porch, you can definitely do this. In fact, you can do it a lot earlier.

A few years ago, I used to be brewing single batches regularly. Now I brew multiple large batches but less often. When I brewed regularly, I used to re-use my yeast by washing the yeast cake. This meant that I would be pouring in a 'liquid' yeast (that originally derived from a dried yeast) into my fermentor and then aerating the wort.

I don't bother with final gravities now in the beers that I brew as I know what time and temp it takes for them to finish. But, when I did do this, I used to take a sample from my fermentor after pitching and aerating and put it into my hydrometer jar (it needs to be a proper wide one). I'd then put that jar with the hydrometer in it beside my fermentor in my fermenting fridge. (If you had it in open air, I would cover it with a big jar or something. I think I just used a bit of plastic wrap from memory when I had it in the fridge.)

Anyway, what will happen is that the hydro jar will be a mini reflection of your fermentor. You need a wide hydro jar because, just like your fermentor, it will get a heap of trub sticking to it.

...

I'm a bit worried about you saying your beer hasn't finished based on a hydro reading. There are many reasons for this, two being...

1. I have four hydros and all of them read differently. Two are close at FG levels but still one point out.

2. Who or what is telling you the beer should be finishing at less than 1.014? Don't trust predicted numbers too much, they are at best a guide. See this post. Lots of beers even 1.050 OG ones will finish at 1.015 depending on many factors.

...

So porch, I think your plan to leave the hydro in the test jar is great as long as you protect the jar from wild yeasts etc. If the hydro in the test jar stays at 1.014, then this means your beer is ready. If you are super worried it isn't finished then raise the temp by a lot. It won't hurt the beer at that point.


PP