How Common is a broken [miscalibrated] Hydrometer

Yeah i just posted a thread the other day about a very low Og when using extract that to my knowledge couldnt be correct. So we came to the conclusion that it must be to high of a temperature when taking the reading. So im transfering my brew from the primary to the secondary and i figure i can at least see if the fermentaion was done or almost there. However it occured to me to test my hydrometer in cooled water 70F or so and low and behold it sank so low it didnt even register on the scale. So i guess it is not calibrated? Do you guys hear of this often?

Thanks

If you've ever had a hydrometer...you've either already broken one...or you are about to break one.

Simple as that.

As far as inaccurate....the water should read 1.000 at 60F. It should sink in pure water.

I break at least 1 a year. I swear that if you breathe on those things too hard they'll shatter.

Pi Kapp Beer Guy said:

low and behold it sank so low it didnt even register on the scale. So i guess it is not calibrated? Do you guys hear of this often?

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How low did it go exactly? Most hydrometers are calibrated to 60 F which means that in distilled water at 70 F it is possible that the hydrometer may appear to sit slightly below 1.000

I have also noticed that in very light beers or water, hydrometers easily stick to the sides of the measurement vial...

You could always use some distilled water at your calibration temp to see what the offset is and just take that into consideration... or return the hydrometer to where you bought it for a swap.

BTW - when you say "in cooled water 70F or so" you need to be exact... every 10 degrees will throw off the reading by about 0.001

When you put the hydrometer into the test jar with the water, did you fill it to near the top with water?

yeah i know about the temp thing i just was unable to remember the exact temp. As far as filling the top i did it once to the top and once short enough not to over flow. I was using a wine theif.

I'm 1 for 2 on hydrometers. Gravity just LOVES them for some reason

If someone made them prism shaped, I'd totally buy one. I keep knocking them off the counter.

The kids "played" with one, I've dropped two, and the cat knocked one off the counter. Fishin Dave is right, gravity sees a hydrometer like a tornado sees a trailer park.

I've broken two that I had laying around. Both on the same day. Luckily they weren't the ones I normally used, just extras from when I pick up good deals on craigslist.

I broke mine last week, when I was bottling my first batch. Not off to a good start!

I was amazed I made it through 12 batches before I broke mine. I'm clumsier than a drunk elephant in a china shop after a few homebrews .

I broke one last week. Slipped out of my hands and onto the floor.

I've broken 4... Now I have a plastic one!

I broke my first one by leaving it in a bad spot, where it rolled off and dropped onto the floor. Now I always put it back into the little plastic tube when not in use. The second one has lasted more than a year and a half now.

And yes, I've been worried about weird readings, but I've checked it in room temp water and it reads 0.998, which comes out to 1.000 when you adjust for the difference from 60ºF.

Broke 2 this year as well...
so.. i am still a newbie...and even have been called a JONG in a backcountry ski post site last week (still dont know what that means)...
so i have a question about a Brixometer? or something to that effect that my buddy told me about? is that the same as the glass hydrometer or what the hell is it exactly??? thanks much..

i was braking so many, i realized it was actually cheaper for me to buy a refractometer

jahdrummin said:

Broke 2 this year as well...
so.. i am still a newbie...and even have been called a JONG in a backcountry ski post site last week (still dont know what that means)...
so i have a question about a Brixometer? or something to that effect that my buddy told me about? is that the same as the glass hydrometer or what the hell is it exactly??? thanks much..

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Could be, or may be talking about a refractometer. I use both, refractometer is handy for a quick gravity while taking runnings and calculating pre-boil gravity, I use a hydrometer for measuring OG and FG.

BEER_4_BREAKFAST said:

I broke mine last week, when I was bottling my first batch. Not off to a good start!

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I broke another one while brewing my second batch last night!

2 batches - 2 broken hydro's... not off to a good start! :cross:

So far, so good. I keep mine in a plastic sleeve and only have it out while using it. I've already been warned not to shake it like a thermometer...

BEER_4_BREAKFAST said:

I broke another one while brewing my second batch last night!

2 batches - 2 broken hydro's... not off to a good start! :cross:

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You need to carefully consider what you were doing when they broke, and then not do that again! :fro:

Torchiest said:

You need to carefully consider what you were doing when they broke, and then not do that again! :fro:

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Both times, when I put it back in the plastic tube, the cap at the end of the tube popped off and out came the Hydro and crash on the floor.

I'm gonna tape the cap on my next one! :cross:

BEER_4_BREAKFAST said:

Both times, when I put it back in the plastic tube, the cap at the end of the tube popped off and out came the Hydro and crash on the floor.

I'm gonna tape the cap on my next one! :cross:

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I roll mine in a paper towel before putting back in the tube.

SO lets say they are not broken persay. How common are those bought that are not calibrated correctly? Do you ever see any differences if they survive a drop from the counter without shattering? I mean i wouldnt think so because it's based on weight right?

Pi Kapp Beer Guy said:

SO lets say they are not broken persay. How common are those bought that are not calibrated correctly? Do you ever see any differences if they survive a drop from the counter without shattering? I mean i wouldnt think so because it's based on weight right?

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correct. without realizing this I at first had a piece of string taped to the top of the hydrometer, i quickly realized this threw off the readings by quite a bit.

you know i was looking at a sanitizer tube for these things which is just a simple pvc pipe the right length with a screw cap on one side and a cap on the other. get both sides with the hex ends and would help with rolling around just make sure you always put it back in and screw the cap on and you can keep the sanitizing liquid in the tube as well. think 1 1/4 would be perfect or possibly 1"

DubbelDach said:

I've broken 4... Now I have a plastic one!

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Plastic hydros actually exist???

I need to get one of those!!

If your hydrometer sinks all the way in 70F water, it is damaged and unusable. Most of the time when a hydrometer breaks it is painfully obvious, as in glass shards in your hand. I have seen one or two that had tiny leaks and were grossly off calibration.

I picked up three the other day. broke one on the way out of the store

Yep 70 degrees or 60 degrees it just sinks. Cant even read the scale. I mean when i first used it to get an Og reading in what should have been at least 1.061 (extract) it read 1.032 which after the temp varient it was 1.038. I guess it goes to prove you should always test the calibration first.

Oh no. Pikes are brewing beer now??? Natty and Keystone sales are going to take a hit!

I have never broken my Hydrometer...but I do have a spare, just in case.

Actually im a Pi Kappa Phi Brother and we are pi kapps. The Pi Kappa Alpha go by Pikes. Plus i'm from the south. Bud Light and Nati Light are taking the hits from my branching off to good beer and I'm taking as many brothers with me while i can

When I bought my first hydrometer, I got it home, put it in the wort, took it out, washed, then I broke it in half. I didn't have it more than a couple of hours and I needed a new one. Good Luck!!

phissionkorps said:

If someone made them prism shaped, I'd totally buy one. I keep knocking them off the counter.

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You're got a goldmine there Trebek! Seriously is there a reason they can't be made with flat sides?

So far I have been lucky enough to still have my first one, I know I will break it though, it has almost rolled off the counter about 15 times.

Had the same one for almost three years now. Of course I didn't ferment at least 20 of those months, so it's worth what it's worth.

I just want a dang blasted brew to turn out good!

Just as a follow up i bought another hydrometer and sure enough the first one i had was off. In fact it was not even close. Anyway i guess you live and learn but the moral to the story is you should always check the calibration of your new hydrometer.

I just got a high gravity reading on my second batch of beer. I did check the hydrometer with water and got a solid 1.000 though. Did your "bad one" measure pure water correctly?

DubbelDach said:

I've broken 4... Now I have a plastic one!

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Plastic hydromters!?!?!?!?!?! What is this thing you speak of?

Where my come upon such and unbreakable wonder of plastichood???