Putting 'stolen' wine back into the must

Hey guys,

I read, that you shouldn't put wine from a wine thief back in your fermenter.

I couldn't find an explanation why. Am I supposed to disguard my sample every time I use a hydrometer?

Thanks

I haven't heard that and I do dump my samples back into the bucket. I always sanitize the equipment first though.
Mike

I have read numerous times about not returning the sample to the must. However...

I must admit that I'm just to frugal not to return the stolen wine back into the must. Also, muost of my SG readings are taken while the must/wine is in a bucket and in those frequent instances the sanitized hydrometer is simple place into the bucket and sometimes left there for days.

If you're equipment is properly sanitized and you do not do anything that could contaminate the wine while working with it. (anything coming in contact with it that wasn't sanitized) I have no idea why that would be a problem.

Let me ask.. What did you do to the sample?

If you exposed the sample to sodium hydroxide (during a TA test) or litmus paper or perhaps PH buffer solution, I would NOT return it.

If the wine simply sat in a clean thief and nothing was done to it then, yes, I would return the wine to the fermenter.

This has to be your personal decision on what risk you want to take.

Commercially I would never do it because it's too much of a hassle to remove a VC lid just for a small sample and I would be exposing the entire surface area to oxygen. Risk of contamination would be very small if everything was sanitized and I didn't add anything to the sample.

At home I would return the sample to the carboy if everything was sanitized and I didn't add anything to the sample just to try and keep the carboy topped up. However, keep in mind the risk is much higher adding a sample back to 6 gallons than it is to 600 gallons.

I alway return "most" of it to the carboy. I always taste every sample I theive from the carboy. As long as everything is sanitized and nothing added, I don't see a problem pouring it back in, save for a little nip. It's what I always do and I've gone through several hundred kits without a problem.

A good habit is to sanitize the thief in between samples, to avoid cross contamination between barrels/carboys, but I only take enough out for the sample that I needed and don't return.

I always sanitize and I always return the sample back after dropping the hydrometer straight into the thief. Everything gets sanitized inside and out.

I return it. Or you need top off the carboy with extra wine