Hydrometer Usage

[thedailyaustin]

I've seen a lot of people on the forums advocating the use of hydrometers so I went to my brew shop to purchase one and the owner told me he doesn't use one and doesn't think its really needed. He's been brewing for over 20 years, and he is the owner so I figure he knows his stuff.

I bought a hydrometer anyways and intend to use it, but I was just wondering if there are any experienced brewers on the forums that don't use hydrometers?

 

[DeathBrewer]

brewing takes time. the only way to know FOR SURE that your beer is finished fermenting is to take an hydrometer reading. this is especially important for high gravity brews, cuz if you transfer or bottle too quickly, you can experience a stalled fermentation, or worse yet...bottle bombs.

however, if you are patient and give the beer time, it will finish.

i am not exactly an advocate of the 1-2-3 method (although it does work for most brews.)

i usually leave my beer in the primary for two weeks, then transfer to secondary....or leave it in the primary for 3+ weeks. that should always give it enough time to do the job (except, like i said, for BIG beers this may be different.)

hydrometer readings are also important because you can determine the alcohol content of the beer and you can calculate attenuation (which may be more important for all-grain)

basically, you are not being as thorough and you may be taking a risk without using an hydrometer, but you can do it, no problem. but, why wouldn't you? what's wrong with a little science? it gives you more into depth with the process and whenever you take a sample for a reading...you can taste it and see how the beer is coming along.

i think it's worthwhile

 

[shafferpilot]

Ask that guy a question like: when was the last time you brewed something new or different and I bet he'll tell you he's been making the exact same beers for over a decade. Good old boys are like that. They find one thing they like and never ever change again. That's boring and lazy. Since he's doing everything the same time after time, he knows how to do it blind folded and without any measurements. So what? Find your own way and try to avoid making the same beer twice. For Christ's sake, who wants their hobby to get old and stale??? not me.

 

[DeathBrewer]

cheers to that. i don't think i've ever made the EXACT beer twice. i've brewed my Blood Ale 8 times now, but i change it up a little each time. and you know what...it gets better every time

 

[thedailyaustin]

I would ask him that but he is giving me 4 cases of 12 oz bottles for free on Thursday so I don't want to upset him. Haha. I plan on using my hydrometer because I see many advantages to it and the only disadvantage he could give me was that it was an extra piece of equipment to sanitize. And honestly what's an extra minute or two to sanitize something to insure your brew comes out the very best it can.

 

[videoman]

Excactly... certainly sanitizing a hydrometer is no big deal.

Once I pick or design a recipe, I like to meet the exact specifications that are called for and work hard to do that... how else will you know you did a good job without using a hydrometer?

Sounds like old school to me too.

 

[JamesKY]

Did you also pick up one of those little tubes to put a sample of wort/beer into when you measure with the hydrometer? If you did then you really don't need to bother with sanitizing it unless you plan on putting your sample back into the fermenter.

I have to steal 1/4 cup whenever I take a hydrometer reading and I usually take three readings per batch so I don't waste a lot and I don't have to sanitize.

 

[PseudoChef]

You don't even need to sanitize a hydrometer unless you're dropping it straight into the wort. I would go the path of a thief to pull samples...but then I guess you're sanitizing that, eh?

/feels stupid now and is going to stop typing...

 

[Revvy]

I always just drop my hydrometer into the theif and sanitize them both together.

 

[Bobby_M]

There are brewers who take a RDWHAHB approach and just kinda let it happen. They're usually the same type that don't really ever upgrade or change their equipment unless something breaks. I actually enjoy analyzing my progress, and tinkering with equipment and would get bored very quickly with the hobby if it was just about making beer.

 

[mr x]

I always use my hydrometer. Especially useful tool to analyze your system. After a lot of years brewing the same brews, it may have become of marginal use for your LHBS guy. Or maybe he just got tired of breaking them.

 

[Beerthoven]

I use my hydrometer all the way through the brewing process (AG, anyway). It helps me dial in my system to become a better brewer.

Pre-boil gravity tells me my extract efficiency and what adjustments I need to make to hit my target OG.

Post-boil gravity tells me how close I got to target OG and gives me a baseline for calculating attenuation and ABV.

A few days after the krausen falls I take a reading to assess fermentation. Maybe one more reading a few days later if I think SG might fall a few more notches. This reading assures me that attenuation is finished (avoid bottle bombs) and calculate ABV.

I may or may not take a reading at bottling time depending on how curious I am and how bad I want to taste a sample.

 

[david_42]

One of the problems with hydrometers is beginners will get freaky readings because they didn't mix the wort well enough. But, for determining if a fermentation is complete, there isn't any other way. I like to take a sample after pitching and then leave it sit next to the fermenter. It's fun to watch the reading change. The sample almost always ferments faster than the main, but the FG will be the same.

 

[loopmd]

I've seen a lot of people on the forums advocating the use of hydrometers so I went to my brew shop to purchase one and the owner told me he doesn't use one and doesn't think its really needed. He's been brewing for over 20 years, and he is the owner so I figure he knows his stuff.

I bought a hydrometer anyways and intend to use it, but I was just wondering if there are any experienced brewers on the forums that don't use hydrometers?

Where's Janx when you need him?

I have one, used it a couple of times. I've never used one since. What usually happens is you get a bunch of people who are passionate about both sides of the argument and this has been debated on here many, many times. Usually it is someone in a panic about not hitting their #'s. In this case, I say throw the hydrometer out and enjoy the experience of brewing your own beer and cosuming it without freaking out about hitting/not hitting your #'s. If you like to use one to enjoy the hobby and add to it, then I'm all for using one. I just hate to see nOObs trying to use one and getting upset about not hitting their #'s.

sorry for the mini rant

Loop

 

[homebrewer_99]

I use a hydrometer in every step of my process.

If you don't you are only guessing. With each guess you have to live with the consequences of your mistakes.

Is it necessary? No, but I highly recommend them.

 

[BierMuncher]

...Is it necessary? No, but I highly recommend them.

Ditto...

Hydrometers are to a brewer what flight instruments are to a pilot.