I would never put a sample back into the fermentor.

 

[huckbof]

Many here that used to do that stopped, so far as FG sampling is concerned. Since every fermentation is different, that little one would be ok if you did a full boil for OG. But keeping the hydrometer tube clean & sanitizing it real quick isn't that hard to do. So I just take it from the fermenter. Of course I still top off, so I basically have to.

yeah, this method is for OG only for a full kettle boil, sorry for the confusion

 

[1977Brewer]

I just drink every sample anyway, because malt is tasty, and everything in my kettle goes in my fermenter.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I just put my Hydrometer in the cooled wort before I drain it into my fermenting bucket. Sometimes I also use the refractometer too just to double check my hydrometer reading.

I also whirlpool my wort during the cooling process so the wort is mixed very well.

 

[RM-MN]

I will edit the OP, I should have mentioned that this method is for a full boil, so no calculation is needed.



I think you misunderstood this method. The sample is taken from
the last quart of trub that is going to be tossed anyway. You're not supposed to add it back to the fermentor. Using the trub to get the sample means you don't have to sample the good clean wort.

Also, I have the kind of hydrometer cylinder where the bottom is removable and can be cleaned if you want to. But as ageneral rule I would never put a sample back into the fermentor.

Why are you tossing that last quart of trub? It contains mostly wort that has the potential to make beer and when the fermentation is done anything that isn't beer settles to the bottom of the fermenter. After you have racked all the beer off the trub, then you can toss it.

If your sample has mostly trub, is it liquid enough so that the hydrometer isn't being held up partially by the solids in the trub?

 

[huckbof]

Why are you tossing that last quart of trub? It contains mostly wort that has the potential to make beer and when the fermentation is done anything that isn't beer settles to the bottom of the fermenter. After you have racked all the beer off the trub, then you can toss it.

These are the dregs at the bottom of the full boil kettle. Most brewers toss them. I try to keep these dregs out of the fermentor if I can. This is really a trivial amount of wort to mess around with.

If your sample has mostly trub, is it liquid enough so that the hydrometer isn't being held up partially by the solids in the trub?

That is why I put it in a quart jar in the frig until it settles enough to where I can get a clear OG sample. So there are no solids in the OG sample just clean wort. The OG reading I get seems to be right on.

I could sanitize everything and put this wort back into the fermentor but 1 pint of wort is not worth the extra effort and contamination risk.

 

[C-Rider]

But as a general rule I would never put a sample back into the fermentor.

Since I do 1.9 gallons into the fermenter and about 1.75 into the bottling bucket I always pour the FG sample back into the bottling bucket. In 3 years never had an infection from bottling. I soak the test tube for at least 5 min as well as the hydrometer before the test and rinse it out right after the test so nothing can cake up in the test tube.

 

[huckbof]

yeah, I was talking about the OG sample to the fermentor.
I usually just drink the FG sample right out of the cylinder rather than bother with all the sanitizing.