Unsanitised hydrometer

[alexg]

I forgot to sanitise my hydrometer before using it. Will this spoil my brew?

 

[DoctorHops]

Not if you used it in a separate hydrometer jar and didn't return the contents of the jar to the fermenter.

Here is what I do. Sanitize hydrometer, hydrometer jar, thermometer, and turkey baster in Iodophor. You can also use Star-San. Draw a sample from the fermenter with the turkey baster and put it in the hydrometer jar. Float the hydrometer in the hydrometer jar and take a reading. Record the reading. Record the temperature of the beer. Adjust the reading accordingly. Taste and drink the beer in the hydrometer jar. Offer some to any bystanders. Record your impressions of it.

If you do the above, theoretically all you need to sanitize is the baster, but it is easy to put the jar, hydrometer, or thermometer in the fermenter without thinking, so you may as well sanitize those too just in case.

A turkey baster is a great tool for homebrewing. You can also use it to start siphons.

 

[mr_bell]

I forgot to sanitise my hydrometer before using it. Will this spoil my brew?

The possibility exists, but I would wait and see. When did you rack / how long has in been in your primary?

Ya, sorry I was assuming you floated it right in the wort in the primary, which is what I do when I use a bucket. If you drew out a sample as the doctor describes, and your equipment was sanitary to do that, it should be fine. I use a sanitized thief and draw a sample when I use my glass primary. I don't know about others, but I never dump the sample back in the wort. I like to taste to get an initial impression of what the finished product will resemble.

 

[Lunarpancake]

I always toss my testing liquid down the drain (or drink) so as to not contaminate. I also only test two or three times. Once when putting into primary and again after about a month or so when im 99% sure fermentation has stopped.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

At what stage were you using it? If the beer was at FG, then your odds are better because of the alcohol in the beer. If your hydro was not covered in snot you may well get away with it anyway. If I were you, I would worry a bit, but not a heck of a lot. I would worry at about 4/10 on the brown pants scale.

 

[Martlet]

How do you check the temperature during fermentation? Do you leave the thermometer in the bucket/carboy?

 

[DoctorHops]

"How do you check the temperature during fermentation? Do you leave the thermometer in the bucket/carboy?"

There are several ways. I use a thermometer in the hydrometer jar after I take the hydrometer reading. Some hydrometers have thermometers built in. You can also use a Fermometer, a liquid Crystal thermometer strip attached to the outside of the fermenter. A cheap digital thermometer attached to the outside of the fermenter will also work.

 

[Photopilot]

How do you check the temperature during fermentation? Do you leave the thermometer in the bucket/carboy?

I use the sticky thermometer strips on my craboys. Not super accurate but close enough. Figure they may be a few degrees low but something to aim for. The heat from fermentation will subside after a few days of heavy fermenting to something predictable near room temps.

 

[mr_bell]

I use the sticky thermometer strips on my craboys. Not super accurate but close enough. Figure they may be a few degrees low but something to aim for. The heat from fermentation will subside after a few days of heavy fermenting to something predictable near room temps.

Someone studied this, I've heard Jamil Z talk about it a few times, stating the the temp from a stick on Fermometer is within .5 degrees of the temp in the center of the wort. Anyone else heard this?

 

[Rentachik]

I have done some pretty dumb/bone headed stuff when brewing... Like not sanitizing a (instert utensil) before. I have not had a batch come out bad yet... Crosses fingers.

 

[RCCOLA]

Someone studied this, I've heard Jamil Z talk about it a few times, stating the the temp from a stick on Fermometer is within .5 degrees of the temp in the center of the wort. Anyone else heard this?

I verified this awhile ago during a pretty active fermentation. Taped my lab thermo. to the side of my bucket under a piece of foam rubber, read the temp, then removed it-sanitized it and stuck it thru my airlock bunghole (that's what she said)

The temps. were identical

 

[MonkeyWrench]

(that's what she said)

You can't "that's what she said" yourself, it's against the "that's what she said" rules.

*EDIT* And back to the topic at hand: I always make sure my junk is clean before I stick it in.

*EDIT EDIT* RC: Quick on the trigger, didn't even give me time to edit.

 

[RCCOLA]

You can't "that's what she said" yourself, it's against the "that's what she said" rules.

I knew it was coming, didn't want anyone to get "thatswhatshesaidshagenfrued"