Hi,

What is the best method for geting at you beer for a hydrometer reading? I
would prefer not to have to sanitize my syphon tube every time.... I guess
if this is the only way though :)

Was thinking of getting a syringe or pipette (easily sanitized with boiling
water) but dunno where to get hold of them :(

Thanks.

Thanks. The turkey baster idea sounds perfect :D

Will have a look around town this afternoon.

"PieOPah" <simon.argent@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d9lpk7$nq$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> What is the best method for geting at you beer for a hydrometer reading? I
> would prefer not to have to sanitize my syphon tube every time.... I guess
> if this is the only way though :)
>
> Was thinking of getting a syringe or pipette (easily sanitized with
> boiling water) but dunno where to get hold of them :(
>
> Thanks.
>[/color]

For just a modest cost you can get a wine thief that has a valved bottom
that opens up when you stick it down the mouth of your carboy and holds
your hydrometer within...quick and dirty extraction of enough beer to
measure with the hydrometer and then tip the valve at the bottom and
drizzle the beer back in the carboy

Yodar



Karl S. wrote:[color=blue]
> Sam Wigand wrote:
>[color=green]
>> PieOPah wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> What is the best method for geting at you beer for a hydrometer
>>> reading? I would prefer not to have to sanitize my syphon tube every
>>> time.... I guess if this is the only way though :)
>>>
>>> Was thinking of getting a syringe or pipette (easily sanitized with
>>> boiling water) but dunno where to get hold of them :(
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>[/color]
>>
>> I use a turkey baster. It is somewhat dribblesome, but does the job. I
>> bought it from my local supermarket.
>>[/color]
>
> I also use a turkey baster, but I modified it with a length of
> quarter-inch diameter plastic tubing so I can draw the brew up through
> the airlock hole. It's also handy to start a siphon, just put the end of
> the turkey baster into the bottom of the siphon and release the
> squeeze-bulb. It's a sanitary siphon sucker.
>
> Karl S.[/color]

You shouldn't really return the "sample" to the batch.
There will be less than a cup and the chance of contamination isn't
worth it.
I generally just take readings when I transfer and then I just fill the
"test tube" as I transfer.

Michael Herrenbruck
DragonTail Ale
Drunken Bee Mead

Yodar wrote:[color=blue]
> For just a modest cost you can get a wine thief that has a valved bottom
> that opens up when you stick it down the mouth of your carboy and holds
> your hydrometer within...quick and dirty extraction of enough beer to
> measure with the hydrometer and then tip the valve at the bottom and
> drizzle the beer back in the carboy
>
> Yodar
>
>
>
> Karl S. wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Sam Wigand wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> PieOPah wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> What is the best method for geting at you beer for a hydrometer
>>>> reading? I would prefer not to have to sanitize my syphon tube every
>>>> time.... I guess if this is the only way though :)
>>>>
>>>> Was thinking of getting a syringe or pipette (easily sanitized with
>>>> boiling water) but dunno where to get hold of them :(
>>>>
>>>> Thanks.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I use a turkey baster. It is somewhat dribblesome, but does the job.
>>> I bought it from my local supermarket.
>>>[/color]
>>
>> I also use a turkey baster, but I modified it with a length of
>> quarter-inch diameter plastic tubing so I can draw the brew up through
>> the airlock hole. It's also handy to start a siphon, just put the end
>> of the turkey baster into the bottom of the siphon and release the
>> squeeze-bulb. It's a sanitary siphon sucker.
>>
>> Karl S.[/color][/color]

Yodar responds:

degreed in microbiology,published from grant supported research, skilled
in pure culture maintenance of fungi imperfecti, and my sterilization
procedures have been effective and experienced no problems with putting
about 250 cc back into the carboy from the sterile theif and sterile
hydrometer,which remains in situ in a flame-sterilized carboy during
reading less than 15 seconds

for the average quick and dirty brewer, yes, indeed, your advice is sound.

Yodar

DragonTail281 wrote:[color=blue]
> You shouldn't really return the "sample" to the batch.
> There will be less than a cup and the chance of contamination isn't
> worth it.
> I generally just take readings when I transfer and then I just fill the
> "test tube" as I transfer.
>
> Michael Herrenbruck
> DragonTail Ale
> Drunken Bee Mead
>
> Yodar wrote:
>[color=green]
>> For just a modest cost you can get a wine thief that has a valved
>> bottom that opens up when you stick it down the mouth of your carboy
>> and holds your hydrometer within...quick and dirty extraction of
>> enough beer to measure with the hydrometer and then tip the valve at
>> the bottom and drizzle the beer back in the carboy
>>
>> Yodar
>>
>>
>>
>> Karl S. wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Sam Wigand wrote:
>>>
>>>> PieOPah wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> What is the best method for geting at you beer for a hydrometer
>>>>> reading? I would prefer not to have to sanitize my syphon tube
>>>>> every time.... I guess if this is the only way though :)
>>>>>
>>>>> Was thinking of getting a syringe or pipette (easily sanitized with
>>>>> boiling water) but dunno where to get hold of them :(
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I use a turkey baster. It is somewhat dribblesome, but does the job.
>>>> I bought it from my local supermarket.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I also use a turkey baster, but I modified it with a length of
>>> quarter-inch diameter plastic tubing so I can draw the brew up
>>> through the airlock hole. It's also handy to start a siphon, just put
>>> the end of the turkey baster into the bottom of the siphon and
>>> release the squeeze-bulb. It's a sanitary siphon sucker.
>>>
>>> Karl S.[/color][/color][/color]

Home brew rule # 456, Always drink your test sample.

On Sun, 3 Jul 2005 19:53:48 -0700, "cc0112453"
<dougfollett@SPAMLESScomcast.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Home brew rule # 456, Always drink your test sample.[/color]

Amendment to rule #456 - unless it is a urine sample you are due to
take to your doctor!!

rule #457 - if you do accidentally drink your urine sample, do NOT
give your doctor your homebrew sample, claiming it is urine - even
though it may look the same colour!!!

Regards

KGB

Thanks for all the advise. Think I will try a Turkey Baster.... Keeping the
cost down is my main idea about this. Haven't seen anything in my locl brew
supply shop and don't want to pay the extortionate delivery costs (in UK)

On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 09:36:52 +0000 (UTC), "PieOPah"
<simon.argent@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Thanks for all the advise. Think I will try a Turkey Baster.... Keeping the
>cost down is my main idea about this. Haven't seen anything in my locl brew
>supply shop and don't want to pay the extortionate delivery costs (in UK)[/color]


Hi

Whatever you do, don't buy a hydrometer direct from the manufacturer
expecting to save money (in the UK).

I needed a new hydrometer a few months ago, but all the ones I looked
at in homebrew shops seemed a bit on the cheap and nasty side. As I
really wanted something a little more upmarket, I contacted Brannan
ltd (thermometer & hydrometer manufacturers) to ask about stockists of
reasonable quality hydrometers. They told me there were no stockists
locally for their products but they could sell me a decent one direct,
which was ideal for hombrewing at a cost of £4.65 plus postage, so I
ordered it by credit card. When it arrived, the cost was £4.65 plus
another £4.75 postage plus VAT - a grand total of just over £11.00.

When it arrived, this £11 hydrometer was the very same cheap and nasty
hydrometer selling for around £2.50 in homebrew shops - it wasn't even
made by Brannan and wasn't particularly accurate.

One lesson learned amid mutterings of blatant rip-off!!

Regards

KGB

I already have my hydrometer which I bought on E-bay for about £2. A nice
glass one...