hydrometer question

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gb0wers

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I find reading my hydrometer a bit of a struggle.
Are there any hydrometers with a smaller diameter so that the scale is elongated please?
Graham
 
I've seen one that's claimed to be easier to read, but it's for FG readings.

http://morebeer.com/products/final-gravity-hydrometer.html?site_id=7

What is giving you problems?

I'm typical quite anal about things, and a bit of a perfectionist, but it's robbed me of amounts of joy. I've learned (somewhat) to just relax and let things be if it's a bit much. Gravity readings are one of these. As long as I'm close, and I believe my measurements are +/- .001, I'm happy enough.

I don't enter competitions, but brew for my enjoyment.
 
I'm a bit of a perfectionist too. I understand the correct way to read a hydrometer is to take the reading at the surface of the liquid, not the top of the miniscus. I just find it hard to do with any degree of confidence - it seems to be imprecise to me. I've tried looking up from below, but for an OG reading, the liquid is murky.

I thought a hydrometer with bigger graduations would make things easier, but I think I've decided to just do my best and learn to cope with my perceived dissatisfaction.

Since I originally posted I decided to do a calibration check of the hydrometer I'm using with water at 20 Celcius and found a .002 error so the reading process is only one of the factors in accuracy, and perhaps not the greatest.

Perhaps practice will help.

Thanks for the reply.

Graham
 
I was surprised to find there are two types of hydrometer one calibrated at 60 degs F the other at 20 degs C when I looked myself for a more accurate one with longer scale did find one but needed to buy minimum quantity as could only find direct from manufacturer. The tube for my old one does say there are two made one for wine and one for beer the latter does not read as high but that firm is no longer trading.

I find you have to use some form of sample jar. I use an old bubble blowing container that the kids had. I also find hard to read so normally take a photo and enhance in photoshop to get good reading also a record I can refer back to. Filling the sample jar I use an anti-freeze hydrometer which unlike beer one is contained within a pipette with plastic squeeze bubble so I and draw liquid from demijohn or below surface scum when doing things like cider.

I did wonder about why the beer hydrometer is not supplied inside a pipette like the anti-freeze one but when I came to use the anti-freeze hydrometer with beer the reason became apparent bubbles tend to stick to the hydrometer giving a false reading you need to spin the hydrometer to release bubbles and ensure not stuck to side of sample jar can't do that inside a pipette.

Although to start with I took very careful note of hydrometer reading today since using kits I know what the start reading will be without measuring it is the same every time since I fill to same level and use same amount of sugar. However in early days I got quite a few low readings where the concentrate or sugar had not fully dissolved when I took the reading.

I take the attitude that every time I remove the lid I increase the chance of contamination so I use the air lock to tell me when ready for next stage. To do this also means stick on thermometer is a must and the lid and air lock have to be well sealed. Lucky my fermentors have screw lids with 25mm hole. I found the plastic lid too thin to seal with rubber bung so use an electrical stuffing gland all fitted with petroleum jelly so really good gas tight seal.

Before doing such a good job at sealing I got caught out with slow brews once getting to one bubble a minute leakage resulted in no bubbles so I thought finished when it was not. So just in case there is still a leak I always confirm with hydrometer specially if temperature has dropped.
 
I typically brew the max amount of beer when I do, and so it's not too far from the top. I add .001 for meniscus, which seems rather close, though it could easily be .0005 off, and even if it's merely .001 off do I care enough? I try not to and just know I made beer.

I've read of some people using the plastic tube that the hydrometer comes in, but they sell slightly larger testing tubes also. I have one, but don't use it unless I'm brewing a small test batch where the hydrometer can't get a reading as it's too shallow.

I broke my original hydrometers, and they were zeroed at something like 62-64*F. My new ones are zeroed at 68*, which I prefer as that's closer to the temp I'll get it down to prior to pitching yeast, and if nothing else only need to add .001.
 
You might consider using a refractometer instead of a hydrometer. It only takes a drop of wort or beer. Once your wort is fermenting or if you are working with finished beer you have to use a chart or formula to account for the alcohol. More Wine has one of these charts. Check it out.
 
Some excellent suggestions here guys, thank you:

ericmark
I take a sample with a wine thief and place it in to a sample jar. Your really clever bit is to use digital photography. I can kick myself for not thinking of it.
I take your point on sealing. I do use a bung in a screw top container, and petroleum jelly on the seal. I use the cylindrical two piece type of airlock. I place the inner cylinder in position once everything is screwed in place and the lock is partially filled with liquid. When I place the airlock inner in situ it creates different levels between the two "chambers". I actively check for leaks by making sure the different levels are maintained. I accept there are other factors that would influence the differential level, but it will find any big leaks.

rodwha
I had considered evaluating a meniscus correction. Maybe the photography will help there, or maybe it will eliminate the need.

BillinKC
That is a technology I have heard of in so far as I recognise the word. I will read up on it.
 
I was frustrated with the standard hydrometer and quickly moved to Refractometer (eBay) for SG and finishing hydrometer (hop & grape) for FG. I can say that it's certainly much easier now, but test readings with my original hydrometer show it's within about +/- 0.001, so not so bad really.
 
I have only been brewing for a year so still green and only use kits. I use the other type of air lock with a U tube and bubbles in main fermentor and there was a slight crack in the screw lid. However the air lock still worked well to show when fermenting was complete except with one brew. Coopers Ginger Beer is nearly as slow as Lager even when at 20 degrees C and with no idea of what the finish s.g. should be I ended up bottling too early. I had to pour it back into the fermentor.

Lager I expect to be slow as only at around 10 - 16 degrees and even with a good seal on the demijohn don't use air lock but shine torch through the demijohn to see bubbles. What I realised is although I need a 30 litre container to start a kit with once running there is nothing to stop one splitting the brew into 6 demijohns. As others have pointed out 5 litre spring water bottles are near the same as demijohns so secondary fermenting can be transferred to smaller containers.

I already have to fermenting vessels but in hind sight would not bother with a second although using 5 litre bottles does mean extra air locks but also means you and add extras to just a small amount of the brew and compare the results with a control giving far better opportunities to modify a brew.

However temperature is a major factor and I have been surprised when I lost siphon during transferring for secondary ferment I put what was left into a demijohn. My kitchen varies 14 - 20 degrees C where central heating goes off at night so fermentor will hover around 18 degrees C. The demijohn however being a smaller quantity will drop to 16 degrees over night but return to 20 degrees during the day. It would seem the average fermenting of a demijohn is greater than with the large fermentor.

The huge difference between activity 16 - 20 degrees means just a couple of degrees lower than normal and one can get caught out using air lock.

So last brew I have tried something new. With a bitter I have used Lager yeast (Youngers) this has given me the same activity at 18 degrees as I normally get at 20 degrees. This means I don't need to wrap with a body warmer or use a heated floor tile to bring it back to 20 degrees. Even at 16 degrees it will not stop so I can start and forget until two week when ready for transfer. Of course no idea as to what difference it will make to taste but it does make the brewing easier.

I think there are two main groups of home brewer. There is the person who tried to brew a better pint than commercially available and who's skills are huge cost is not a consideration it's all down to brewing a really good pint. For them it is a hobby and I take my hat off to them. The other group includes me, we just want a cheap pint and think 25p a pint is far better than £2.50 but as far as being a hobby we will try small things but not really interested in going too far all we really want is a cheap pint.

For the real enthusiast the Refractometer is clearly the way to go. For guy just looking for cheap beer likely just not worth the expense. I have reached the stage where I know with 25 litres of water plus 2kg sugar and one can of concentrate what the s.g. reading will be (1.048) so don't bother measuring it. I also know the final s.g. should be (1.005) and only measure to confirm nothing has gone wrong. I have enough beer in stock that is does not matter if 3 or 4 weeks in fermentor so will often leave extra week just to be sure.

If I was down on stock then easy way to boost is with 5 litre water bottles only real cost is air locks. Once started and sure fully mixed one can transfer so only needs to be in fermentor 3 days secondary done in water bottles however what I find is limiting factor is bottles and like using pop bottles but demand out strips supply. So every screw cap bottle I can find is pressed into service. I did start corking bottles but finding a cork screw is a pain so only when really short do I go to them.
 
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