Taking hyrometer reading during fermentation

[jimbo2012]

I bought the midwest groupon and I'm gearing up to start my first batch this weekend but I was wondering the best way to take a sample of my beer after it has been fermenting for hydrometer readings. The kit comes with a hydrometer but not a beer thief device, I'm worried about contaminating the brew before i bottle it. Thanks

 

[enkamania]

I use a sanitized plastic turkey baster, works for me

 

[Special Hops]

I use a turkey baster. Works OK. Wine thief would be better. But I generally only take one reading at the end to confirm I'm done.

 

[stevedasleeve]

Don't! Wait till fermentation is over. Give it 3 weeks for a normal 1.045-070 beer and take you reading when you are bottling of kegging. I usually do 3 weeks minimum to as much a 8 weeks if I'm busy.

Steve

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Don't! Wait till fermentation is over. Give it 3 weeks for a normal 1.045-070 beer and take you reading when you are bottling of kegging. I usually do 3 weeks minimum to as much a 8 weeks if I'm busy.

Steve

+1 - I typically do 4 week fermentations. If I am curious, I'll take a reading at 2 weeks, but give it 2 more before taking another one. If there is a difference between the 2 week and 4 week, I'll wait a couple days and check again.

Plus, it gives me a chance to taste the sample.

 

[braceful]

While I'd agree with the above advice (let it ferment out for 3-4 weeks) you *can* sanitize a pint glass or pyrex measuring cup and pull a sample that way. I've done that without issue. I do not let my hand touch the beer though.
EDIT: only works with buckets, carboys/better bottles and you pretty much need a thief, turkey baster, or autosiphon

 

[sclabrl]

It's confusing....the directions for my recipe say let it sit in the primary for 5-7 days but my buddy says leave it for 7 days and some other threads say leave it for 2-3 weeks...

What's the majority say? Is is gonna matter if I leave it in the primary for 10-14 and then make sure it stops bubbling ? Then once I transfer, take a sample using the thief and bottle right away?

 

[msujack]

your kit recipe is too short a time. The fermentation needs to be done, usually longer than the 5/7 days. SG readings tell you the story. 3 days of constant readings = fermentation complete. I leave it in for 3 weeks to let the yeast clean up things and clear it up as much as possible. then I move on to bottling.

DO NOT rely on the bubbling. Its going to stop before your fermentation is complete. I had my first batch NEVER bubble when I was looking at it, but it fermented over the time.

Sample from the primary, after 3 straight days of the same SG, you can bottle.

 

[ChshreCat]

It's confusing....the directions for my recipe say let it sit in the primary for 5-7 days but my buddy says leave it for 7 days and some other threads say leave it for 2-3 weeks...

What's the majority say? Is is gonna matter if I leave it in the primary for 10-14 and then make sure it stops bubbling ? Then once I transfer, take a sample using the thief and bottle right away?

I do 3 weeks in primary for almost all my beers. I also take a hydrometer sample once a week to keep an eye on it's progress. You don't want to wait until 3 weeks are up to find out it stalled out a day into the fermentation.

 

[dbreienrk1]

Just remember that everyone has different opinions about how long things are "supposed" to ferment. Fermentation time is dependent on your processes prior to getting the wort into the fermenter. Did you use a starter? Did you aerate properly? What is the gravity of the wort? Is the temperature okay? If you wait three weeks you will probably be more than fine, but you just have to wait that much longer to drink it. Go to the supermarket to get a turkey baster. Most beers have completed primary fermentation within a week (usually less).

 

[ChshreCat]

Most beers have completed primary fermentation within a week (usually less).

That is HIGHLY debatable.

 

[JayWeezie]

If you absolutely have to take a reading and you're using a bucket for fermenting u can sanitize the hydrometer real good and just drop it in the bucket and read it then.

 

[dbreienrk1]

That is HIGHLY debatable.

So is global warming.

 

[msujack]

7 days is quick. patience is the key in my opinion. SG readings are important, more important than the printing on a kit.

Global warming is a terrible description. Global climate change is better, and real.

(Climates have been changing for the entire time earth has been around. The Great Lakes were carved out of icebergs. We like the lakes, but forget how they got there)
All climate change can not be quantified by polution and such, there are natural cycles that have nothing to do with how we perceive the midwest to be as far a climate is concerned

 

[AdamPag]

I dont take SG until 10 days, then again at 13 days, ALL of my beers are stable at 15 days, the earliest ive bottled was 16 days, the longest till bottle so far was 21 days, Ive only had beer no one could put down. its really up to opinion, and it REALLY depends on the recipe, yeast, OG, and what you really want to achieve. If you dont mind unclear beer for consumption, you can bottle at 15-16 a lot of the time for low-mid OG brews and be very satisfied after 3 weeks of conditioning. The caveat to that, is that you can only do that if you arent making mistakes to force you to leave it longer in the fermenter, like high steep temps, high ferm temps, contamination etc.

Trust you hydrometer... But also trust the 5 or senses you're blessed with, taste, smell touch your samples and if you drink beer, you'll just kinda know

 

[dbreienrk1]

But also trust the 5 or senses you're blessed with, taste, smell touch your samples and if you drink beer, you'll just kinda know

+9.3 million

People get so wrapped around what they read it's ridiculous. There is a ton of good info out there, but if you really want to learn get some guidelines down and go out and do it yourself. Make mistakes and learn from them - you'll be better off in the long run...

 

[stevedasleeve]

OK I changed my mind! All the kurmudgen answers here piss me off. In the beginning we ALL futz with out beer, its part of why we now do the things we do, because it was a learning experience.

So take a sample, and take another and keep notes. Just make sure you sanitize everything. Like everyone said a sanitized turkey baster works, I use a wine thief. 3 oz is about all I need for my hydrometer jar.

 

[Brewcrew86]

Kits always have a quick turn around time. The reason for this is to get you brewing and often. If you complete a 5-7 day fermentation, your beer will go from boil to drinkable in 3 weeks. This Is great for the companies making the extract because they only have a small window to sell you an extract kit because you will move to all grain pretty quickly, therefore they sell Moore kits and make more money.

Moral of the story...listen to the great advice you were just give because that's what I do. This is just my opinion.

 

[icanbenchurcat]

I take hydrometer samples when I think it is ready.

I love drinking a few ml (I have a mr beer with spigot) every 4-5 days so I can sense the gradual changes. My goal is to be able to tell when a beer has finished primary by smell and taste, but I don't want a bottle bomb, so the hydrometer is my safety net.

 

[Calichusetts]

So is global warming.

haha...nice one

 

[two_one_seven]

7 days is quick. patience is the key in my opinion. SG readings are important, more important than the printing on a kit.

Global warming is a terrible description. Global climate change is better, and real.

(Climates have been changing for the entire time earth has been around. The Great Lakes were carved out of icebergs. We like the lakes, but forget how they got there)
All climate change can not be quantified by polution and such, there are natural cycles that have nothing to do with how we perceive the midwest to be as far a climate is concerned

Icebergs really??? Please please go learn before you post. They were formed by glaciers..........more specifically glacial erosion. And please stop playing off like your an expert to the new brewers which you are one (a new brewer).

 

[Cape Brewing]

It isn't hard to ferment a beer out (obviously dependent on style) in a week and it is a time frame that a lot of professional brewers work with frequently as they are dramatically "over pitching" compared to average home brewer pitching rates.

... and gravity readings are going to tell you a huge percentage of the story on whether or not you're done although, just because you've hit your gravity, that doesn't mean you are done. There are a number of by-products that the yeast will produce as a result of the fermentation process that do not effect gravity but will be "cleaned up" post fermentation (diacetyl being a big one).

The guidelines you see on most kits/recipes takes into account a much lower pitching rate and the need to have the yeast clean up the by-products I mentioned above. For all of that to happen in the average homebrewers environment (where temperatures aren't intentionally flucuated during various processes of fermentation), it take a bit longer... and then the kits will add a few days to be safe or round out the time frame. Two weeks is a lot more intuitive than "12 days".

Pitching rates, style, temperature control through the different stages of fermentation, etc... if all controlled precisely, allows for beers to be fermented out much quicker.

 

[two_one_seven]

It isn't hard to ferment a beer out (obviously dependent on style) in a week and it is a time frame that a lot of professional brewers work with frequently as they are dramatically "over pitching" compared to average home brewer pitching rates.

... and gravity readings are going to tell you a huge percentage of the story on whether or not you're done although, just because you've hit your gravity, that doesn't mean you are done. There are a number of by-products that the yeast will produce as a result of the fermentation process that do not effect gravity but will be "cleaned up" post fermentation (diacetyl being a big one).

The guidelines you see on most kits/recipes takes into account a much lower pitching rate and the need to have the yeast clean up the by-products I mentioned above. For all of that to happen in the average homebrewers environment (where temperatures aren't intentionally flucuated during various processes of fermentation), it take a bit longer... and then the kits will add a few days to be safe or round out the time frame. Two weeks is a lot more intuitive than "12 days".

Pitching rates, style, temperature control through the different stages of fermentation, etc... if all controlled precisely, allows for beers to be fermented out much quicker.

+100 Pay attention to your beer...........and think about your process. With experience comes the ability to "*know" when the beer is ready for the next step in your process, what every that may be.

* judging SG, fermentation signs and taste, not one thing but the big picture....

 

[sclabrl]

Awesome comments. As much as I want to try my first brew, I'll be patient and let it sit for before I take a sample. Thanks again