i just broke my hydrometer!! now what

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suzanneb

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any way to take a reading without a hydrometer. The homebrew store by me is closed tomorrow and i gotta leave tomorrow night. I wanted to take a reading before i left and bottle. Any suggestions?

or better yet
anyone in the saugerties/kingston NY area have a hydrometer i can borrow for half a day??
 
You can use your recipe and exact volume you got and can plug that in a brew calc.to get your OG without a hydrometer,if its extract thats easier but all grain depends on brewhouse efficency but you can still get a rough figure without a hydrometer.We just need the recipe.Or you can plug into a brew calculator. Better yet save your sample /refrigerate it and wait till you get a hydrometer- then take your sample but make shure it gets to 60F for an accurate reading.
 
Are you doing extract? If so, you can estimate via potential calculation. In some regards it's more important towards the end of fermentation to check to make sure fermentation is finished. I would go ahead and brew without it,,,,,many a fine brew has been made without one.
 
Let it sit while you're away and until you can get a replacement hydrometer. It won't do any harm to let it go until next weekend (or even a few more weekends). Unless you have something in the batch that you need to get it off of ASAP (like tomorrow). If that's the case, rack it into a sanitized container and then bottle it when you return and can take the FG. If you've not taken a first potential FG reading, and it's not been more than long enough to reach the FG, you're better off waiting.
 
Out of curiosity... Could you not just save a small sample and go ahead and pitch. I know you will not be able to make any adjustments but it sounds as if you are screwed in that department either way. At least if you saved a sample you could get your ABV when its finished.
 
suzanneb said:
any way to take a reading without a hydrometer. The homebrew store by me is closed tomorrow and i gotta leave tomorrow night. I wanted to take a reading before i left and bottle. Any suggestions?

or better yet
anyone in the saugerties/kingston NY area have a hydrometer i can borrow for half a day??
Click to expand...

Seems to me the batch was brewed already and the OP is looking to bottle the batch on Sunday...
 
If you're REALLY confident it is fermented out you could put a small sample in a sanitized jar to be measured after you do get a hydrometer. You still risk bottle bombs if it's not done.

Or, I imagine you could rig your own "hydrometer" with a vessel that floats straight up in liquid (I can't think of the ideal thing, but possibly a used yeast vial with some pebbles in it to weight it a bit?). [NOTE: I'm completely talking out of my a** by the way but this should work]. Float that in water at 60F and mark where the water level is, that'll be your 1.000 mark. Then make up a solution with a really precise measurement of table or corn sugar to an exact volume so you can know the gravity of the solution (8.0 oz of table sugar with water bring to exactly 0.5 gallon would be 1.046). Float your "hydrometer" in that to get your 1.046 mark. Then float it in your beer, halfway between the 1.000 and 1.046 mark would be 1.023 and so on... I would think it'd get you pretty close.
 
How long has it been in the fermenter?

If it is less than 3 weeks, you probably should wait until you get a new hydrometer. Leaving it will not hurt the brew. If it has been three weeks or more you MAY be ok to bottle but you cannot be 100% sure without a hydrometer.
 
wow lots of responses.
it has been in for two weeks. i just stared at it for about an hour and i get a pretty decent sized bubble every 3-6 minutes. i am guessing this means its not done yet. or is there a reason it would bubble lightly still if it was done.

i was thinking about bottling 2 gallons and then transfering 3 gallons to my secondary fermenter(3 gallon carboy). or am i better off leaving those 3 gallons with the yeast and sludge in the 6.5 gallon carboy?? i.e. if it isn't quite done yet does it need to stay in the primary?
 
How long are you going to be gone? If a week or two, it will be fine and prolly turn out better than you ever imagined. If a month or two, transfer it to secondary and bottle when you return.
 
Frodo said:
If you're REALLY confident it is fermented out you could put a small sample in a sanitized jar to be measured after you do get a hydrometer. You still risk bottle bombs if it's not done.

Or, I imagine you could rig your own "hydrometer" with a vessel that floats straight up in liquid (I can't think of the ideal thing, but possibly a used yeast vial with some pebbles in it to weight it a bit?). [NOTE: I'm completely talking out of my a** by the way but this should work]. Float that in water at 60F and mark where the water level is, that'll be your 1.000 mark. Then make up a solution with a really precise measurement of table or corn sugar to an exact volume so you can know the gravity of the solution (8.0 oz of table sugar with water bring to exactly 0.5 gallon would be 1.046). Float your "hydrometer" in that to get your 1.046 mark. Then float it in your beer, halfway between the 1.000 and 1.046 mark would be 1.023 and so on... I would think it'd get you pretty close.
Click to expand...

this is really interesting idea. i like it
 
suz, I'm with barneyg, as long as you're not gonna be away "deployed" long, it should be okay with another couple of weeks. Pete
 
Two weeks old and still bubbling? You can read a million times here about air lock activity not being an indicator of fermentation being complete, but I'm gonna say at two weeks and bubbling every 3-6 minutes, it aint done yet. Leave it and bottle later.
 
so after thinking about this for a bit i think i have 3 choices

1- leave in primary for another 2 weeks.(that is when i will be back here)
2- take the whole thing with me in the car(100 miles or so) and deal with it at the other house.
3- switch 3 gallons to secondary fermenter and take 2 gallons with me to the other place(or bottle 2 gallons) and deal with it there with a new hydrometer.
(is taking it in the car a bad idea?)

i like the third idea of splitting batches. because i could add some coffee to the secondary and end up with two diff beers. but not sure if i should move to secondary at all if it is not completely done.
any input anyone???
 
I think you have your plans already in place. From what I've seen, most people on this board are asking questions. If you like option 3 it will work:mug:
 
I think you would be safe to leave it in primary for two weeks if you're worried about it not being done. Then you can relax and not stress about it while you're gone. :mug:
 
amberbrooks said:
I think you would be safe to leave it in primary for two weeks if you're worried about it not being done. Then you can relax and not stress about it while you're gone. :mug:
Click to expand...

+1 on that.
And two gallons of un carbed beer on a road trip? :confused:

When you get back in two weeks your beer in the primary will be ready, and you can still do two styles of beer. Yes, I know it's hard to be patient when brewing, but I'm learning.
 
That would be silly to take it,since its perfectly fine to leave it for 2 wks longer.Sounds like you have no reason to bottle it so early.Since it was still bubbleing it probably was just off gassing,maybe temperature pressure changed or something if that has something to do with it.Normally beers ferment pretty fast,since it was still bubbleing i would just leave it til you get back and then bottle.
 
I would NOT take any on a road trip with me. IMO you run a very real risk of oxidizing that part of the batch. I would simply leave it where it is right now, not transferring or transporting it at all. Once you get back, if you want to put some coffee to part, do that when you're not going to otherwise move it.

Unless you are setup to move the brew with a CO2 push and can purge the atmosphere from the part you would transport, filling the empty space with CO2, moving it is a very bad idea. The ONLY time I move a brew from the fermenting location is once it's ready for drinking. At that point, it's in bottle/keg and otherwise sealed. I've been kegging for a while, so the head space in the keg has been purged with CO2 and there's no risk of oxidation.
 
ok thanks i won't move it.

can i bottle a 6 pack without affecting the batch? i have 5 gallon in a 6.5 carboy so is taking a 6 pack out leaving that extra head space gonna create any problems?
i would also take a sample to measure the specific gravity once i get a new hydrometer.
 
Just leave it alone. I know that is hard to do but but in the end your patience will be rewarded by delicious beer! :mug:
 
suzanneb said:
ok thanks i won't move it.

can i bottle a 6 pack without affecting the batch? i have 5 gallon in a 6.5 carboy so is taking a 6 pack out leaving that extra head space gonna create any problems?
i would also take a sample to measure the specific gravity once i get a new hydrometer.
Click to expand...

Bottling just 6-12oz bottles of the batch presents you with more issues. Some of them are:
1. Do you KNOW it's done??
2. Calculating the amount of sugar to prime with.
3. Priming the amount.
4. Transferring from carboy to bottles without making a mess or oxidizing either volume.

IMO, more trouble than it's worth. Just wait until you get back home, have a new hydrometer, take the FG reading(s) and then bottle as normal...
 
ok ok. i will leave. it.
i am gonna take a sample back get a hydrometer and measure it. and then when i come back take another sample.
how does taking a sample effect the oxidation??
 
It won't contribute to oxidation unless you get crazy stirring the beer up. Use a sanitized cup or turkey baster to get your sample. Discard the sample, have a taste, but don't pour back into the fermenter for risk of contamination.
 
Dan said:
It won't contribute to oxidation unless you get crazy stirring the beer up. Use a sanitized cup or turkey baster to get your sample. Discard the sample, have a taste, but don't pour back into the fermenter for risk of contamination.
Click to expand...

A 100 mile road trip over who knows what condition roads... Not something I would do with a brew that wasn't sealed with the head space purged with CO2...

Do as you wish (you will anyway) just think for a moment... With all the work, time, energy, funds, that went into making the batch, is it REALLY worth risking ruining part/all of it over this?? Especially when you can do nothing with it and have it come out as good, if not better, than you originally expected...
 
christpuncher123 said:
What's a hydrometer?
Click to expand...

A tool that floats in a tube which is relativly cheap but fragile that you use to measure a sample of wort which is barley sugar and then later compare it to a finished sample of the finished beer before bottleing.You then do a little math and calculate the difference to get the actual abv with it.Its good for knowing if your beer is finished before bottleing and where it should be and knowing the yeast attuation that was expected for the ferment.Sounds confusing but its pretty simple.
 
jonmohno said:
A tool that floats in a tube which is relativly cheap but fragile that you use to measure a sample of wort which is barley sugar and then later compare it to a finished sample of the finished beer before bottleing.You then do a little math and calculate the difference to get the actual abv with it.Its good for knowing if your beer is finished before bottleing and where it should be and knowing the yeast attuation that was expected for the ferment.Sounds confusing but its pretty simple.
Click to expand...

I know what a hydrometer is, it's just been so long since i needed to use one. Wort goes into the fermenter, 4-6 weeks later beer goes into the keg, easy! People seem to worry way to much about taking hydrometer readings!
 
christpuncher123 said:
I know what a hydrometer is, it's just been so long since i needed to use one. Wort goes into the fermenter, 4-6 weeks later beer goes into the keg, easy! People seem to worry way to much about taking hydrometer readings!
Click to expand...

I simply like to KNOW what my OG/FG is on batches. I take the OG with my refractometer sometime before I keg the batch. I also typically take the FG from what's left in the transfer tube from when I keg. More so that I know what the ABV% is (for FG) and how well the mash went (for the OG)...

I also tend to give my batches at least enough time to complete, so it's not that much of a concern about fermentation being finished.

BTW, I still have my original hydrometer, that came with my first hardware kit. So about 1-1/2 years in and haven't broken a single one. :D Of course, it does help that I'm not using it. :rockin:
 

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