Michael Mowbray wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Some advice I've read/been given suggests leaving the hydrometer in the beer
> during the fermenting. I am using a Coopers Kit fermenter and cannot see how
> I could accurately read the hydrometer without opening the lid and thus
> exposing the beer to 'nasties'.
>
> Is this advice meant for glass car-boy type fermenters, has someone come up
> with a way to read through the opaque sides of a plastic fermentor, or does
> the brief period the lid would be open constitute acceptable risk?
>
> The lid of the Coopers fermentor is a clearer plastic, however the
> condensation build up and the angle you'd be required to read from doesn't
> make this an option (I don't think).[/color]

There's really no point in leaving the hydrometer in the fermenter.
It's hard to read, even if you use a glass fermenter. Also, I have
several batches going at once and if I left the hydrometer in, I'd need
several hydrometers! Use a sanitized baster or wine thief to take a
sample from the fermenter. Don't worry about opening the fermenter to
take a sample...remember, alot of people use open fermentation! If you
sanitize things and exrciase reasonbable care, there's almost no chance
of hurting your beer by taking a sample.

-------->Denny


--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

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