another stupid newbie question

[hunter]

the first batch i brewed i did not use a hydrometerso i just got one and i am wandering  :-/ do you sterilize it before you use it,so you can poor the beer back in or do you throw the beer away after you test.i'm thinking if you take readings three days in a row to see if fermenting is done plus one in the beginning your throwing out a fare amount fo beer.

[Shakey_Dog]

I would not put it back.  I think that you are risking infection if you dump it back in.

I taste it.  No better way to learn about your beer than to taste during every step in the process.  

It is only a few oz for reading.

Don

[bonjour]

Every thing you put in your fermenting wort is SANITIZED, not sterilized, though sterilization would work.  The difference is in extent, sterilization is 100%, and sanitization is very near 100%.  Fermented beer is a very inhospital environment for "nasties" so we give yeast a chance to take over and ferment before any "nasties" can get a foothold.

And taste your wort, you will learn a lot about what is happening to your beer along the way.

Fred