How Often Do You Break Your Hydrometers?

[phaedo]

Just wondering how many hydrometers get broken. First time I brewed when I started a couple of years ago (before a couple of year hiatus), managed to break the hydrometer on the first kit I did I think. Anyway, now I am back into it, have brew number 3 in bubbling away and have another 2 hydrometers broken. And not through being careless, either. First one, slightly too much pressure when pulling it out of the tube, it touched the side and snap. Next one, slipped out of my fingers as I was about to put it in the tester. getting frustrated with these things, they are so fragile. These last couple have been brigalow ones as that is all I can find inside a couple of hour round trip, from what I can gather.

 

[AndrewQLD]

I've broken heaps, they only break when you need them and never after you've finished using them.
Pain in the proverbial.

Andrew

 

[hughman666]

i go through one every couple of months or so...i budget in the 15 bucks to cover it these days....

 

[cliffo]

I'm still using my original hydrometer about 4 years down the track...am I the odd one out?

 

[Phoney]

I just put in an order for my third one *sigh*. Im kicking myself now that I didnt just bite the bullet and buy a refractometer when I broke my first one.Im supposed to be saving to go OS in 2 months so im being a tight a**e at the moment.


EDIT: What are your thoughts on these ebay jobbies?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-Brix-Refractome...id=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Katherine]

Don't they bounce! :lol:

 

[zebba]

1 down. I can say with 100% honesty that the wife did it. I went to grab it to take an OG reading and found one of my hb boxes on the ground, spilt everywhere with broken glass all over the shop, and a heap of stuff that the wife wanted to get out of the way before some visitors arrived where the box was previously sitting. *sigh* Who said love was easy?

Lukily I'd just picked up an entire HB kit, inc. hydrometer, off a mate who decided HB wasn't for him. At first I tried to convince him to give it another try, then when it became aparant that I was going to score some good-as-new HB equipment I started to change my tune

 

[Maxt]

Ross's plastic tubes help a lot.

 

[brettprevans]

i broke 2 and a couple of hydro containers. And as andrewqld said, you only break them when you need them.

i now have a refractometer. wont ever buy a hydro again.

EDIT: What are your thoughts on these ebay jobbies?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-Brix-Refractome...id=p3286.c0.m14

i think brewerpete (and a bunch of others) bought his from that store and they recon they are fine. have you seen craftbrewers new digital ones? hmmm digital. not at all neccesary but a nice peice of brewing bling. i have the one with SG and brix.

 

[manticle]

I often ask at the HBS if they have any rubber or stainless steel ones. I've broken a few. The first one led me here because I broke it inside the brew I was fermenting.

@OP - Those brigalow ones are fairly useless if you ever brew anything that goes above 1040.

 

[raven19]

i broke 2 and a couple of hydro containers. And as andrewqld said, you only break them when you need them.

i now have a refractometer. wont ever buy a hydro again.

+100

Refractometer all the way! Even dropped that once (in its padded case mind you) and it still works a treat.

 

[brettprevans]

+100

Refractometer all the way! Even dropped that once (in its padded case mind you) and it still works a treat.

ive dropped it with no case still works fine. great little peice of kit. although the one annoyance is that you have to convert the readings once fermenting. and adjust for temp. but thats easy enough.

 

[KillerRx4]

Havent broken any since buying a refractometer.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

Break them continually. Rage levels increase a little each time.

 

[brettprevans]

i think someone once said they break hydrometers ever timwe it doesnt give them a reading they liked, and that they went through a lot! funny post.

 

[Adamt]

Haven't broken one yet... And I still bought a refractometer!

 

[fcmcg]

Haven't broken one yet... And I still bought a refractometer!

+1 here too...
My hydrometer is over 10yrs old now...i did always treat it with kid gloves though
Bought me a refractometer on evilbay...very happy...

 

[avaneyk]

I'm still using my original hydrometer about 4 years down the track...am I the odd one out?

Mine's about 8 years old - although it was sitting in a box not being used for most of that time. Started doing k&k brewing in 2001, stopped after about 6 batches. Then started again in 2007 with k&b brews once I realised I could do more than just mix goo with sugar. They're not that delicate - just don't drop it on the concrete... (or at least mine's not bad - got it in a coppers brew kit)

 

[manticle]

Don't they bounce! :lol:

Not sure but they have great efficiency.

 

[sinkas]

when ever I can find the time