Best way to take a gravity reading?

[behave right]

What do yous guys use to extract a sample of wort from your fermenter in order to do a gravity reading?

I've been treating my wort like a thanksgiving meat and using a turkey baster, which is great IF you like to triple dip and splash wort all over the place.

What should I be using?

[San_Diego_Matt]

I use, basically, the same thing. Mine's called a wine thief and I too have to dip it 3 times to fill my hydrometer cylinder thingy.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/3 ... astic.html

Matt

[Stinkfist]

This is the best an easiest thing you can use.....(that i have seen or used)

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/fermtech-wine-thief.html

[thatguy314]

I had the three piece wine thief, but it was old and plastic, so when i decided to buy a new one, I noticed my local homebrew shop sells a stainless turkey baster. It doesn't drip any less than the wine thief, but at least I can boil / autoclave it.

With respect to using the ferm-tech to return sample to the fermenter, I think it's more effort than it's worth. I always like to taste my samples.

My technique:

1) light the alcohol lamp on a stand near the top of the carboy. put bowl of starsan next to it.

2) hold sanitized tasting glass/ hydromter jar next to neck of carboy.

3) with other hand remove the airlock, place in starsan.

4) use same hand to draw a sample. by holding it next to the neck, dripping is minimized.

5) return sanitized airlock to carboy.

6) measure gravity, taste wort.

[Stinkfist]

I had the three piece wine thief, but it was old and plastic, so when i decided to buy a new one, I noticed my local homebrew shop sells a stainless turkey baster. It doesn't drip any less than the wine thief, but at least I can boil / autoclave it.

With respect to using the ferm-tech to return sample to the fermenter, I think it's more effort than it's worth. I always like to taste my samples.

I also like to taste my samples...and the fermtech makes it quite easy...I just get a shot glass and sanitize it...and just let a little bit out into the shot glass....works just fine..then I bring it back to the fermenter and put the rest back in...

[siwelwerd]

Are y'all really returning the ~4 oz to the fermenter? Maybe it's just me, but I'm happy to sacrifice that 1/4 a pint to remove that small risk of infecting the batch. Not to mention the tasting benefits.

That said, the thief is the way to go. That and an autosiphon might be the best bang-for-your-buck brewing tools. Cheap, and super useful.