The Hydrometer Blues

Today I used my hydrometer for the first time and coming down the stairs the cap on the testing tube popped off and the hydrometer slid out and smashed on the floor...

Luckily, I had another really nice thermohydrometer so I used that one and after I was finished and was wrapping it in a paper towel for storage it slipped out of my hands and smashed in the sink!

One day, two hydrometers. I think I'm finished with hydrometers because I refuse to ever buy another one...

Don't blame the hydrometers.

It's that damn gravity you need to worry about.

I think I went through 3 hydrometers in my first 2 batches of beer.... Damn hydrometers.....

gravity still works. Smashing you got there!

Go and buy three more. ...and another barrel / carboy

That's funny. Consider yourself lucky, back in 1989 they cost like $45.

atarlecky said:

That's funny. Consider yourself lucky, back in 1989 they cost like $45.

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Damn, Glad I was only 5yo and couldnt brew!!! I prefer paying $8 now

I'm on my third brew and still only on my second hydrometer, and that's only cause the first one that came with my kit was broke when I opened the box and had to take it back and exchange it. I'll probably pick up a backup just in case, but I don't expect to be needing it anytime soon...

This disproves my theory that if you have only one hydrometer it will break, if you have a backup the original will last forever.

I broke my 1st hydrometer on my 2nd batch of wine and bought 3 after that and that was 4 years ago and never broke 1 since. OOOPPPSSS, just jinxed myself!

My refractometer never breaks when I drop it.

I'm super duper carefull with my hydrometer.

Once you learn how fragile they are you will have no more problems because you have learned your lesson.

WBC said:

because you have learned your lesson.

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see you just dont understand me.

refractometers from gainshareexpress are 40 dollars with shipping

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

see you just dont understand me.

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What are you trying to say here?

Im trying to say I dont learn my lesson.

With all this hydrometer breakage posting, I'm just about scared enough to go buy a spare next time I hit the LHBS. Knock on wood...8 batches with no breakage.

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

Im trying to say I dont learn my lesson.

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Well I guess you need a six-pak of hydrometers then.

I was with a fellow while he was brewing a few weeks ago. At the very end of the cleanup, he broke his hydrometer. Since he was brewing in front of the LHBS, I mentioned that I knew where he could get another one. He replied, simply: I break so many hydrometers that my wife got tired of hearing about it and bought me a case of the things. I still have a few more at home."


TL

I have found the carnage of broken equipment has a direct correlation to the amount of home brew I have.

springer said:

I have found the carnage of broken equipment has a direct correlation to the amount of home brew I have.

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I suspect this statement holds true for most in our community.

As for me my first kit bought on ebay was TOTAL CRAP, scratched buckets, broken hydrometer, light rust on the capper, and more. Left that dude some wicked bad feedback. When I finally bought a hydrometer 3 batches in I almost broke the first time out, tipped it and then caught it before it could smash in to a billion tiny menacing pieces! They are some tiny fragile little things.

Schlante,
Phillip

I just broke one the other day during cleanup. It just tapped the side of the sink and the top snapped right off.

thankfully I have another one. I'm brewing today, so let's hope I don't break that one.

OK, I admit it, I have 3 of them now and when I get down to two I will order 3 more. I do have to stay on top of this problem.