Another broken Hydrometer

I'm ---- this close to getting refractometer.

I've broken 3 hydrometers in my short brewing career. Mostly my fault becuase of my lack of attention but it's a bit frustrating. I was hoping to transfer to secondary today but I will have to wait until tomorrow when I have a chance to get to the brew store.

I guess it will happen sooner than later, might as well get 2

How much does a typical refractometer cost?

MMMMMMmmmmmm! Refractometer...Aggghhhhhh.... I here ya, my ole lady broke mine this weekend.
Question though, Why do you need a hydrometer to rack to secondary? I never take a gravity between primary and secondary. I take an OG at primary(in), and secondary 10-14 days later and start huntinf FG at abour 7 days in secondary(recipe depends)..

Let's say, I'm a bit anal, and want to make sure I get a correct FG reading before I put in the flavoring.

HillbillyDeluxe said:

MMMMMMmmmmmm! Refractometer...Aggghhhhhh.... I here ya, my ole lady broke mine this weekend.
Question though, Why do you need a hydrometer to rack to secondary? I never take a gravity between primary and secondary. I take an OG at primary(in), and secondary 10-14 days later and start huntinf FG at abour 7 days in secondary(recipe depends)..

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It is best to be sure you're at FG before racking to secondary, because once you move the beer off the yeast cake it's probably not going to drop a whole lot further. If you have a slower fermentation it might get stuck if racked too early. IMO the gravity reading between primary and secondary is probably the most important one.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/when-go-primary-secondary-if-all-43014/

Thats good info. Thanks guys. I didnt take into account you were flavoring. I usually rack at a predetermined point cause i dry hop. I'll consider fermentation status @ racking from now on though. I been hitting FG's good though. I like this site, after years of brewing i still learn something all the time.

Refractometers that I have seen at site like morebeer.com and such tend to be around $50 +.

Also, its important to note that you CANT use the reading you get from the refractometer after there is alcohol present. At least not without using a fairly complex equation to correct for the difference in the refractive index of the liquid once theres alcohol in it. That being said I know that a lot of people like to use refractometers with ATC (automatic temperature calibration /correction) to check their gravities during boil, mash, etc. Just some things to be aware of if you weren't already.

You can calculate after alcohol is present, and it doesn't take a degree in mathematics. You can use BeerSmith, there's a B3 spreadsheet that will do it for you, and other software is available to do it as well.

I still have a hydrometer, but I rarely use it now that I have a refractometer, unless I want to taste a sample. Here's a good video about refractometers, by Bobby_M.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/refractometer-vs-hydrometer-video-94946/

By fairly complex I just meant that most people won't be doing it in their head.

Taking a gravity reading is really just another way of saying "I want an excuse pull off some beer and taste it" around my place anyways.

Good Grief! Its an epidemic! I broke my hydrometer this past weekend.

Refractometers can be had for $35 shipped on ebay. Search user 'comewithstyle'.

That said, I still have a hydrometer when drawing a sample to taste is my primary objective and I take a gravity reading along the way.

I only pull a sample from primary once (I'm good at waiting a few weeks), and I want to be able to taste it, so I use a hydrometer. I use my refractometer pre-boil and before it goes into the fermenter.

flyangler18 said:

Refractometers can be had for $35 shipped on ebay. Search user 'comewithstyle'.

That said, I still have a hydrometer when drawing a sample to taste is my primary objective and I take a gravity reading along the way.

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All good things come from China

I have one of those ebay refractometers - got it for some fruit growing/wine making experiment. Works like a charm.

I've broken my share of hydrometers as well. There is at least one backup in the drawer at all times. Every time I place an order I make sure I still have a spare. If not, I order one or two. A Refractometer might be a possibility in the near future??

OK - HOW does one break a hydrometer. Seriously. Do you break a lot of light bulbs and glasses also?

I've read in BYO (I believe) that Refractometers are not that good but that's all I know. I still do not understand how you can break a hydrometer though.

I've done 30 batches and not even close. How often do you guys brew to break so many.

You KNOW you are not suppose to run in the house with them right? Or put them out the car window?

I've done 30 batches and not even close. How often do you guys brew to break so many.

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Easy.

Set it on a counter and watch it roll off to its doom.

I broke mine right around batch #30. You've been warned.

I've only broken one so far in 50 batches (according to my brewlog), so I've got a decent track record going so far.

I broke my first hydrometer before I even finished my first batch, so I never did really get to take an OG reading on it. Oh well, the beer still came out fine.

In my case I was careless when putting it back in the plastic tube thingy it came in. I didn't realise that both ends of said tube were capped with a plastic lid that was removable. The lid covering the other opening of the tube popped right out when I dropped the hydrometer in, and the hydrometer crashed on the floor. You'd think there would be a way to make these things out of plastic.

one word: hot water.
seriously dont put a hydrometer in your 120 degree bleach water. as soon as i grabbed the top to pull it out, it snapped in half.
first batch too

benl560 said:

one word: hot water.
seriously dont put a hydrometer in your 120 degree bleach water. as soon as i grabbed the top to pull it out, it snapped in half.
first batch too

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+1 on hot water
the other one = dropped it into a dry hydrometer glass without thinking - cracked the bottom.

:rockin:

Grinder12000 said:

OK - HOW does one break a hydrometer. Seriously. Do you break a lot of light bulbs and glasses also?

I've read in BYO (I believe) that Refractometers are not that good but that's all I know. I still do not understand how you can break a hydrometer though.

I've done 30 batches and not even close. How often do you guys brew to break so many.

You KNOW you are not suppose to run in the house with them right? Or put them out the car window?

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Holy ****...... Not to get off topic here but ive done 20 batches(5gal) since november. Am i an alcoholic? I been brewing for years but i cant believe most of the peoplei talk to on here are on 20 or 30 batch..... I do 50 a year. Now dont get me wrong, i give alot away but i do at least 4 batches a month. Does noone here brew as much as me?

Broke my first hydrometer today. I have a refractometer but still prefer my hydrometer. Brix doesnt jive in my mind and I dont want to get the computer to do a conversion to s.g. while brewing.

Grinder12000 said:

OK - HOW does one break a hydrometer. Seriously. Do you break a lot of light bulbs and glasses also?

I've read in BYO (I believe) that Refractometers are not that good but that's all I know. I still do not understand how you can break a hydrometer though.

I've done 30 batches and not even close. How often do you guys brew to break so many.

You KNOW you are not suppose to run in the house with them right? Or put them out the car window?

Click to expand...

Ha! You're JINXED now.

Just busted my first hydrometer... crushed it under a rolling pin in the sink! Got four batches out of it, hopefully the next one will last longer. Fortunately I already bought the second one, knew it'd just be a matter of time till I broke that fragile little thing.

Well, I broke mine first one today. Batch # 10. I was doing a pm of SWMBO Slayer. I get my SG after mashing and before boiling. Started the boil. Went outside ( I brew in the garage) to wash it and the sample tube. Put the hydrometer in my front pants pocket while I dealt with the sample tube. Near the end of the boil, I was getting stuff ready and couldn't find the hydrometer. Traced my steps mentally and found it in my pocket. I took it out and thought "wow I was lucky not to break that". It was in my pocket for 35-45 minutes. Then I thought I had better put it back in is storage tube when I pulled a GAbrewer.

GAbrewer said:

In my case I was careless when putting it back in the plastic tube thingy it came in. I didn't realise that both ends of said tube were capped with a plastic lid that was removable. The lid covering the other opening of the tube popped right out when I dropped the hydrometer in, and the hydrometer crashed on the floor. You'd think there would be a way to make these things out of plastic.

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DOH!!! I felt like a tool!

So in the fermenator it went without a OG reading. Oh well I was two point above estimated SG preboil and added 4.6 lbs. of DME at flameout, so I am not too worried.