How do you chaps...

[crafty john]

I use a sanitised turkey baster.

[TC2642]

I have a tap on the bottom of my FV, crack it open a bit and let a few drops fal onto my refractometer. No mess, fuss or worry about infection. A refractometer is a great bit of kit IMHO, I managed to up the efficiency of my setup since I can check the gravity of my final runnings and sparge until I get down to around 1020. No worry about cooling down the wort and less loss (I never liked returning wort that I had in my hydrometer jar back to the FV, too worried about infection.)

[BozBru]

Another thing i struggle with is the stiff bit of pipe that you stick in the beer, it has a plug in the bottom and two holes about an inch up, bloody thing keeps moving about as im trying to keep it still, does anyone use anything to hold it in place?

Horatio, have you thought about using tap instead?

Steve

I had a syphon clip fall out of a wine starter kit from wilkos and the bloody thing fell right into a budget keg I was buying, happened just as I removed the lid to check inside. Its the best thing I've ever 'syphoned' for free. But the bestest bit of kit that you could possibly buy ever, is a little bottler, it comes with a nice little spigot and also a bottling tube. You can take your samples to your hearts content and also throw whats left from a cornie into bottles.

[crowds]

I use a sanitised turkey baster.

That's what my missus used as well, The youngest will be three this july

[mysterio]

I have a tap on the bottom of my FV, crack it open a bit and let a few drops fal onto my refractometer. No mess, fuss or worry about infection. A refractometer is a great bit of kit IMHO, I managed to up the efficiency of my setup since I can check the gravity of my final runnings and sparge until I get down to around 1020. No worry about cooling down the wort and less loss (I never liked returning wort that I had in my hydrometer jar back to the FV, too worried about infection.)

It is indeed a great piece of kit, I broke the slide on mine

[Horatio]

Another thing i struggle with is the stiff bit of pipe that you stick in the beer, it has a plug in the bottom and two holes about an inch up, bloody thing keeps moving about as im trying to keep it still, does anyone use anything to hold it in place?

Horatio, have you thought about using tap instead?

Steve

Hi Steve, I have thought about using a tap but have always worried (porbably unecessarily) about keeping it clean. If you run a sample from the tap how do you deal with the residue of wort in the outer part of the tap? Mind you I use a tap on my pressure barrels without any problems so have probably answered my own question!

The stainless racking cane I use is bent back on its self at either end, like a stretched letter S. It stays put and doesn't float about and keeps the end just above the slurry at the bottom of the FV. The upper curve sits nicely on the rim of the FV too. I did have several made at lengths to suit my different sive FVs but can only find one since starting to brew again

[leedsbrew]

sterile 50ml syringe. Only the tip goes in the beer so minimal chance of an infection

[EccentricDyslexic]

And maybe one more question....

how much fluid do you leave behind in the FV? When I keged my LP, i bottled the first cloudy liter and the last few liters that wouldnt go in the keg. The very last dregs only filled half a bottle, so i had that for tasting last night...2 hours later and this morning i have a headache! I presume some nasties compounds lie near the dregs and i shouldnt get too close?

cheers! Lots of useful tips in this here thread!

Steve

[WishboneBrewery]

I use a sanitised turkey baster.

That's what my missus used as well, he youngest will be three this july

[EccentricDyslexic]

I use a sanitised turkey baster.

That's what my missus used as well, he youngest will be three this july

I used my own personal baster, not sure how sanitised it was tho

Steve