My daily noob question

[JoeShmo]

I've seen multiple people on here say to toss the sample after testing gravity. If the hydrometer and the tube are sanitized, what's wrong with pouring it back in?

 

[swackattack]

I think the thought is dumping it back in may aerate and it's just another point of potential infection so why risk it for a few ounces of beer.

 

[JoeShmo]

So, once you're getting near fg, aerating is a bad thing, huh? Excuse my ignorance.

 

[prophet]

I've taken to using it as a taste sample, so I can learn how the flavor progresses as time goes on.

 

[JoeShmo]

I've been sampling along the way too. So far, the peak pale is tasting more like beer every 3 days!

 

[mcbaumannerb]

Why risk infection or aeration of the entire batch? The better choice is to drink it and make notes to compare with the finished product. Over time you'll have a solid basis for predicting how a beer will end up.

 

[casonso1]

If you don't want to waste the sample you could sanitize another small bottle or something and pour it in there, then you could use the same sample to take your next readings. I've never done it so it may not work but it may be worth a try.

 

[swackattack]

Anytime after the yeast is pitched, aerating will lead to an unpleasant cardboard like flavor.

 

[theveganbrewer]

So, once you're getting near fg, aerating is a bad thing, huh? Excuse my ignorance.

Basically anytime after you put in the yeast is bad. Unless you are doing super huge gravity beers when you'd aerate again after a short while to give the yeast more to eat.

 

[JoeShmo]

Thanks yet again for the responses guys. This forum is great, and you guys that know what you're talking about never seem to get annoyed at us noobs. (at least you hide it well, anyway)!

 

[DougK]

I've taken to using it as a taste sample, so I can learn how the flavor progresses as time goes on.

What is the rough comparison between a completed/bottled beer and tasting the sample pulled for gravity testing?


I just opened my fermenter up on my first brew to check the gravity, the airlock activity has been nil for 3 days now. It is 0.002 g/cm^3 high currently, (1.014 vs 1.012 per the package) however the OG was also 0.002 g/cm^3 higher than prescribed in the instructions.


I went ahead and tasted my brew (Irish Stout from Midwest) and it tasted about like a flat Guinness.

 

[wilsojos]

It will taste like flat beer. I consider it a brewing sin to do anything other than drink your sample.

By the way, airlock activity cannot be used as a measure of fermentation progress. The only way to know if a beer is finished is by getting the same gravity reading two days apart. So, if you get 1.014 today and 1.014 day after tomorrow, it is done.

 

[mcbaumannerb]

You won't have a good gauge of how good the beer is by tasting samples initially. But as you taste as ample and make noes on it and then compare it to the finished product, you will get a sense over time. And even if you don't you're still drinking beer!

 

[DougK]

It will taste like flat beer. I consider it a brewing sin to do anything other than drink your sample.

By the way, airlock activity cannot be used as a measure of fermentation progress. The only way to know if a beer is finished is by getting the same gravity reading two days apart. So, if you get 1.014 today and 1.014 day after tomorrow, it is done.

yea I know you can't go solely on airlock activity, I only mention 3 days of no activity to illustrate that it probably wasn't too soon to check the gravity. It has been in the fermenter for 6 days now.

I just wasn't sure what to expect with tasting the gravity sample, I'd seen it mentioned before.