Hydrometer

[cask is best]

Not everyone has a tap on their Fv. So it is quite natural to remove the FV lid and take a reading using the hydrometer either straight from the fv or with some of the brew in a trial jar. How other can one take a reading without removing the lid. And at least two readings have to be taken to see if fermentation has finished.

:
CIB

 

[ScottM]

Use the force

 

[Dieseljockey]

I'm sorry guys but I did have a chuckle to myself when I read & reread this post. It was like a ping pong game, backwards & forwards.
As I understand it the idea of a forum, any forum be it cars, politics, gaming, even home brew, is to discuss the said item. I've been doing home brew for years, way before the internet, started with kits then went onto AG with the help of a couple of books like loads of us. Now I think I made good brews, I don't know for sure but I drank them anyway. When I returned to brewing I dropped into my old ways, but then the WWW came along and bugger what a eye opener. Web-sites from home brewers from all over, talking about their brews, recipes, and how they did it.
Then just over 2 years ago I found this forum, what a shock to see some of my methods were way off. I started off asking Q's and took the A's on board, here were guys who knew a lot about home brewing. My brews went from so-so to wow, I know I brew a lot better now than I ever did. Now you can say practise makes perfect, yes but not if I stick to my old ways. Right now for my two-pence

That's all i do sterilise it bung it in the F.V and take a reading from there. :

I sterilise mine at the beginning with everything else and put it in to take the SG and it stays in there for the FG until i rack to my bottles.

I've thought of doing this, but never have for reasons stated earlier, fine Co2 bubbles, crud will give a false reading.

. More from the fact that every time you remove the lid, your letting god knows what have access to the wort plus every time, CO2 escapes and air gets in. Don't get me wrong I did it like this on my first two brews but now I've installed taps in my FV's

The first part I agree 100% with Crofty, I lost a 23 liters brew only 6 weeks back.
The 2nd part I'm not sure about, as I understand it Co2 is heavier than air so will not escape that quick, so if you just crack the FV lid to take a sample it's ok.
The last part... I do have a tap on one of my 5 FV's, only because it came like that. I do find it a help at times, but there are better brewers than me on the forum that say taps are a no-no. It can be a cause of an infection, so it's up to me if I want to take this info on board, and yes I have.

We all get to use an hydrometer for whatever reason, taking a OG, then taking readings to track your brew to the end, and FG to show it's ready to bottle/keg.

[quote:3sbun3nn]The acohol level isn't as important to me as the tast!!! so long as i have an aproximate idea of the ABV% then i'm happy.

After all, im only doing kits at the moment

[/quote:3sbun3nn]


I do agree with you Andy, only 4 weeks ago I did a IPA, now the recipe said 4.5% I hit over 5%. That's not important but the taste is, it's out of this world but I could of lost it through being shoddy when it came to using an hydrometer.
I've read on web sites about guys who never use an hydro, and wait till they think the brews finished. That works for them so be it. For what it's worth I use a turkey baster, into the trial jar, get my reading then drink it... :whistle:
Sorry to waffle on, but I did see the funny side of it.

 

[wkel50]

That's all i do sterilise it bung it in the F.V and take a reading from there. :

I sterilise mine at the beginning with everything else and put it in to take the SG and it stays in there for the FG until i rack to my bottles.

Can't say I'm too keen on this idea myself either. More from the fact that every time you remove the lid, your letting god knows what have access to the wort plus every time, CO2 escapes and air gets in. Don't get me wrong I did it like this on my first two brews but now I've installed taps in my FV's so I can take samples into a trial jar and use the hydrometer in that.

hoorahhh...... :clap: my method too.............nice & clean..

 

[alanywiseman.]

For what it's worth I use a turkey baster, into the trial jar, get my reading then drink it... :whistle:

+1 :thumb: any excuse for a sample!

 

[Andyhull]

Can't say I'm too keen on this idea myself either. More from the fact that every time you remove the lid, your letting god knows what have access to the wort plus every time, CO2 escapes and air gets in. Don't get me wrong I did it like this on my first two brews but now I've installed taps in my FV's so I can take samples into a trial jar and use the hydrometer in that.

Surely though if your taking a sample from a tap then air will be drawn in through the airlock to compensate for the lost volume in the FV?

I think that no matter what way you take your readings you run the risk of infection!

I take a reading at the start then don't take another until around 7 to 10 days, at least by this time most the usable/fermentable sugars will have be fermented out with a half decent amount of acohol to protect it.
I would say that through the whole fermenting process the lid comes of the FV only 4 times, 1st is to take a reading when it seems to have stopped fermenting, 2nd is to check for a steady reading 3rd to check again and 4th to bottle.

Admittedly i have only done 2 brews with a third on the go but this has worked for me so far, luck, maybe only time will tell and my hydrometer is in the FV as we speak. :whistle:

Andy

 

[new brewer 2012]

Not everyone has a tap on their Fv. So it is quite natural to remove the FV lid and take a reading using the hydrometer either straight from the fv or with some of the brew in a trial jar. How other can one take a reading without removing the lid. And at least two readings have to be taken to see if fermentation has finished.

:
CIB

Mine didn't have one on but I used my old rain barrel I had outside..Gave the tap a good clean then sanitized it for a day but it leaks a tiny tiny bit,not through the joints I drilled but actually out of the tap but it's very minimal :

 

[Baz Chaz]

Mine didn't have one on but I used my old rain barrel I had outside..Gave the tap a good clean then sanitized it for a day but it leaks a tiny tiny bit,not through the joints I drilled but actually out of the tap but it's very minimal :

One of mine also leaked a little from the tap itself, I found it wasn't seated correctly. I turned it to the open position and pressed down on top of the taps lever and turned it to closed while still pressing down, there was a distinct click as it seated properly.

Obviously it depends on the style of tap and don't try it when vessel is full of ale :whistle:

 

[new brewer 2012]

[quote="new brewer 2012":4uy7gkf8] Mine didn't have one on but I used my old rain barrel I had outside..Gave the tap a good clean then sanitized it for a day but it leaks a tiny tiny bit,not through the joints I drilled but actually out of the tap but it's very minimal :

One of mine also leaked a little from the tap itself, I found it wasn't seated correctly. I turned it to the open position and pressed down on top of the taps lever and turned it to closed while still pressing down, there was a distinct click as it seated properly.

Obviously it depends on the style of tap and don't try it when vessel is full of ale :whistle:[/quote:4uy7gkf8]
yeah I just have tried it with water so I hope the pressure of the beer doesn't make it leak more but here is the picture of my tap

:thumb: