Aquarium hydrometer?

[cbg96]

So, I'm a cheap bastard and I know it. I've been working on compiling equipment for the home brew operation and all and trying to do it as lowball as possible - partly for the fun of the challenge to see what I can get away with, partly to avoid nasty SWMBO Fallout due to money spent on Ridiculous Hobby Why Don't You Just Buy Beer Anyway issues.

Anyhow, I've been thinking I could get away without a hydrometer just by leaving stuff in the primary for at least three weeks before bottling. This was before I brewed up a batch last night and stuck it into my brand spanking new six gallon fermenting bucket. It being six gallons, there's plenty of spare room after a five gallon batch goes in, and plus, it's in the basement where the temp hovers around 65 degrees or so.

Bottom line, I brewed up the batch yesterday afternoon, pitched with yeasties around dinnertime, stuck it in the basement, and this morning no bubbles in the airlock as yet. I've looked at the various OMG!I'VEGOTNOBUBBLES threads, so realize I can wait at least another day or so before I need to worry and things might be delayed because of temperature, but I've also seen that it might not bubble at all and I may need to rely on the hydrometer readings to make sure it's fermenting, etc.

Along with the other various and sundry issues above, I'm curious if I can use an aquarium hydrometer. I'm seeing these at petco for about five bucks for purposes of measuring salinity in water, but seems to me a hydro is a hydro.

Thoughts and comment? Thanks -

 

[StunnedMonkey]

It'd work for measuring the salinity in your beer...maybe. But it's not useful for measuring the gravity of your wort. A pity that stuff isn't interchangable, because I have a marine aquarium refractometer.

 

[Orfy]

Nope.

Different gravity ranges.
Probably get the real job for the same price.

 

[Willie3]

RDWHAHB!

Your yeasties will come to life, trust me you will see!

Without starter and having yeast for over 3 months I have strong activity in fermentor after 45 hours. Just when you think you can't wait anymore you see & hear activity.

I also discovered that the S shaped airlocks are good predictors. Right after you plug (after pitching) you can see when the wort back sucks as the liquid (in my case cheap as vodka) shifts towards the bung then as the pressure builds it moves to escape.

Bloop...bloop...bloop...bloop...bloop every 3 seconds!!!

RDWHAHB!!

- WW

 

[cbg96]

....by way of update, sure enough, I get home from work today, scamper on down to the basement. What do I see? My happy little airlock blurping away - not at a fever pitch, but at a good, solid, happy rate.:rockin:

The yeasties. They know their biz.

 

[evanmars]

what is the sg range on the aquarium hydro?

 

[bad coffee]

1.000 to 1.100 I think. I have a refractometer, and have used it to check the OG. You can't use it to check the FG because the alcohol in the beer messes with the reading.

Just spend the $7 and get the correct tool for the job. Otherwise you can run the risk of bottle bombs.

B