The mother of invention

[rosie]

Having great difficulty getting a bubble free spot to measure my latest batch of kit beer specific gravity, my eyes fell upon a packet of flexy straws, I pushed my thumb nail into one end of one of the straws length way's this enabled me to push this end into the other end of the same straw this gave me a floating triangle - I stirred the surface of the brew with the hydrometer and holding the triangular straw horizontally I dropped it into the cleared patch from a few inches - perfect -I placed my hydrometer in the center of the triangle and got a froth free reading.


Anyone got any other tips to share?

 

[ericmark]

In the beginning I did not bother to measure the specific gravity at start then I started to measure so I would know the final ABV but found this required a lot of mixing and I made a few erroneous measurements and so tried to use a hydrometer in a draw tube however again I found a problem as bubbles will stick to the hydrometer and inside the glass bubble you can't spin it to release the bubbles so again erroneous measurements result so in order to be able to spin the hydrometer only way is to draw the beer and put it into a tall vessel both to remove bubbles and to get eye at good level to read it.

However nearly every batch starts at the same specific gravity and you can work out the ABV with the ingredients added plus does the ABV really matter that much if 5% or 6% it's really the taste that matters.

So yes still used a hydrometer but now only used to confirm the batch is ready to bottle. At which stage there should be no bubbles so really there is no need to go to any great length to remove bubbles.

I am sure with a larger diameter tube you could get a hydrometer like the ones for antifreeze and battery acid with a draw bulb on the top but spinning the hydrometer does normally get rid of bubbles so I use a antifreeze hydrometer tube and bulb to draw the liquid from below any bubbles or scum and then squirt the sample into the tube with hydrometer. Since the antifreeze hydrometer is still in the tube I know when complete this should not float so when working out if ready to bottle then it's a simple if it floats leave it longer.

 

[clibit]

I hope you sterilised the triangular straw. :thumb:

 

[Moley]

I hope you sterilised the triangular straw.

I was more concerned about the thumb nail, especially underneath it.

Otherwise, I thought it sounded like a good idea.

 

[jkp]

If there are lots of bubbles in the FV it's quite likely that the fermentation hasn't finished. In that case is it really necessary to take a measurement? Won't it just confirm that it hasn't finished and you need to leave it alone for a few more days?

 

[rosie]

LOL what very interesting comments- let us start with the OP-please feel free to presume I have half a brain, I can assure all that my thumb nails are clean always washed before any brewing procedure, also I was not talking about a used straw but one straight from the packet ,known as 'clinically clean' my brew has gone from 1010 to 1006 to 1000 in three days I have froth on the top -fact. My little gadget is a worthy one take my word for it.

I didn't request comments or approval but I would be interested as the 'op' suggests in your own inventions, so can we please ignore me or put up.

 

[supersteve]

Touchy.. personally I draw a sample. :whistle:

 

[rosie]

:lol:

 

[jkp]

I'm not suggesting that your invention isn't a good one, just questioning the need to test while it is clearly still active. It sounds like you have tested it every day for three days and I don't really see the point. I'd be more inclided to leave it alone until it looks like it's finished and then test, less chance of infection I'd have though. Having said that, it's your brew and your rules.

As for my own inventions.... well, I've just go myself an Arduino and I've a few things in mine for it.... but I won't mention them yet.

 

[rosie]

AS you say an invention. :whistle: