Toss out hydrometer samples or put 'em back?

[nigel31]

I believe that most people, when using hydrometers for readings (to determine fermentation status), dump the samples out or drink 'em. Is it possible--if one sanitizes both the sample jar and hydrometer in addition the beer/wine thief--to gently put the sample back into the fermenter to eliminate beer waste?

Fermtech makes a special thief that doubles as a hydrometer sample jar; the description says that, if the thief is sanitized, one can dump the sample back into the fermenter. Can't see why one would need this special thief to accomplish that if everything's sanitized.

Here's the link/description:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=1227

Thanks!

And oh yeah:

 

[rawkstar]

Just drink it. Then you know what your beer tastes like in different stages!

 

[smizak]

I wondered the same thing when I started. Absolutely just toss them. You can't possibly justify the sanitation risk on 5 gallons of beer to save 4 ounces. Anyway, it will help you as a brewer to taste your hydrometer samples.

 

[ardentfrost]

The only thing is aeration (well, and of course, infection) that you kinda want to avoid once fermentation is through. It's probably ok if you hold the tube close to the beer and carefully pour it back in.

The good thing about the thief is that to put the beer back in, you just press the tip again the side of the fermenter and the beer slides along the side without disturbing everything too much. I like my thief, and it wasn't too expensive. But I'm sure lots of people just sanitize the hydrometer tube and pour it back in.

 

[IceFisherChris]

If you sanitize then you can put it back, but it's only a few ounces. If you are one of those people who take 15 readings then it could be worth it (but then you have 15 chances to infect...) How about keeping the hydrometer in the bucket once your krausen settles? Anything that collects on it should come off real easily... Even with the parallax of it sitting lower than eye level, you can still tell when the numbers changed (just take a true final reading when you bottle your beer)

Personally I don't care too much about checking with a hydrometer. If I see airlock activity then I smile and let it sit. I let the beer sit for 2 weeks and take one hydro reading and see where I'm at. All my beers should be done by 2 weeks. If the hydro reading looks abnormally high, then I'll let it sit and check it again (but that is super duper rare)

 

[nigel31]

4 ounces? I haven't measured my sample jar (it's the tall, 12- or 14-inch one), but I'm pretty sure it's closer to 10 or 12 ounces based on width and height. Am I that far off?

I'm all for tasting it at different stages, but if I'm doing it two or three days in a row, I'd like to (gently) put two of those samples back in. The risk of infection's not really worth it, no, but I just figured that it seemed wasteful. Maybe I'll try that Fermtech thief; it's cheap enough and if it runs back down the side of the carboy, perhaps it'll be "quiet" enough to not disturb or mix things up.

Ardentfrost, do you use a bucket as your primary or a carboy? I use a carboy and was wondering if it'd still slip quietly down the side or if it'd just sploonk down into the middle (no good).

Thanks.

 

[artguy]

I'll taste mine and then toss it or drink it down. Yeah, with well sanitized equipment there's no reason that you can't pour it back and be fine most of the time, but I don't like the risk/reward ratio on possibly infecting 5 gallons just so as not to waste 6-8 ounces. I generally take a hydrometer sample at bottling time in sanitized equipment, and I will go ahead and pour that sample into a bottle, but then it's only risking 12 ounces (and a potential mess if the bottle explodes...hasn't happened yet), so that doesn't worry me too much.

 

[StoutFan]

I am definitively in the "drink it and see the beer change" crowd. It can show you, it did me, many things happening in the fermentation process.

 

[-TPM-]

The other option would be to invest in a refractometer, they only use a few drips.

 

[eljefe]

Drink it!!!

 

[eljefe]

The other option would be to invest in a refractometer, they only use a few drips.

Drink that too!

 

[arturo7]

I can't believe this is even under discussion...

Drink it!!

 

[jlachesk]

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask this.

I watched a video a while back (of course I can't find it now) and it seemed to suggest pulling a sample immediately after pitching the yeast and maintaining it separately, then using that sample for all measurements. Then the affect of infection is minimized.

If the pitched wort is homogeneous and the sample is kept in the same conditions as the fermentor, then the sample should be representative?

I did this for my current batch, but haven't taken any hydro samples yet (only been fermenting for a few days now), so I'm not sure how close the two are.

Anyone do anything link this?

 

[boo boo]

I can't believe this is even under discussion...

Drink it!!

Me either. Drink it.

 

[Pivot]

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask this.

I watched a video a while back (of course I can't find it now) and it seemed to suggest pulling a sample immediately after pitching the yeast and maintaining it separately, then using that sample for all measurements. Then the affect of infection is minimized.

If the pitched wort is homogeneous and the sample is kept in the same conditions as the fermentor, then the sample should be representative?

I did this for my current batch, but haven't taken any hydro samples yet (only been fermenting for a few days now), so I'm not sure how close the two are.

Anyone do anything link this?

This is exactly what I do all the time. after pitching the yeast I take out maybe like half a bottle or even less and take my OG reading. I then put that into a sanitized beer bottle with a little bit of paper towel to act like a shoddy airlock, and just use that instead of the actual fermenting beer im going to drink. a few times just to make sure this works i have taken a reading of the small sample and then the actual beer to make sure they match and they always match near perfectly.

 

[Kahuna]

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask this.

I watched a video a while back (of course I can't find it now) and it seemed to suggest pulling a sample immediately after pitching the yeast and maintaining it separately, then using that sample for all measurements. Then the affect of infection is minimized.

If the pitched wort is homogeneous and the sample is kept in the same conditions as the fermentor, then the sample should be representative?

There's really no way to prove that the wort was homogenous at the time of the sample or if the same concentration of yeast was in the sample as was in the carboy. The dynamics of how yeast grows in a larger vessel are probably different as well.

Bottom line? It probably provides you with some directionally correct information but there will probably be differences.

 

[smizak]

The other option would be to invest in a refractometer, they only use a few drips.

I would if the damn thing was even close to being accurate.



My refractometer with 5 degree Plato/20 SG sugar water= dead on.
My hydrometer with 5 degree Plato/20 SG sugar water=dead on.

My refractometer with 5 degree Plato/20 SG wort = all over the place.

It's so inaccurate with wort that it's rendered useless to me.

 

[malkore]

4 ounces? I haven't measured my sample jar (it's the tall, 12- or 14-inch one), but I'm pretty sure it's closer to 10 or 12 ounces based on width and height. Am I that far off?

I'm all for tasting it at different stages, but if I'm doing it two or three days in a row, I'd like to (gently) put two of those samples back in. The risk of infection's not really worth it, no, but I just figured that it seemed wasteful. Maybe I'll try that Fermtech thief; it's cheap enough and if it runs back down the side of the carboy, perhaps it'll be "quiet" enough to not disturb or mix things up.

Ardentfrost, do you use a bucket as your primary or a carboy? I use a carboy and was wondering if it'd still slip quietly down the side or if it'd just sploonk down into the middle (no good).

Thanks.

1. yes, you're that far off. Its tall, but skinny.

2. with some more experience under your belt, you'll only ever take 2 hydro readings: pre-pitching, and pre-bottling.
Being a little lazy and just letting the primary sit for 2 weeks is usually a good method as you'll know that any 1.060 beer is done fermenting, and the hydro sample just proves it.

Sometimes you won't even do a hydro sample. "Hell it say for 4 weeks in primary, looks good, tastes done...I'm bottling it."

Sure its nice to be extra careful, but after a few years you'll basically just 'know' when its done and the hydro sample/test is more to get FG for ABV calculations.

Or, buy a refractometer and your sample size is 2 drops of wort/beer.

 

[-TPM-]

I would if the damn thing was even close to being accurate.



My refractometer with 5 degree Plato/20 SG sugar water= dead on.
My hydrometer with 5 degree Plato/20 SG sugar water=dead on.

My refractometer with 5 degree Plato/20 SG wort = all over the place.

It's so inaccurate with wort that it's rendered useless to me.

Hmm strange, maybe not a good sample (to much trud in it) that's the only time I've had a problem...

 

[tj-los]

Me either. Drink it.

:rockin: Do it do it. Just tasting your beer in the various stages is great. Although fairly new to this home brew crowd I have tasted my amber go all its stages as well as my blonde and I can not tell you how much Ive learned from doiing this. happy brewing.

 

[dbreienrk1]

Drink it or toss it...

 

[CDbrews]

4 ounces? I haven't measured my sample jar (it's the tall, 12- or 14-inch one), but I'm pretty sure it's closer to 10 or 12 ounces based on width and height. Am that far off?

I just use the tube the hydrometer came in... I poured it in a 12 oz beer bottle once and it couldnt be more than 4 ozs, probably closer to three. i have no problem dumping 4 oz, but i normally drink it

 

[Corkster]

The biggest thing I've learned from drinking my hydro samples is that unfinished beer tastes horrible.