thoughts on hydrometer being left in

[triplehops]

What are your thoughts on that once you move to the secondary you leave your hydrometer in the second fermenter. Each day or week you can better document the sg, without constantly opening it up and inserting a baster to grab a sample.
Yes that cost monies for extra meters, but cuts down on exposure and possible contamination. Sterilize/sanitize it once and drop it in.....
Thanks!

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

Personally i wouldnt secondary a beer unless it hit the fg anyways, so i see no reason to put the hydrometer in there. Also, if you sanitize properly, i dont think its an issue opening up your fermenter twice to take gravity samples.

 

[unionrdr]

Not a good idea. It'll get coated with gunk swirling & flaoting around in secondary. Not to metion,dissolved co2 will rest on the bottom of the hydrometer,giving false readings. There is no shortcut with this.

 

[billl]

"There is no shortcut with this."

Well, it's not shorter, but there is a lazy-cut. Just leave it alone. There is no good reason to be taking lots of gravity samples.

 

[unionrdr]

Shortcuts differ from just being bone lazy. Shortcuts are quite the opposit. Shortcuts are typical of the yeast won't know what to do if I don't play mad scientist with my beer constantly mindset. Usually noob in nature.
But can be excused due to ignorance,mis-information,& mis-understanding of basic brewing principles.
Hence my remarks on shortcuts,which basically are the knowledgable side of of what some term as "lazy".

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

"There is no shortcut with this."

Well, it's not shorter, but there is a lazy-cut. Just leave it alone. There is no good reason to be taking lots of gravity samples.

One good reason could be to get to taste all the samples..... But id rather wait till it was ready and have a full glass anyway. But that's the only good reason I could come up with.

 

[triplehops]

Thanks all again....I will say that I am in no way lazy, nor lack patience. I just love learning this all and look for ways to improve my methods. Going to check the carboys filled with all that work just makes me happy. I just love to document things. Daily readying of its sg might mean zero, but it gives me an excuse to document and be active with this great hobby. I've read that the sg will decrease some in the secondary and when the readings become consistent and don't move over 3-5 days, its ok to bottle.
Love all input. thanks.

 

[unionrdr]

The yeast know what to do & after being pitched & temp maintained,need no help from us. Leave'em for 3 weeks,then take a hydromketer test to see if it's within Fg range. wait two days,& on the 3rd day,take another. If the numbers match,it's done. No need to waist beer checking it constantly. It'll get there all by it's lonesome.

 

[andy6026]

I sing to the yeast while it's fermenting. I think it helps.