An old school how-to for hydrometer testing

[ReverseApacheMaster]

From 1922. Check out the pictures -- not much has changed.


http://books.google.com/books?id=YS..._brr=1&cd=13#v=onepage&q=home brewing&f=false

 

[NorCalAngler]

That's really cool and disappointing that don't have a more sophisticated tool by now. We have blood glucose monitors so why can't we have inexpensive digital wort sugar tool. Put the wort on a test strip, insert in a pocket size machine that spits out the reading... easy breezy.

 

[jgbrown]

Keep scrolling down, now I know what to do with all those rubbers.

 

[snevey]

Love how they are talking about how useful Asbestos is down even further... And using Cyanide mixed in water to kill Japanese beetles. No wonder we have Cancer today...

 

[Sedge]

That's really cool and disappointing that don't have a more sophisticated tool by now. We have blood glucose monitors so why can't we have inexpensive digital wort sugar tool. Put the wort on a test strip, insert in a pocket size machine that spits out the reading... easy breezy.

Ok I'm not going to go super in depth here, but having worked in a microfabrication and microfluidics lab I'll tell you that it is extremely time consuming, frustrating and expensive to make such devices. We're talking emerging technologies here. Most universities don't even do microfab research.

The blood glucose monitors are only able to have a low price tag now because of the years and years of research and development that has brought the technology to this point, coupled with the thousands and thousands of units they are able to sell subsidized by patients' health insurance.

It would take deep pockets indeed to get the ball rolling on a maltose level indicator geared towards the ridiculously small (by comparison) brewers market. Refractometers are as good as it gets for us I'm afraid.

 

[KillerKellers]

This was too cool! I found the article really interesting, especially the stuff about one half of one percent.

Scrolling through the other articles was cool too. I read it last night, going to read some more tonight!

 

[TVarmy]

This is sad. We're about 10 inches away from medical tricorders (GOOGLE LAB ON A CHIP, SHEEPLE!), but the best solution for homebrew is a $60 gizmo or a glass tube that breaks if you look at it funny.

Anyone have at least a favorite brand or variety of hydrometer? My $7 one from the LHBS has always been a hair unreliable, reading about 5 degrees too high. I don't want to spend any more unless I know the next one will work for at least a little while. After all, I also need to save up for a big pot, a wort chiller, a turkey fryer, and after that, probably a bigger fermenter, and so on.

 

[TVarmy]

Did they change that 1/2 of one per cent law? Because I think a few of my homebrewed beverages have gone past that... I'm gonna go dump some bottles in the toilet...

 

[shortyjacobs]

Did they change that 1/2 of one per cent law? Because I think a few of my homebrewed beverages have gone past that... I'm gonna go dump some bottles in the toilet...

lol, it was called Prohibition...

On a side note, what happens when you put a drop of wort on an actual blood glucose meter? Any diabetics out there wanna give it a shot?

I mean, I know the individual readings would be nonsensical...but a simple afternoon with a flask, some DME, and some water would allow you to build a calibration curve rather quickly if it's sensitive in the right range...