Brewing Master

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <BIG SNIP I haven’t tried this yet(?), but one of the guys I know at our local brewshop sanitizes his hydrometer and just puts it in his glass carboy with his beer! I don’t think I would do it cause I only have one hydrometer and also I have yet to have a problem with a long drawn out fermentation. Besides, I wander how hard it is to get it out? I wouldn’t recommend the above method.  The risk of infection is HUGE when you try to fish the thing back out of that big bottle with the little neck.  Go buy either a turkey baster (don’t use a turkey fat encrusted one – ruins head retention) and sanitize it or buy a wine theif and sanitize it.  Both methods allow you to obtain samples for measuring gravity. good luck

Just to clarify my meaning, the method in question does NOT result in a "HUGE" infection risk. Following primary fermentation, the beer is transfered to the carboy for secondary conditioning, the sanitized hydrometer is then dropped (lowered) in and the fermentation lock put in place. The hydrometer is then checked through the glass towards the end of the secondary fermentation to see when the SG stabilizes. As I said, I have not done this, feel no need to try but will argue that it provides no added risks of infection and may indeed lower the risk resulting from repeated samplings. It is only after you bottle are then concerned with retrieving the hydrometer. –NO SIG

Response:

OL OL I’m a little concerned about the potential contamination involved in re OL some of the fermenting wort to test its gravity.  Has anybody out there OL alternative techniques such as timing the interval between bubbles comi OL of the carboy?  I’m wondering if there’s some rule of thumb such as "if OL interval between bubbles is longer than x minutes it’s ok to bottle."   OL what might that x be? OLI haven’t tried this yet(?), but one of the guys I know at our local OLbrewshop sanitizes his hydrometer and just puts it in his glass carboy OLwith his beer! I don’t think I would do it cause I only have one hydrometer OLand also I have yet to have a problem with a long drawn out fermentation. OLBesides, I wander how hard it is to get it out? OL– OLOliver Weatherbee                 Center for Remote Sensing OL                                  University of Delaware           I too was worried about contamination and asked the local brewguru. his reply was to purchase a turkey baster for pulling samples out of the carboy, but to make sure that the baster is sanitized and that you do not use it for anything else.  Although this idea seems that it would work nicely, I still use the 90 seconds between bubbles rule.

Response:

I have heard of people breaking their hydrometer when they place them in their carboy.  How do you reduce the risk of this?  Also, can you read the hydrometer pretty well, or does it get all smudged up with the stuff on the top? And the most important question:  Does it move around a lot during the active part of fermentation?  :-) Mark S.

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I’m a little concerned about the potential contamination involved in removing some of the fermenting wort to test its gravity.  Has anybody out there tried alternative techniques such as timing the interval between bubbles coming out of the carboy?  I’m wondering if there’s some rule of thumb such as "if the interval between bubbles is longer than x minutes it’s ok to bottle."  And what might that x be?

Usually, it works out to 1 bubble or less per minute…  but then that’s not exact science.  The best way is to measure with the hydrometer. I haven’t tried this yet(?), but one of the guys I know at our local brewshop sanitizes his hydrometer and just puts it in his glass carboy with his beer! I don’t think I would do it cause I only have one hydrometer and also I have yet to have a problem with a long drawn out fermentation. Besides, I wander how hard it is to get it out?

I wouldn’t recommend the above method.  The risk of infection is HUGE when you try to fish the thing back out of that big bottle with the little neck.  Go buy either a turkey baster (don’t use a turkey fat encrusted one – ruins head retention) and sanitize it or buy a wine theif and sanitize it.  Both methods allow you to obtain samples for measuring gravity. good luck

Response:

I’m a little concerned about the potential contamination involved in removing some of the fermenting wort to test its gravity.  Has anybody out there tried alternative techniques such as timing the interval between bubbles coming out of the carboy?  I’m wondering if there’s some rule of thumb such as "if the interval between bubbles is longer than x minutes it’s ok to bottle."  And what might that x be?

I haven’t tried this yet(?), but one of the guys I know at our local brewshop sanitizes his hydrometer and just puts it in his glass carboy with his beer! I don’t think I would do it cause I only have one hydrometer and also I have yet to have a problem with a long drawn out fermentation. Besides, I wander how hard it is to get it out? — Oliver Weatherbee                       Center for Remote Sensing                                         University of Delaware          

Response:

I’m a little concerned about the potential contamination involved in removing some of the fermenting wort to test its gravity.  Has anybody out there tried alternative techniques such as timing the interval between bubbles coming out of the carboy?  I’m wondering if there’s some rule of thumb such as "if the interval between bubbles is longer than x minutes it’s ok to bottle."  And what might that x be? You’re very unlikely to contaminate your beer by taking hydrometer readings if you keep your stuff clean and sanitized.  But it’s really not necessary, and most new brewers really don’t know what they’re looking at when they take a reading anyway (in terms of whether the beer is ready to bottle or not)…

 I have to differ with you on that one.  You can tell if a brew is ready to bottle by taking measurments along the way.  When the gravity stabalizes and no longer falls appricably over a few days, there is little else left but to bottle (or keg). —  Michael Aichlmayr                ~  ~ __o  http://www.nx.com/mikla     ~    ~ (_)/ (_)  Check out my beer page (http://www.nx.com/mikla/brewing) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — If you eliminate the impossible, what ever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.  –Sherlock Holmes

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