Damn hydrometer!

[LoreleiHI]

So I was setting everything up in the kitchen for Brew Day tomorrow, and decided to check calibration on both my thermometer and hydrometer.

Thermometer is perfect, no worries there.

I pick up the hydrometer case, open it, tip in carefully in my hand...and see liquid slosh inside. /facepalm I look it over carefully--yep, hairline crack. Damn it.

Now I really should drive the 20-odd miles to pick up a new one before I start brewing tomorrow--if they're even open. >< I wanted to get an early start!

 

[FirstStateBrewer]

Only if you want to know how well you mashed. Otherwise, just brew it!

 

[Grossy]

Are you brewing extract or grain?

If it's extract you really can get away without it. Even all grain, whats the worse that can happen? You wont know your efficiency, which means your IBUs might be off a little.

Here is the only real draw back, without the hydrometer, you wont know your numbers. You need those numbers to figure out what you did right and what you did wrong. You will not be able to diagnose and learn from any problems.

Once upon a time people brewed great beer without hydrometers.

 

[Special Hops]

I have brewed many batches of extract without a hydro. Just use whatever the recipe says as your OG.

And even with few all-grains. I like to have one to get a feel for the OG and efficiency. But if you are fairly certain in your process it's not necessary. I finally switched to a refractometer after busting my third in in a year.

 

[LoreleiHI]

This is my 2nd brew, and my first all on my own (I had a brew day with a friend, he did AG and walked me through extract w/ grains).

This recipe I worked up on my own, modifying a NB recipe. It's extract w/ grains. I'm pretty solid on process, since I read constantly, and have done it once (with great explanations). But I wanted to have the reading for my notes.

I guess it will be okay, as long as I get one for bottling (I won't bottle w/o being sure that it's stopped dropping, I can't risk broken bottles!).

Oh, recipe:

Pilsen Light LME 6.6 lbs
Honey Malt 12 oz
Victory Malt 4 oz
Cluster hops 1oz, 60 min
Nottingham yeast (if my American ale keeps not waking up, it seems rather dead after a hot car trip)

I have an OG of 1.050-1.051, depending on the program I use. And yes, I'm going for a malty brew, otherwise I'd use the Chinook I have.

Anyway, thanks!

 

[downtown3641]

If you're planning on going all-grain at any point in the future. I'd recommend picking up a refractometer. Some people will insist that you need to use the hydrometer for readings durning and after fermentation. Personally, I've checked post-fermentation readings with my refractometer against a hydrometer and have never had any differentiation. Given a standard homebrew-grade hydrometer, my ability to read it probably has a margin of error of about plus or minus one point, anyway. If I had a professional-grade set of hygrometers that allowed greater precision, it would be a different story. But, I doubt using the refractometer and correcting the FG is any less accurate than using a cheap hydrometer.

Yes, I went off on a tangent.

Practical advice for the extract brewer: Hydrometers are cheap. Buy two.

 

[BrewingReverend]

Honestly, you should get one next time you get a batch or are near the store. However, it is not necessary to make tasty beer. I have brewed probably ~50 batches of AG and Extract without one when they were broken, missing, or I was too drunk and forgot to take readings and I have enjoyed the beer anyway.

 

[beergolf]

You should be fine. With an extract recipee it is near impossible to miss your OG. The only way is to get your volumes waaaaaaay off.

Definitely get one before you bottle though.

 

[mtnrider]

Hydrometers are cheap. Buy two.

+1 It'll nearly guarantee you won't break another.

 

[LoreleiHI]

Yep. Made my way to the LHBS and bought two. The owner knew exactly why, lol.

 

[aubiecat]

+1 It'll nearly guarantee you won't break another.

This and a refractometer.

 

[mtnrider]

yeah...I've come to the realization that a refratometer needs to be my next brew gadget...now just doing a little reading and figuring out which one.

 

[allthingsgiant]

I bought the cheapy refractometer from eBay. Like $20 or so. If you pay more, it's luxury tax.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Brix-Re...000?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a74fdc3f8

Can't go wrong for a really good estimate pre-boil SG. You will get slight variability with each read (usually like a 0.7 Brix spread). I take the average of three readings, and my SG into fermenter is always real close within a point or two of what Beersmith predicts (unless my efficiency is whack). Realize that, say a 13.5-14.2 reading is only a difference of one point. Big deal. Take the average.

Best of all, there is no temperature correction needed for calculating SG in hot wort. Hydrometers are only needed if alcohol is present in the liquid. Refractometers don't work well there. And the best advice was mentioned: always own two hydrometers.

 

[Wreck99]

I know the feeling. This happened to me not too long ago. I'm buying 2 next time I goto the LHBS lol.

 

[Special Hops]

Just but the bullet on a refractometer on e-bay after I broke my last one. 28 bucks shipped.

That's 4 $7 hydros. Which is how many I have broken the last few years.