Odd gravity reading -1.030

Pre-frementation I had 1.060 after 2 weeks I keep getting -1.030. What does this mean. I can't find any info about a negative reading and how would I throw this into a calculation .?

Do you have a picutre? i can' tthink of a hydrometer that would be at a homebrew shop that would have that much of a negative scale.
Also, the negative should be like .990, shouldn't start with a 1. something

Are you using a Hydrometer?

Pictures would help if that is the case.

It can't be negative because relative gravity is a ratio. More or less dense than distilled water at 60 degrees F.

I'll post a pic when i get when I get home, yes it is a hydrometer .= )
I did several test and all came up -1.030

I'd love to see this hydrometer that shows negative values. Might revolutionize my Saisons.

Google it you might learn something = )

A guy at my work makes wine , he was saying its common to have a negative reading when its wine cause alcohol is lighter the water. Which make sense cause I dump in a lot of sugar.

More of Jesus... this dude is turning cider into shine!

I have nothing more to contribute as I have no idea. Lol

You can have a negative reading in Brix or Plato. But not in specific gravity. Negative SG doesn't even make sense at all. It's literally impossible.

http://www.rochesterwinemakers.org/...-articles-by-members/how-to-use-a-hydrometer/
Here is one page that talks about negative readings

Yes, and it says that you can only have negative readings on the Brix or "Percent Alcohol" scale, not Specific Gravity.

Where would a negative reading be on a hydrometer that is measuring specific gravity? If the gravity of the must starts at say 1.090 (+/- a gallon of water with a little more than 2 lbs of sugar dissolved in it) and the yeast works on the dissolved sugar and so the gravity drops until the wine has about the same density as water (1.000 - still SOME sugar in it, but a fair amount of alcohol) and it continues to drop until there is no trace of fermentable sugar left and the density of that liquor is now less than water because alcohol is not as dense as water and so the gravity reading might be 0.996. Point nine nine six is not zero and zero will be less dense than 100 percent pure alcohol ( 1= water, .996 is a typically dry wine). A gravity reading (specific gravity as a unit) of MINUS 1.030 is... is ... well it's beyond my imagination... An hydrometer measuring density is simply not designed to measure that lack of density. I don't know if the vacuum on the moon would have that kind of "density".

I'll take a picture of my hydrometer when I get home, Im not making it up it has a negative value up to 40,i dont know what else to tell yoy you.

blazingsun81 said:

I'll take a picture of my hydrometer when I get home, Im not making it up it has a negative value up to 40,i dont know what else to tell yoy you.

Click to expand...

You simply CAN'T have a negative specific gravity. It is impossible. Some measurements simply cannot be negative. Specific gravity is one of these measurements. The specific gravity is a ratio of the density of a substance to the density of pure water.

If your density is less than pure water, than it won't be negative. It will simply be less than 1 (but greater than 0).

The only possible explanation is that you're reading your hydrometer incorrectly. I'd be very interested in seeing a picture of your hydrometer reading. My guess is that your hydrometer has several scales on it, and you're reading the wrong one. Or maybe there is a scale next to it that has dashes that are resembling a negative symbol to you.

That's probability it , more then one scale

After some more research on this I discovery that I am a idiot and don't know how to use a hydrometer = ) . thanks everyone for your info