Pulling a sample vs putting the hydrometer in the bucket.

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So can you pull a pint or so from the fermentation bucket after the yeast is added and ferment that is a bottle/jar and use that to test rather than opening the bucket/carboy to pull a sample?
 
So can you pull a pint or so from the fermentation bucket after the yeast is added and ferment that is a bottle/jar and use that to test rather than opening the bucket/carboy to pull a sample?

This is called a forced ferment test. If you keep it warm and swirl now and then it should reach FG in a few days. This is the lowest FG you can expect to see in your fermenter.
 
So can you pull a pint or so from the fermentation bucket after the yeast is added and ferment that is a bottle/jar and use that to test rather than opening the bucket/carboy to pull a sample?

This is not for testing the current gravity of the main fermentation, but it could be useful to tell you what your expected FINAL gravity WILL BE eventually.

The portion kept separate is generally fermented warmer - conditions that the yeast LOVE, but isn't generally as good for flavor. The sample will ferment faster and get to completion sooner.

You can measure that, just to get an idea of how low your main ferment is going to get. You can then measure your main ferment and when it reaches the same gravity as the sample (or very close) you can consider it "finished".

I personally like to check gravity of the main ferment, and when it gets mostly done, move it to a warmer location to finish. The higher temps aren't a problem because almost all of the fermentation is complete. The warmer temps encourage the yeast to finish their party, and clean up after themselves.

The other option is to simply leave the fermentation at the same temp and wait a bit longer. But that's so hard to do when you first start out and have no pipeline.
 
Thanks, that is great explanation. My current plan is to leave the brew in the 6.5 glass primary for three weeks (expiring tomorrow) and transfer to 5 gal glass secondary this weekend and pull a sample at that point. It's a 6% dry Irish ale and hasn't bubbled for 10 days at a constant 67. I use a water bath and will ferment my draw in the same environment and the main batch next time. I don't want to draw samples from the fermenter so I hope that will work.
 
It's worth mentioning that hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate (yes, you can get an idea how to adjust after checking the SG of water). But in the real world being a point off doesn't matter so much as knowing the beer is done.

I would never leave a hydrometer in a brew bucket, but only out of concern that the hydrometer may break.

I take multiple readings (usually) but if the krausen has fallen, the beer is clear, you've hit the upper range of the yeast's recommended temperature range, and the FG is around what it should be, I call it done. And then give it two or three more days, just in case.
 
Count the bubbles for 6 seconds and then multiply that by 10. This is your Bubbles Per Minute (BPM) reading. This number should correlate to the last two digits of your gravity. For example, if your BPM = 20 then your gravity is 1.020. :hs:

Then, you actually need to divide the last two digits by 2 to get to true BPM. In this example, you'd have a nice dry finish of 1.010 in BPM (bupkis per minute, according to 18th century chemist, Leonardo da Bupkis).
 
My brew bucket has a tap at the bottom. I use this to pour a sample, which I transfer to a measuring cylinder. I put my hand over the top of the cylinder and shake it well to get rid of the dissolved gas. When that's done I take a reading with a hydrometer.

Then I drink the sample.
 
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