Small Hydrometers?

Is anyone aware of a small (short length) hydrometer that might be placed in the small carboys (1-gallon)?

I have a hydrometer but it is 9.5 inches tall. I could use it but I'd have to draw a sample representing a considerable fraction of the total volume which makes me worry about contamination. I thought I remembered there being shorter hydrometers (~4 inches) that one could just toss into the carboy.

Nope. Let us know if you find one.

They make 5 inch hydrometers. I had a few of them but they break so easy.

FermentNEthinG said:

They make 5 inch hydrometers. I had a few of them but they break so easy.

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Do you know who makes/sells them? That would work.

I will have to check and see in the morning for you. I will report back when i get into work and have a look at them.

Looks like Bells has a 5" one here. The range is also a bit narrower.

Thanks jsguitar and FermentNEthinG.

Is a SG range up to 1.080 on the Bell likely to cover most low SG beermaking? I'm really interested in making good basic IPA/APA sorts of beers, not stouts or such. I'm really more interested in determining the end of fermentation in primary, ABV calculations would be nice but not mandatory.

That looks similiar to the one I can get at a liquor store by my house. Yes it does go that high, but doesn't go below 1.000 for wine/cider, not too big of a deal. But I'm not going to use these anymore, I have broke 3 of them in 2 months. Yesterday, i "barely" bumped it, and it still broke.

Thunder_Chicken said:

Thanks jsguitar and FermentNEthinG.

Is a SG range up to 1.080 on the Bell likely to cover most low SG beermaking? I'm really interested in making good basic IPA/APA sorts of beers, not stouts or such. I'm really more interested in determining the end of fermentation in primary, ABV calculations would be nice but not mandatory.

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1.080 is by no means low gravity. I like big beers and have few over this, but use a refractometer for OG, hydrometer for FG. Someone sells an FG hydrometer that has a more detailed scale in the sub 1.020 range.

I usually use a wort thief to pull out samples, to test and taste, as I don't want to risk glass breaking in primary.

I'm somewhat surprised that plastic ones don't exist, though I know the principle of operation and the float volume must be rigid.

I can see why pulling the samples out is the accepted procedure - breaking these things in primary would be sad. It would be great if you could just toss one in a glass carboy and monitor SG at will.

Thunder_Chicken said:

I'm somewhat surprised that plastic ones don't exist, though I know the principle of operation and the float volume must be rigid.

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They do: http://www.coleparmer.com/buy/produ...lycaronate-hydrometers-0-900-1-080-0-002.html But who has $83 to drop on one?

What would keep you from just leaving a VERY well sanitized Hydrometer in the primary?? I'm doing 1-2.5 Gal, so I would rather not pull a thief full every time I need to check SG either. A few of those and you lose a whole bottle which is a very significant percentage of your batch.

dieden187 said:

What would keep you from just leaving a VERY well sanitized Hydrometer in the primary?? I'm doing 1-2.5 Gal, so I would rather not pull a thief full every time I need to check SG either. A few of those and you lose a whole bottle which is a very significant percentage of your batch.

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Well, they'd be impossible to read once covered with krausen, for one thing.

They have wine thiefs where you just put the hydrometer in, and then release the sample back into the primary. That's probably what you'd want.

dieden187 said:

What would keep you from just leaving a VERY well sanitized Hydrometer in the primary?? I'm doing 1-2.5 Gal, so I would rather not pull a thief full every time I need to check SG either. A few of those and you lose a whole bottle which is a very significant percentage of your batch.

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That's exactly the idea. There are two problems with small batches; first, most hydrometers are too tall to fit in the primary; secondly, breakage would trash your entire batch.

Pulling repeated samples out of a couple gallons would bite into your yield pretty quickly, and if you want to return the sample then every test is a potential point of contamination.

GinSlinger - I don't know, $83 for a hydrometer that can actually be used and abused that would help quantify my brewing, I might buy that. Those were still too big though (12"). Right now I'm one of the people that makes the grumpy old men in the forum fume - I am relying on airlock activity to tell me what is going on.

Yooper said:

They have wine thiefs where you just put the hydrometer in, and then release the sample back into the primary. That's probably what you'd want.

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I was not aware of this. You just pull in the sample, read the hydrometer, and let the sample back into the fermenter? That would be something I would be more comfortable, much simpler.

Apparently they are pretty cheap... The only problem is if the primary is too short for the hydrometer itself, I doubt the thief will be able to pull a taller sample.

http://store.homebrewheaven.com/mobile/beer-thief-self-fill-and-return-p144.aspx

Thunder_Chicken said:

I was not aware of this. You just pull in the sample, read the hydrometer, and let the sample back into the fermenter? That would be something I would be more comfortable, much simpler.

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Yes. You'd need a small one for a one gallon jug, though, not the "regular" size.

Or sanitize the test jar well, and sanitize the hydrometer, and the wine thief (or turkey baster) and just return the sample instead of discarding it.

There is this video where the wine thief can pull a taller sample.



It looks like this wine thief has a cap to it so the separate cylinder isn't necessary.

Also, the hydrometer would displace some beer in the thief, raising the level somewhat.

These things are tiny and reading them is a pain. Packaging just says made in the USA. They read up to 1.080. Can't find much about the company who makes them though.

That looks to be about 5"? Probably the same or similar to the ones sold by Ball.

5 inches exactly. I measured it as well.

That inside a turkey baster might do the trick. I need to measure some turkey basters.

Thunder_Chicken said:

There is this video where the wine thief can pull a taller sample.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DlQgomUc54

It looks like this wine thief has a cap to it so the separate cylinder isn't necessary.

Also, the hydrometer would displace some beer in the thief, raising the level somewhat.

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I use this exact thief and just place the hydrometer inside it, or at used to. I don't take too many samples nowadays. I wait 21 days then rack or keg, measure the SG then.

Refractometer?

A refractometer could potentially work, but I have never used one and I don't know how finicky they are. I understand that there are a number of corrections required. A hydrometer is a more direct measure of SG.

Thunder_Chicken said:

A refractometer could potentially work, but I have never used one and I don't know how finicky they are. I understand that there are a number of corrections required. A hydrometer is a more direct measure of SG.

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Not finicky at all.

Measures in Brix multiply by 4 crunch numbers. 15 = 1.060 17= 1.068. FG is not accurate without calculation factoring OG. I use beer smith to do the math for me.