Taking hydrometer readings

[TurboTippy]

Hi guys

Got my second lot on today, using apples from the garden and a load of blackberries picked locally. Its currently on it's 24 hour wait before putting in the sugar and yeast and wanted to ask a quick question (probably should have asked this before doing the first brew - oops).

After taking a reading, what do you do with the sample in the sample jar? Do you put it back into the must or do you bin it? I guess there's a greater chance of contamination if you put it back. In everything I've read nothing says what you should do with it.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Moley]

If you have sterilised your hydrometer and trial jar before use, then it should be safe to return the sample to the bucket / demijohn.

If you didn't sterilise then you should throw the sample away.

As the brew progresses the trial sample will develop an alcohol content.
Then you should drink it :drink:

 

Always have returned the sample, always willl; even if it contains alcohol!

 

[abeyptfc]

get it down your neck!

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

I have another hydrometer reading related query, so I thought I'd add it to this thread tokeep from clogging the boards.

I'm not a big user of hydrometers up until now. My winemaking tends to be very slapdash and I just use a cheap strength meter at the end of the brew to give me some indication of how strong it is. I've not been too fussed about precision and the results have turned out good so far so i've had little cause for complaint.

But I now have a hydrometer and am working out how to use it. My only question is this... if I'm making a wine that requires adding the sugar in parts, or topping up with water mid-way through fermentation, what effect does that have on the gravity?

I'm guessing by adding sugar in midway through it increases the gravity again and topping up with water would drop it down, but how do I take this into account when using the gravity readings to work out the final ABV?