Official Broken Hydrometer Count

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I've broken 4. Funny story, a couple of weeks ago I started brewing my pumpkin ale, I forgot I had broken my hydrometer a couple of days before, so when I was done with the boil I went out and got another one. I got home, dropped it on the floor and broke it. I hate hydrometers.
 
I'm still using the original I bought 3 years ago (I know, I know, I'm inviting the Dread Hydrometer Jinx). If I broke as many as some people in the forums claim, I'd just get one of those Brit plastic ones....
 
I broke my buddies once, so I guess it really doesn't count. It rolled down the garbage disposal and his wife turned it on, not knowing it was in there. Rather startled, but that was about it.
 
I was putting my hydrometer away, I keep it in the graduated cylander that I read my samples in. I usually slide it into the tube at an angle and gently raise it up to let it slide to the bottom. For whatever reason I put the hydrometer into the vertical cylander and dropped it straight down. It didn't survive.

Since I needed one, I bought me a new one at the highly marked up price that my LHBS sells them for. A couple days later I was at an garage sale and saw one for $0.50 and snagged it up.

Hydrometers broken: 1

Total: 98
 
I've broken 2 -while cleaning up broken glass from number 1, I smacked number 2 with the broom and knocked it to the floor.

I think that takes the count to 100.
 
Does a lost hydrometer count? I have been moving junk around, and now I can't find the damn thing.

Found my hydrometer after a long stretch of just sticking with my refractometer readings. Used it Saturday to double-check my pre and post-boil gravities and both are still spot on. So, still on my first one after....not sure how many years now. (knock on wood)
 
I LOL'd when I saw this thread! Nice one.

I have broken two so far. Stoopid case that comes with it. Refractometer here I come.

+2 makes the count 108
 
I lost my old hydrometer a few months ago, bought a new one and today while I was pulling stuff out of my brew drawer I "found" my old hydrometer while pulling out a hop sack. Then promptly shattered it when it got launched into the air and hit the ground.

113
 
A brewing buddy of mine not on here broke one I gave him. I suppose that counts...

115
 
Only one so far. I got lazy and instead of pulling out a wort sample like I always do I decided to check the gravity in my 7.5 gallon keggle and it bounced off the bottom slightly cracking it.
 
I have 3 with the tips broken off and one that was broken beyond recognition. Guess that brings the count up to...

121
 
I've only managed to break 2 before realizing my error and switching to a refractometer. Now I just need to make sure not to break that too.
 
+2 = 129

But I don't think the second one really counts because I swear it was broken before I brought it home.
 
never, then 3 in the last two months...

135

I swear they make them so thin for just this reason.
 
+1 = 144

I always wondered what was wrong with people always breaking their hydrometers... but then on my last batch, I accidentally knocked it off a surface when I was grabbing a bunch of other equipment. It only fell at most a foot and a half, and on to pretty plush carpet (go figure... the ONLY carpeted room in my entire house), and the Alla France piece of crap broke anyways... shattered little bits in the carpet. At least it was just the top part that broke, so the lead shot remained entirely contained.

That whole bit though about how easily they break when you only have one, but never seeming to break when you ARE prepared with a backup is garbage though. I had 3! Not because I felt I needed one just in case - I thought only an idiot could break it! - but because I accidentally ordered one with my initial kit, not realizing it already contained one, and then buying a third recently for accuracy purposes when I realized that the two identical hydrometers I DID have weren't even agreeing with each other.

Either way, I now apparently joined the brotherhood of clumsy idiots. After seeing how easily they break, I think I'm just going to get a refractometer... not only does it have other benefits, but I'm willing to bet it will save me money in the long run!
 
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