OK to pour hydro samples back into fermenter?

[ghart999]

Have a huge beer that I am constantly monitoring the gravity. Problem is I boiled off too much and only have 4.75G in primary. I hate to waste any with hydro samples.

Can I sanitize my hydro and cylinder, take my reading and pour it back in? Nervous of infection. But don't want to lose too much from readings either.

Thanks all.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

If everything is well sanitized then there shouldn't be a problem, but why risk it? I just drink it...

 

[Bigsnake]

I've done it before without problem but don't do it anymore. Really don't want to risk it and usually end up tasting it. How often are you monitoring it though?

 

[brewt00l]

yeah, why exactly are you constantly monitoring it?

 

[ghart999]

Huge beer with a SG of 1.103 where I am adding champagne yeast to get it to drop more. Kind of died at 1.040 and I would really like to get into the 1.020's.

 

[BigKahuna]

+1...Leve it alone!

Every time you sample it...you are risking an infection. And every sample you don't drink...makes you more and more into a girl.

Lessons learned.
1. Don't dink with your beer any more than you have to!
2. ALWAYS drink your samples!

 

[Special Hops]

Unless I suspect a problem like stuck fermentation I only pull a sample prior to fermentation, and prior to bottling (to assure it's done). No need to go messing around with it all the time.

 

[Revvy]

You don't need to baby it..even though it is a big beer...you said you hit it with some more yeast so walk away from it...then take another grav reading in a couple weeks...AND DRINK THE SAMPLES

It's not really wasting it if you are crafting a beer...honestly to me, it's better to end up with 4 gallons of fantastic beer then 5 gallons of mediocre beer, and it sounds like you are striving for an excellant beer, so considering the hydro samples a sacrifice to ninkasi (and your tastebuds) for excellant beer...

 

[jonwolgamuth]

If you have a beer thief, it is easy to take a hydrometer reading like a paratrooper. Swoop in, grab some wort, check your gravity, quickly return wort to fermenter.

Of course there's nothing wrong with drinking the sample either, but I don't very often.

 

[natelatte]

I'm sure if you're clean you wouldn't have a problem, but I never try it.

 

[Evets]

Don't return the sample. Don't even think about it! Just don't!!

 

[redneckbeagle]

I have never returned it, I always drink it!!! Plus I do not test/sample until I think it is time to keg it. Just trying to eliminate the possibility of infection.

 

[TeleTwanger]

Is it worth potentially ruining 5 gallons of beer to save 1/2 cup? Not for me...That works out to 32 samples per gallon.

 

[moger777]

A hydro sample looks much bigger than it actually is. It takes less than a cup to fill up the hydromothingy. Not worth the risk.

 

[menschmaschine]

Apart from risking infection, which is somewhat unlikely if everything is sanitized real well, by pouring a sample back into a fermenter, you're introducing oxygen into the beer. This could cause some oxidation.