Official Broken Hydrometer Count

TheBroonery said:

Never broken one, but I have a question. Is that paper scale anchored in any way other than it being rolled up and pressed against the inside of the glass? what's to keep it from shifting? How do I check the calibration of mine to make sure the paper hasn't moved?

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If you use pure water, it should read 1.000. If not, adjust accordingly.

Oh, and I've seen this thread and thought "Glad that's not me!"; yet here I am reporting that we need to add a +1 to the running total.

zero, but I wish this one would break. it's 2 points off and i keep forgetting that fact...

2 years brewing, 1 hydrometer broken.

Five years and 46 batches, and I've never broken one while brewing. I have had one broken by a friend who knocked it out of the drying rack and onto the kitchen counter.

haven't broken mine yet, but what about thermometers?

I'm already on my second and I've only been brewing since May.

One hydrometer in my house was broken yesterday (not by me), crushed against the side of a large tub of approx 18g star san by a bulky object. Pumped the star san out to other containers at the end of the brew day and filtered/wiped out the remaining shards.

Its been probably 4 years since one got broken, I think 2 broke in the past.

No, I don't think the scale is anchored in most of them.

Put it in distilled water at its calibrated temperature and see if it reads 1.000, to check its calibration. (I just use tap water; it's not going to have enough dissolved stuff in there to read a point higher than it would in distilled.)

I broke one on my 2nd batch! Damn thing stabbed me too.

2 years 4

I've been brewing for almost 4 years and haven't broken one yet. I guess that means I'm due....

on my 2nd one in two years

I've only broken one.
I kept it in the plastic shipping container they come in... Pulled the cap off tube to replace the hydrometer and dropped it in... When I heard it crash on the floor, I realized I took the cap off the other end to get the hydo out... it slid straight through and out the other end.

conpewter said:

I think having an extra one somehow keeps you from breaking the first one.

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Got that right. I've broken two in the past three months (both times washing brew equipment). Unreal how easily they broke. Seems my 3rd one has survived as a result of having a back up.

About to order a 3rd maybe a 4th since Jan. (Kids got the first one and Wife the second)

Wife broke my first one, second is going strong.

Broke one last brew day. On number two right now and it's .002 off. My homebrew shop is junk.

hmmmm, I'm not sure, but quite a few. At least 3 broken ones that I can definitely recall, including one that I broke before I'd used it even once. I bought two now so I'd have a spare. With my luck, I'm never going to need the spare...

If I'd been thinking, though, I probably would have given up on hydrometers altogether:
-place the sample container (a graduated cylinder is perfect) on an accurate kitchen scale (the one you use for measuring out hops, +/- 0.1 grams is good, but the more accurate it is, the smaller the sample size needs to be)
-'tare' the scale
-pour in a measured sample at 'standard conditions' (i.e. 25 degrees C)
-simple math: 1.015, for example, means that 1000mL would weigh 1015g; or 100mL, 101.5g; or a 10mL, 10.15g (isn't metric fun?)

Easier, cheaper, and more accurate than your average hydrometer.

Running Total: 67


Just spent about 20 minutes on hold. Had to do something.

Please include the running total in your post.

Forgot to add mine. +2


69

Just got my second one Friday. +1

70

I've broken 2 (though 1 was done by a friend) + 1 glass thermometer.

72

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

Broke my first one on the second patch I ever made.


73

Finally broke one last night. Something landed on it while sitting in starsan.

That was about a dozen batches worth.

74

I broke mine after three batches, and have made three more successful batches just guessing. Just got a refractometer though, and have yet to try it out.

+1 = 75

ChristianAlpha-RuBrew said:

2 years 4

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Sorry I want to clarify I was in a hurry. I broke 2, and my boys who watch dada play Mad Beer Scientist all the time broke 2.

Notes on 1, dropping a hydrom into a beaker of isoproyl alcohol will not slow down before smashing off the bottom.

Notes on 2, hydroms make great "levels" also cause they roll off anything flat that is NOT level, and you wint forget it.

Notes on 3, They make lossey swords.

Notes on 4, They make great missles.

1 year brewing, 1 hydrometer.

So... 76?

+1 = 77

+1 = 78

I am loving my refractometer right now, haven't used a hydrometer in quite some time.

+2 = 80

I'm currently awaiting my new refractometer from ebay, as I'm done with those damn rolling glass bastards.

+1 = 81

SWTBO put not one, but three pots stacked together on top of my hydrometer, then "didn't think the crunch was anything to be concerned about" so I didn't know it was broken until I was looking to take the OG of a recipe

I was a drunken fool on brewday so I broke one that I really liked. That brings my total broken to two. Since I have not posted on this thread before 81+20=83.

This batch will go untested and I will have to guess on the abv...

Broke another one! Dammit! Had the first one for 5 years. Broke it and 3 weeks later break another one!!!!

= 84

Bought mine in 1996 or 97. Still bobbin....Looking for wood to knock..

Still 84

Didn't break a hydrometer this weekend, but I used a hydrometer to break my glass testing tube for it by dropping it in too hard... doh, stupid pointy heavy end. +0. Cost me about the same to replace the tube though. Only used it twice.

Make that 85.

hydrometers: 1
one-piece glass test jars: 1 (first time using replacement hydrometer knocked it over on tile counter.. doh!!)

a few weeks ago, just cleaned it and put it back in the tube it came in when the bottom of the tube came off and shattered all over the garage floor. I don't get why those tubes have a lid on both ends.
guess that makes 87

Just found one of my hydrometers cracked in my cleaning bucket. Ohh well, i've got more.

88!

Does it count if I lost my hydrometer? lol Finally got around to getting a new one.