How are you de-gassing wort samples?

[acidrain]

I'm brewing my first Lager, and need to monitor the fermentation pregress.
I've searched, but only found (kind of rude) answers like "leave it alone, it will be beer".
It's been since last Sunday, and time to start checking for how far along fermentation is, but my samples are quite carbonated.
I tried leaving it sit overnight, shaking and pouring back n forth in cups, and even tried heating it.
Heating it for a few minutes, then cooling to sample temp worked best, but I fear that it affects the test by alcohol evaporation.

So how are you guys de-gassing your samples?

 

[Yooper]

Just by pouring the sample back and forth a couple of times, and then letting it sit, I've had good results. After the foam dies down, I place the hydrometer in it, and gently spin it to knock off any remaining bubbles. The reading is quite accurate.

 

[acidrain]

Thanks for the response.
I tried that, and had bubbles stick to my hydrometer. Maybe I need to make sure my hydrometer isn't CAUSING the bubbles (dirty?).
I know the reading is off because I've been fermenting for 4 days and the reading hasn't changed a bit. In case you're wondering, it is definitely fermenting... been off-gassing for the last 3 days, and the wort is obviously carbonated.
I did read in a previous post that you use paper towel to blot up the foam created by pouring back and forth. Good idea on that one!

 

[dracus]

I use a refractomer no bubbles.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

I do it the same way as Yooper.

It would be entirely normal for an ale, especially one fermented about 65°F to reach terminal gravity in four days. At this point the off gassing occurs because CO2 is leaving solution, not because it is being produced by yeast. It is also possible the the fermentation has slowed. It takes yeast about 5 times longer to ferment 2 chain sugars vs 1 chain according to some experimentation done for my book.

Regardless, leaving it in the primary fermentor for at least two weeks almost always makes better beer. The yeast will reabsorb some of the off flavors as they prepare for dormancy.

If you really want to perform tests durring fermentation I highly recommend you remove a small portion and let it ferment separately. Only test this small portion. If there is over arching lesson I have learned from all of my experimentation it is: great beer makes itself. Leave it alone and let it do its thing.

 

[mjohnson]

I use a refractomer no bubbles.

For other looking to try this: Once alcohol is present, refractometer readings need to adjusted. People have different views on the accuracy of these calculations. Out of habit, I just use a hydrometer post fermentation.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I do it the same way as Yooper.

It would be entirely normal for an ale, especially one fermented about 65°F to reach terminal gravity in four days. At this point the off gassing occurs because CO2 is leaving solution, not because it is being produced by yeast. It is also possible the the fermentation has slowed. It takes yeast about 5 times longer to ferment 2 chain sugars vs 1 chain according to some experimentation done for my book.

Regardless, leaving it in the primary fermentor for at least two weeks almost always makes better beer. The yeast will reabsorb some of the off flavors as they prepare for dormancy.

If you really want to perform tests durring fermentation I highly recommend you remove a small portion and let it ferment separately. Only test this small portion. If there is over arching lesson I have learned from all of my experimentation it is: great beer makes itself. Leave it alone and let it do its thing.

Since he's brewing a lager, it would seem he wants to do a D-rest after a certain amount of fermentation. Leaving it for 2 weeks doesn't accomplish this goal.

 

[acidrain]

For other looking to try this: Once alcohol is present, refractometer readings need to adjusted. People have different views on the accuracy of these calculations. Out of habit, I just use a hydrometer post fermentation.

Well said.

Since he's brewing a lager, it would seem he wants to do a D-rest after a certain amount of fermentation. Leaving it for 2 weeks doesn't accomplish this goal.

Thank you.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Since he's brewing a lager...

Yes, absolutely. Some how I missed that it was a lager even though it is one of the first words in the original post. (Sleep deprivation from having a newborn is a funny thing)

For a lager I normally wait two days from pitching or for the air lock activity to begin to slow. If you do want to use hydrometer or refractometer measurements then I would still recommend a split fermentation.

 

[acidrain]

Yooper, your method works fine.
This time I was a little more patient, and got a good reading. It's just not fermenting as fast as I thought it would.
OG was 1.056 and I'm using 500 B cells at 50F of Wyeast 2308 in a 6 gallon batch.
5 days and it's down to 1.050.

 

[revelation]

Since he's brewing a lager, it would seem he wants to do a D-rest after a certain amount of fermentation. Leaving it for 2 weeks doesn't accomplish this goal.

In the September/October issue of Zymurgy there are recipes from the 2013 homebrew winners. I especially looked over the lagers to improve my fermentation plans. Every one of them had a 10 to 14 day fermentation before the d-rest.

Check your beer during fermentation if you must but it seems like an awfully good way to get contamination. I, of course, subscribe to the "let it be" school of thought.

 

[acidrain]

In the September/October issue of Zymurgy there are recipes from the 2013 homebrew winners. I especially looked over the lagers to improve my fermentation plans. Every one of them had a 10 to 14 day fermentation before the d-rest.

Check your beer during fermentation if you must but it seems like an awfully good way to get contamination. I, of course, subscribe to the "let it be" school of thought.

Well, I'm of the mind set that just guessing at fermantation progress is just guessing. 7 days, 10 days, 10 to 14 days.. that doesn't tell me where I'm at.
I ferment in 1/4 bbl Sanke kegs and push out samples with Co2. I've never had a contaminated batch. You should try it... works great.
No, I'll monitor the progress and do a D-rest when the fermentation is at about 80%. Think I'll check it now.

 

[acidrain]

Woo Hoo, I'm down to 1.035. I'll D-rest when I get to 1.020. Maybe tomorrow or Monday at this rate.