gravity

[JoeTrott]

Is there a way to check the gravity without removing the bucket lid? What is the best way from a bucket and a carboy? Thanks

 

[dangerbrew]

Is there a way to check the gravity without removing the bucket lid? What is the best way from a bucket and a carboy? Thanks

Try a wine-thief:

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/fer...184_a_7c8260&gclid=CKHJlJ7nirsCFaUn4godYlsAnA

Either that or any type of item similar to a 'turkey baster' (can't think of the correct term for them right now) that allows you to stick it down inside and squeeze the end on it and release to get suction to draw up the liquid without removing the lid.

I use a long 'dropper' I got from a friend who works in a hospital lab for my refractometer. Works quite well, and it only takes a drop or two.

 

[TipsyDragon]

Unless your bucket has a spigot or you can defy the laws of physics your going to have to open the bucket to get a reading.

 

[JoeTrott]

Will opening the bucket contaminate the beer?

 

[brewbush]

no,
Just don't do it in the cat litter room or the wood shop and you should be ok with the lid off for a short time.

 

[TipsyDragon]

Your going to have to open the bucket to get the beer out for bottling anyway. The risk of infection is the same now as it will be then. As long as you sanitize everything that will come in contact with the beer IN the bucket you will be ok. It's not as easy to contaminate a batch of beer as the books make it sound.

 

[Captain Damage]

Will opening the bucket contaminate the beer?

Every time you open the bucket there is a possibility of contamination and oxygenation. So obviously you don't want to open it unnecessarily. You need to check the gravity to make sure your beer is done fermenting before bottling. But you have nothing to gain (other than feeding your curiosity) by checking it when you know it isn't done - or even before it's probably done. Sometimes patience is the hardest part of brewing, but the rule of thumb is giving your beer more time is better than not giving it enough time.

The instructions on most kits say give it a week to ferment and then bottle. Whether this is wishful thinking or just plain lying to make it seem simpler that it is is debatable. But it does not take any of a number of variables such as fermentation temperature or slow-starting fermentations into account. Although airlock activity isn't a reliable indicator of fermentation health, if your airlock is still bubbling regularly then you should just leave your beer alone for a little while longer.

If you've been reading around these boards you've probably seen many of us recommending that you leave your beer in the fermentor for 3-4 weeks undisturbed before bottling or even checking the gravity. Without getting into all the benefits of this "long primary" technique, it does have the advantage that all but the highest gravity beers will be done fermenting by that time and so you only need to check your gravity once, prior to bottling, and you are therefore greatly reducing the chance of contamination or oxygenation.

 

[JoeTrott]

Ok. What about a secondary fermentation vessel. After 7 days is it wise to transfer the brew to a glass carboy?

 

[RM-MN]

Ok. What about a secondary fermentation vessel. After 7 days is it wise to transfer the brew to a glass carboy?

Putting it in simple words, no. The reasoning behind the recommendation to move your beer to secondary was the fear that the yeast would die and give you off flavors. While that is a real concern at a brewery, it very rarely happens at the volume that most homebrewers deal with and it takes a long time then, like months. With the knowledge gained from people homebrewing and testing the ideas, we've mostly come to the conclusion that moving a beer to secondary is only necessary in a very few special cases.

 

[TipsyDragon]

I agree completely with RM-MN and even when you do transfer to a secondary it's only advisable after fermentation is complete not before. You need all those live and active yeast to help finish fermentation and clean up the byproducts.

 

[BigFloyd]

Dittos to what both Captain Damage and RM-MN said.

I install spigots on all of my fermenter buckets. Getting samples is quite easy. If you do that, you have to be careful to watch for leaks and make sure to clean/sanitize the spigot very well. Spray with StarSan before and after getting the sample too.

One of the reasons I do that is that, with lagers, I want a hydro sample to know when it's about 85% done to begin a diacetyl rest and another a few days later for a taste/mouthfeel/gravity sample.

 

[RM-MN]

Dittos to what both Captain Damage and RM-MN said.

I install spigots on all of my fermenter buckets. Getting samples is quite easy. If you do that, you have to be careful to watch for leaks and make sure to clean/sanitize the spigot very well. Spray with StarSan before and after getting the sample too.

One of the reasons I do that is that, with lagers, I want a hydro sample to know when it's about 85% done to begin a diacetyl rest and another a few days later for a taste/mouthfeel/gravity sample.

If you're going to use a spigot on your fermenter to grab samples you should have an "S" airlock as they won't suck the liquid back into the fermenter like the 3 piece ones can.

 

[JoeTrott]

Thank You everyone. The only thing I've read so far is kit instructions so I thought to myself why not ask people like me that have experimented instead. As a result I get a much broader perspective. I have watched a couple brewinars but again that is only one person's perspective. I appreciate all the advice. I still haven't been able to figure out how to delete my double post though.

 

[BigFloyd]

If you're going to use a spigot on your fermenter to grab samples you should have an "S" airlock as they won't suck the liquid back into the fermenter like the 3 piece ones can.

Good point. I've always used the "S" airlocks with StarSan in them with no problems. They also help if you cold crash your primary like I do.

Thank You everyone. The only thing I've read so far is kit instructions so I thought to myself why not ask people like me that have experimented instead. As a result I get a much broader perspective. I have watched a couple brewinars but again that is only one person's perspective. I appreciate all the advice. I still haven't been able to figure out how to delete my double post though.

You are smart to reach out and gain good brewing information instead of just follow the instructions contained in a kit. So often, those kit instructions are based on outdated information and techniques (like 1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary) or are just plain wrong (usually regarding pitch/ferment temps).