Hydrometer Use? Tips From Some Gururs Please!

[Stagwa]

I'm sure this has been asked heaps of times on this forum but here goes again:

How can I use a hydrometer accurately?

If I take a reading and then remove it then take the reading again I can never get the same reading. I have also had hydrometers that "list" or tilt to one side. Am I just a dumbass at using them? Or do you have any tips?

Cheers,
Stagwa

 

[PostModern]

1. Make sure the beer is relatively flat before floating the hydrometer. ie, let the foam on top settle.
2. Make sure the beer/wort is at 20C or close enough.
3. Spin the hydrometer once it's in the beer/wort to dislodge any CO2 that might have nucleated on the glass of the hydrometer that will make it float higher.
4. Put enough into the sampling tube so that when the hydrometer goes in, it overflows so that you take your reading "clear" above the tube.

 

[Uncle Fester]

POMO, Thanks for the tip Hadn't ever considered #4.

Fester goes to bed a little wiser tonight!

[Edit: Spulling]

 

[Pumpy]

Thats good advice PoMo.

It took me ages to realise how important it is to do all these things to get a good reading .

I have only been doing #4 the last three brews.

Ensure the hydrometer is not touching the sides of the sampling tube .

Pumpy

 

[Noxious]

This might seem like common knowledge for some but it took me a little while to discover why I was getting high O.Gs.
I was filling the hydrometer tube with what would of been a much thicker wort (due to the tap holding the thick bottom glug when mixing through) so now I use a bottle im filling the fermenter with and let the wort run through the tap for a little bit to get a more even reading...i usually take a reading @ the 23L mark but before my hop additions.
Alot of my friends dont bother with them at all but I am too curious not to find out the attenuation!

 

[stowaway]

So it has to be 20degrees?

I brew my lager at 13degrees, so should i sit it for an hour so before i take the reading?

what difference does temp make? (ie will a lower temp make a lower gravity or a higher gravity and viceaversa?)

 

[Batz]

#5 Invest in a refractometer

Batz

 

[Screwtop]

#5 Invest in a refractometer

Batz

And stop wasting all that beer drawn off for Hydro samples :lol:

 

[Pumpy]

Can you use a refractometer for beer ? :unsure:

I thought it was only for wort ?

I always use the hydrometer for beer

pumpy

 

[gap]

Can you use a refractometer for beer ? :unsure:

I thought it was only for wort ?

I always use the hydrometer for beer

pumpy

+1

 

[ozpowell]

So it has to be 20degrees?

I brew my lager at 13degrees, so should i sit it for an hour so before i take the reading?

what difference does temp make? (ie will a lower temp make a lower gravity or a higher gravity and viceaversa?)

Actually, I believe hydrometers are calibrated at 15C. Higher temp will yield lower readings, lower temps will yield higher readings. Here's a rough set of correction values:

5C -0.0010
10C -0.0005
15C 0.0000
18C +0.0005
20C +0.0010
25C +0.0020

 

[gap]

Actually, I believe hydrometers are calibrated at 15C. Higher temp will yield lower readings, lower temps will yield higher readings. Here's a rough set of correction values:

5C -0.0010
10C -0.0005
15C 0.0000
18C +0.0005
20C +0.0010
25C +0.0020

Mine is calibrated to 20C.

Regards

Graeme

 

[Screwtop]

Can you use a refractometer for beer ? :unsure:

I thought it was only for wort ?

I always use the hydrometer for beer

pumpy

Have a look at the Refrac Tool in Beersmith Pump!

 

[Adamt]

You can use a refractometer for beer, provided you know the initial gravity or refractometer reading.

 

[samhighley]

My tip is get a better measuring tube.

The tube that the LHBS sold me has no base and is ridiculously perilously unstable when it is full of wort.

So I invested in a new measuring tube from ProSciTech. The item LCV2-0010 - Measuring cylinders, PP, 10mL on this page makes a perfect gravity measuring vessel.

It's about the same volume as the one the LHBS sold me, but it has a nice sturdy base, and because it is polypropylene you can clean it with boiling water.

Sam

 

[Pumpy]

Have a look at the Refrac Tool in Beersmith Pump!

Must give that Refract Tool a try Screwy .

I must say 'licking the end of the Refractometer' would not quite be the same as drinking contents of the hydrometer sampling tube .

Pumpy

 

[Noxious]

Actually, I believe hydrometers are calibrated at 15C. Higher temp will yield lower readings, lower temps will yield higher readings. Here's a rough set of correction values:

5C -0.0010
10C -0.0005
15C 0.0000
18C +0.0005
20C +0.0010
25C +0.0020

Mine is calibrated to 20c also..most are.
It will be written somewhere on the paper that comes with the meter what that specific one is calibrated to, but it is such a tiny difference I dont believe the naked eye would suffice.
Cheers

 

[Adamt]

Completely agreed Noxious. Homebrewers in general rely far, far too much on the accuracy of their equipment and the correctness of their measurements.

 

[Screwtop]

Must give that Refract Tool a try Screwy .

I must say 'licking the end of the Refractometer' would not quite be the same as drinking contents of the hydrometer sampling tube .

Pumpy

No Pump, but after dropping a couple of drops onto the refrac and then squirting the contents of the dropper into the back of your throat has it's benefits too, one becomes quite adept at estimating IBU's :lol: