Just Broke My Hydrometer...

[boingk]

Yeah, so the thing is sitting on my desk in the test jar, and I turn around and see it falling off - I must have bumped it or something...

Anyway, apart from getting beer over my floor [which is carpeted], the hydrometer broke at the neck...what a bugger! Good thing I just took the reading for my latest batch I guess - but I think that was flawed anyway.

That was my first breakage...so how many has everyone else gone through? Any interesting stories?

 

[domonsura]

I've broken 2 very easily, my third seems to be surviving, but usually once they are one the move they are history!
Get a refractometer, saves you beer and harder to break.

 

[homebrewworld.com]

BeerSlayer and myself were brewing one day and i turned around and said 'you seen the hydrometer?'
'yeah its on the chair' he replied.
Then i looked at his dog, who had just licked its lips and looking up at me for more hydrometers.

Yep, he ate the whole bloody thing. :blink:

So now beerslayer throws his dog into the fermenter to take a reading !

 

[jimmysuperlative]

Fumbled mine last weekend ...got a new one from HBS on Friday afternoon.
Taking a reading on Fri night, half filled hydrometer tube with precious wort -going well so far ...

End caps on tube were very loose fitting. Dropped spinning hydrometer into tube. End cap dropped out! Hydrometer falls straight through. Beer and fine glass fragments all over the place.

I worked out the hydrometer actually lasted 5 1/2 hours!!! Spewin'!! :angry:

ps: domonsura, refractometers aren't real good once alcohol is being produced, right? So, when you beer is close to finished a refractometer will be less than accurate.

 

[lucas]

refractometers aren't real good once alcohol is being produced, right? So, when you beer is close to finished a refractometer will be less than accurate.

I dont think thats actually true. what is true is that the reading you take of a partially (or completely) fermented beer needs some math applied that takes into account the OG of the beer before it is any use. just about any brewing software can take care of this for you, but meh. I Like tasting hyrdometer samples, but if Im uncertain about the reading then i pull out the refractometer

edit: and for the topic at hand, I've broken none so far.

 

[Murray]

I've lost count of how many I have broken over the years. I'm certainly doing my bit to keep the hydrometer business profitable.

 

[Adamt]

jimmy...

Just to confirm lucas's comments... refractometers are fine for use any time during the fermentation, provided you take a pre-ferment reading and keep it on hand. After fermentation has started, as you suggested, alcohol does change the refraction properties and alters results, however by knowing hte original gravity there are charts/software available that will convert a mid or post ferment refractometer reading to a SG value.

 

[Kingy]

ive broken 1 i picked up the jar when only one end cap was on and the end cap was at the top when i was holding. Looked down and smash! hydrometer everywhere....

and damn it breaks into a 1000 pieces.

 

[InCider]

I broke mine about 3 months ago. It would be a tragedy if I used it , but I use the force, dead-reckoning and my drinking experience to work it out. (Alc %)

Personally, I'm not that fussed if a beer is 4 or 4.5, 6 or 6.5% ABV. My body doesn't work to exacting percentages like these - it's what my brain likes that is most important. And I know my ingredients before I brew too!

But, I have had about 6 bottles explode in the last 12 months - impatience is the problem - and I had my hydro at the time too! :angry:

Two weeks in primary, then bottle. No worries!

Ross did say that Kegs don't explode, so it's the next way for me to go!

InCider.

 

[winkle]

I managed to break one when cleaning it , since replaced with a standard job, and a mate gave me a old plastic one from England - (Zeal brand). The plastic one seems to be ok - usually a couple of SG points down on my refractometer. Anyone else seen these around?

 

[Ross]

End caps on tube were very loose fitting. Dropped spinning hydrometer into tube. End cap dropped out! Hydrometer falls straight through. Beer and fine glass fragments all over the place.

Get a decent hydrometer jar with a good base - The plastic tubes that the hydrometers come in are an accident waiting to happen...

cheers Ross

 

[jimmysuperlative]

Adamt, thanks for the explanation and heads-up! I'll now look into it further.

Ross, unfortunately I have been conditioned to use hydrometer tubes for measuring gravity ...ever since my first reading of a Coopers K&K about 15yrs ago.

...time to change my way of thinking and get me something like the hydrometer jar you mention.




edit: dumb question answered

 

[enoch]

Never broken a hydrometer - I am much better at breaking glass thermometers, generally when they are lying around during a brew.
After the 3rd one in a year I got some dial thermometers for the mash tun and boiler and plain sailing ever since.
Refractometers rock but it does stop you drinking the hydrometer sample! They are also really handy if you like making sorbet or icecream as you can hit the right freezing point every time.

 

[Ross]

Ross, unfortunately I have been conditioned to use hydrometer tubes for measuring gravity ...ever since my first reading of a Coopers K&K about 15yrs ago.

...time to change my way of thinking and get me something like the hydrometer jar you mention. Any suggestions? What are you using?

If your local HBS can't help you out I'm sure one of the above sponsers should have just what you are looking for B) .

cheers Ross

 

[domonsura]

ps: domonsura, refractometers aren't real good once alcohol is being produced, right? So, when you beer is close to finished a refractometer will be less than accurate.

Not so grasshopper, not so. You just have to have the right chart and OG reading etc.

( FWIW I use Promash, and it does the conversion for me )


edit: yeah, what Adam said :lol:

 

[jimmysuperlative]

If your local HBS can't help you out I'm sure one of the above sponsers should have just what you are looking for B) .

cheers Ross

...I should have known!!!

 

[sqyre]

*sniff* I've never owned one...

i feel so dirty.....

where is Dr Phil when you need him.....

Sqyre..the filthy gravity non-measurer... :unsure:

 

[jimmysuperlative]

Not so grasshopper, not so. You just have to have the right chart and OG reading etc.

( FWIW I use Promash, and it does the conversion for me )
edit: yeah, what Adam said :lol:

...yes, yes ...just finishing up my humble pie now :unsure:

Thanks dom


edit: punctuation!?;-)

 

[boingk]

*Dr Phil voice*

Now uhhh, here today with us we have sqyre...who says he has never owned a hydrometer. Well, we all know that although not ab-solutely nesse-cary, a hydrometer is [*voice rising gradually up towards end of sentance*] quite a useful piece of gear. Fermentation can be accurately judged, alcohol percen-tages inferred, and of course by doing the for-mer, ya'll will avoid over priming...and the associa-ted 'bottle-bombs'.

*Normal guy now, not some hyped-up [yet well-reputed] tv personality saying obvious things*

Of course, if you enjoy the end result, it doesn't matter! Just heads up for the good-old bottle bombs and you'll be fine. I just do mine out of sheer curiosity and so I can find out what my standard drink intake for the night is.

:chug:

 

[Tyred]

Haven't broken one yet. Still, there's always the possibility of an accident happening.