Stupid Hydrometers

Been brewing for 2 years and have broken 3 hydrometers so far. Yesterday while brewing an Amber Ale, once again the tube cracked! Now I have 2 ounces of wort sitting in the fridge until I can get to LHBS to get one on Wed.

I think it is time to upgrade to refractometer!

Do they make plastic hydrometers?

I too got tired of the broken hydrometer when I needed it most. I chose two solutions.

1. Buy two hydrometers instead of one. They are cheap and one in the kitchen drawer will be a God send one day.

2. Bought a refractometer. One of the best things I've ever bought. I can now check my OG immediately without trying to cool a sample in the fridge and checking it 30 minutes later. I don't use it for FG because I don't feel like messing with the conversion charts (that compensate for the alcohol in the beer). And besides, I like sampling the beer from the hydrometer tube.

Good stuff, actually if you look on brewmasterswarehouse.com site, under the one refractometer they sell, there is an application it looks like that does the FG correction for you. I've never used one so I cannot vouch for the validity of the app