Gravity Sample technique

[Cyclometh]

Hey folks- searching produced a lot of topics on WHY you should take SG samples, but not much on HOW.

In another week or so I'll want to start taking some SG readings from my batch of IPA in the primary bucket before potentially racking it to a carboy (I might just leave it and use the carboy to ferment a batch of pumpkin ale).

However, I'm wondering about the best methods for taking a sample to read the SG with. My thought was to sanitize the SG tube, put on some latex gloves and rinse/santize them (so as to get rid of the powder), then dip the tube to fill it and use that for reading the sample.

I don't have a turkey baster, although I could probably get one. Another option would be to siphon a small amount but that seems like a lot of work just to dip a sample.

In the dirt-simple world, I could just sanitize a ladle and dip/pour, but that gets drippy and takes time that the cover has to be off the fermenter.

Thoughts?

 

[ayoungrad]

Wine Thief.

 

[Revvy]

With simple sanitization practices openning the fermenter to take a reading is perfectly safe. You won't spoil your beer.

This is what I use, and it works with both buckets and carboys.

I replaced the plastic one a year ago with an extra long stainless baster from a kitchen ware store and it is awesome. But the plastic one from any grocery store works fine.

And

Here's what I do....

1) With a spray bottle filled with starsan I spray the lid of my bucket, or the mouth of the carboy, including the bung. Then I spray my turkey baster inside and out with sanitize (or dunking it in a container of sanitizer).

2) Open fermenter.

3) Draw Sample

4) fill sample jar (usualy 2-3 turky baster draws

5)Spray bung or lid with sanitizer again

6) Close lid or bung

6) add hydrometer and take reading

It is less than 30 seconds from the time the lid is removed until it is closed again. More like 15 if you ask me.

Probably less if you have help. And unless a bird flies in your place and lets go with some poop, you should be okay.

 

[Cyclometh]

Cheers, thanks for the responses.

 

[Brewnoob1]

What if you have a spigot on your fermentor? Wise or unwise to use it?

 

[HopSong]

I have a spigot.. works great.. I don't have a bunch of trub or other junk on the bottom as I'm only doing extracts right bow.. but, works like a charm. Only thing I do.. which may not be necessary, is to spray star-san into the mouth of the spigot when I take my sample.. I was concerned that there might be some contamination that develops in the spigot from the last draw that could somehow contaminate the non exposed areas.. ounce of prevention..

 

[Taypo]

Wine Thief through the airlock hole on the carboy lid works best for us, in and oout in about 15 seconds.

 

[atom]

i plan to get a turkey baster or wine/beer thief, but for my first batch a sanitized coffee mug worked just fine. lid off, dip the mug, cover....10 seconds.

 

[TommyB]

If your checking the gravity in a bucket, I just clean and sanitize my hydrometer, open the lid, drop in it and wait a few seconds to get a reading.

Or I use a thief and a test jar.

 

[Cyclometh]

What if you have a spigot on your fermentor? Wise or unwise to use it?

If it's at the bottom, I'd be concerned about picking up sediment that could throw things off.