When is it OK to pop the top and take a reading?

[jefraz]

So I dropped my yeast in last Monday night and it started show signs of coming to life. It quit during the next day and hasn't really done anything since. Is it ok to take the top off and take a hydrometer reading without contaminating the beer? I was going to give it a full week but I have read varying opinions throughout the forums.

Thanks

 

[Yooper]

Sure, you can open it and take an SG reading any time you want.

I normally don't, but if you're worried you won't harm the beer by taking a reading.

I simply don't because I always think, "What am I going to do with this information". If the answer is "nothing" anyway, I let the beer sit until I'm planning something like bottling, kegging, dryhopping, etc. But if you want to, you can sanitize a wine thief or a turkey baster and pull out a sample. As long as you're sanitary, it'll be fine.

 

[Slurm]

Your beer is unlikely to be ready this soon, and patience is a big part of home-brewing. BUT...It is OK to take a sample whenever you want, as long as you maintain proper sanitation.