Hydrometer Samples, What Do You Do.

[earle]

Drink it. Its like a sneak peak into what you're brew will be like.

 

[warra48]

I sanitise my hydrometer to get a pre-fermentation reading in the fermenter, after draining from the kettle.

The only hydrometer sample I ever take is post fermentation, just to confirm I'm at or lower than predicted FG, just before bottling.

I discard the first flush of yeasty crap, then take the real sample.

And, of course, I drink it, so as to get an idea of what the brew is like.
Very occasionally, I enjoy the sample so much, I go back for a second!

 

[Brewer_010]

Only take 2 readings of mine, at the start and end, 200mL not a big waste.... I sip and taste it to see how it is going and would never ever be putting it back in. I never take the lid off my fermenter through paranoia of infections...

 

[Malted]

ED: I have experienced enough of the effects of live yeast in my stomach to never want it again, so I expel.

So it is not just me then! I have had terrible gut pains a couple of times from drinking some of the yeast from the hydro samples taken mid-brew.

 

[Nick JD]

I don't take hydrometer samples. Can't be arsed.

 

[Maxt]

I fill it when starting the brew and leave it in the fridge so I can follow ferment...it has the same yeast in it and ferments at the same rate as the batch..no waste. No infections.

 

[Bizier]

So it is not just me then! I have had terrible gut pains a couple of times from drinking some of the yeast from the hydro samples taken mid-brew.

When I was just starting out, I got a little overzealous and drank some beers that were actively fermenting the priming sugar without chilling them for too long (perhaps even at all). Never again. GF always asks "do I have to spit this?" when I bust in with some random small sample of beer for her to taste.

 

[bignath]

i rarely use my hydrometer.

got a refractometer and i love it. Incredibly small sample required (3 drops).

I have a really small tuperware container that i stole from our "plastics cupboard", reckon it holds around 15ml. Draw off my sample for refractometer, and drink the rest to get an idea of progress. Usually do this every day of ferment as i love how a beer develops and changes throughout the ferment, and at 3 drops a day, i couldn't give a shit about how little i'm taking for samples....

Love the idea of one hydro sample in the fridge for the duration of fermentation. That'd be easy as. Open the door, have a look, done.

Might have to try that.

 

[Malted]

GF always asks "do I have to spit this?"

Oh now you are just bragging! :lol:

 

[bignath]

i thought they all swallowed... :blink:

 

[Malted]

i thought they all swallowed... :blink:

If that has been your experience, you're a lucky man! :lol:

 

[stux]

I would take a reading at pitching time... sometimes I'll then use that to work out my dilution addition if I've prepared an over-gravity wort. Last time I didn't bother with a true OG after dilution. Oh well.

I used to just float the sanitized hydro in the fermenter for the OG, but its so damn hard to get rid of the foam to make the reading if you did a good job aerating!

Then I wait until after high krausen, in fact, I wait until the yeast enters conditioning and the airlock stops bubbling for the first sample. I'll generally flush the first half sample to clear the trub out of the taps etc. Then take the real sample... give it a taste... if its awesome I'll drink more of it... if its really awesome might stick it in a glass in the fridge to share with others

SWMBO normally isn't interested in it if its remotely bitter, but if its a sweet one... then I can sometimes get her to sample it

I'll then generally sample every few days until the brew finishes... then probably leave it till the next weekend anyway... gets me better beer.

I actually use about 125ml for a sample becaus I got a wider sample jar, makes reading it easier.

I plan to keg 19L, so I just make up 20L into the fermenter, lose about 500ml to samples and a lil bit for trub, and get 19L in the end... I'd rather come short, than have to fill a few bottles in order not to "waste" beer.

 

[felten]

I usually take a few, try them, and force them on any nearby family members to see what they think, only to get back a "tastes fine" or "what am i supposed to taste?", oh well.