Oxidation fears when checking gravity

[david58]

Asked this question in another thread, but thought I would break it out here specifically. I have been reluctant to check gravity when in the secondary vessel, for fear that I introduce additional oxygen and mess up my beer. I use a 5-1/2 gal (about) carboy for the secondary vessel.

Am I right to be concerned, or is the amount of 02 I introduce into the headspace of no real concern?

 

[Yooper]

It's probably not a big deal to check if you want to. I just wonder why you'd want to, though? You should be at FG before you move it to secondary anyway, and then you can check the FG at bottling, to make sure it's the same. I can't see the benefit of another SG check.

 

[Bensiff]

If you use a secondary why not toss the hydrometer in after you rack it so you can check it whenever you want without going through the whole disinfect routine. Either way, you shouldn't have anything to worry about as you will be drinking the beer long before the little amount of O2 can harm anything. If you were going for a beer to cellar for 10 years I would say use every precaution to avoid adding O2 into the system after the yeast is pitched.

 

[Revvy]

Think about this, We spend so much time online, in books and podcasts cautioning brewers what not to do and we ALSO preach on those same mediums the value of taking a hydro reading. If there really was a problem with opening our buckets to take a reading, do you think we would advocate it so much????? Unless you think it's a secret plot by experienced brewers to intentionally ruin new, inexperienced brewer's, chances of winning contest by doing it....no which is more irrational, that or your paranoia????

As long as you sanitize, and are careful, you won't have a problem.


This is what I use, and it works with both buckets and carboys. I replaced the plastic one a year ago with an extra long stainless baster from a kitchen ware store and it is awesome. But the plastic one from any grocery store works fine.

And

Here's what I do....

1) With a spray bottle filled with starsan I spray the lid of my bucket, or the mouth of the carboy, including the bung. Then I spray my turkey baster inside and out with sanitize (or dunking it in a container of sanitizer).

2) Open fermenter.

3) Draw Sample

4) fill sample jar (usualy 2-3 turky baster draws

5)Spray bung or lid with sanitizer again

6) Close lid or bung

6) take reading

It is less than 30 seconds from the time the lid is removed until it is closed again.

Probably less if you have help. And unless a bird flies in your place and lets go with some poop, you should be okay.


If you trust your yeast, and don't go by airlock activity, and do like a lot of us do, pitch yeast and come back in a month to bottle, then you really don't need to open your fermenter and take a lot of readings...I take a reading on brewday, and a month later on bottling day I take another to determine ABV...that's for about 90% of my brewing.

BUT...If I am racking to a secondary, or if I have anoy doubts or concerns about my beer, then I take a hydrometer reading...or as many as it takes to tell me what I need to know.

That is how we "listen" to our beer. The most important tool you can use is a hydrometer. It's the only way you will truly know when your beer is ready...airlock bubbles and other things are faulty.

The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in....

Thinking about "doing anything" like repitching, or bottling, or racking, without first taking a hydrometer reading is tantamount to the doctor deciding to cut you open without running any diagnostic tests....Taking one look at you and saying, "Yeah I'm going in." You would really want the doctor to use all means to properly diagnose what's going on?

Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that anything's wrong, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working dilligantly away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years.

But to make sure, you really need to use the hydrometer. And like I said, as long as you practice basic sanitization, and are quick about it, your beer will be fine.

 

[david58]

Thanks, all! The sanitation part I understand well, I just was being over-anxious about the oxidation. I'll let the recently reawakened stout sit another couple of weeks, measure the SG, and determine the course of action thereby.

This Noob might learn slow, but I do learn....really!

 

[BigJerk]

Yeah, my only issues with multiple hydro readings is that i keep taking tiny amounts of beer out and losing it forever. I mean, that might be a whole 1/2 pint I'm missing out on!