How the heck do I read this hydrometer?

[CafeRoaster]

Edit: I think I get it.

Bought this under recommendation from someone. But I don't think it works like normal hydrometers? How do I read this?

 

[mac_1103]

1.052

 

[Tony B]

1.052

That.

 

[wsmith1625]

Looks like you have a triple scale hydrometer. It measure specific gravity, plato, and brix. 1.052 is the specific gravity, and 12.9 is plato.

 

[Halfakneecap]

Damn, i really need to get rid of my plastic hydrometer tube, that glass is so clear!

1.052

 

[worlddivides]

Damn, i really need to get rid of my plastic hydrometer tube, that glass is so clear!

1.052

I was thinking the same thing. I don't think I've ever been able to see a hydrometer reading that clearly.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

I was thinking the same thing. I don't think I've ever been able to see a hydrometer reading that clearly.

100ml borosilicate glass measuring cylinder 30mm inside diameter works with 100ml of wort down to about 1.010, lower than that you need extra liquid to float it.

 

[Zenmeister]

I just looked it up on Amazon. They had the glass cylinders available, but all of them had volume markings on them. I'd love to find ones like the OP pictured.
(Sorry to do a little hijack of the thread, CafeRoaster)

 

[wsmith1625]

I have this one...
Glass Hydrometer Test Tube Jar & Cylinder Brush - Narrow Flask for Alcohol by Volume Test - Moonshine, Homebrew Beer, Home Wine Making Kits, Borosilicate Glass 3.3 https://a.co/d/itkcXp7

 

[PCABrewing]

I have this one...
Glass Hydrometer Test Tube Jar & Cylinder Brush - Narrow Flask for Alcohol by Volume Test - Moonshine, Homebrew Beer, Home Wine Making Kits, Borosilicate Glass 3.3 https://a.co/d/itkcXp7

I like the Protective Safety Ring concept and the brush is a nice touch too.
Have you knocked it over to see if the ring saves the vessel?

 

[IslandLizard]

Have you knocked it over to see if the ring saves the vessel?

Test to be done preferably on a stone countertop, as you may find in a lab...

NOT!

 

[MaxStout]

I like the Protective Safety Ring concept and the brush is a nice touch too.
Have you knocked it over to see if the ring saves the vessel?

I think we need an Exbeeriment to knock over various brands of glass hydrometer jars and see which ones survive. Maybe enlist someone's cat to do the knocking over.

 

[CafeRoaster]

Thanks, everyone!

Here's the one I'm using.

It came with one of those rings as well, but I don't know what that's for. Haha

 

[wsmith1625]

I like the Protective Safety Ring concept and the brush is a nice touch too.
Have you knocked it over to see if the ring saves the vessel?

Nope.

 

[Chorgey]

I thought that the ring was for letting you know how much wort you can use without overflowing.
Over a sink, place water to the brim in the flask, insert hydrometer so that excess water overflows, remove hydrometer and see where the water level is, then slide the ring to that mark.

 

[Ramjet]

That's a nice hydrometer, easier to read than the one I own. Make sure to calibrate it.

 

[InspectorJon]

I have broken almost as many glass graduated cylinders as hydrometers. It is a little harder to read but my plastic one hasn’t broken yet…

 

[FloppyKnockers]

As my eyes age faster than I do, I find it harder and harder to read hydrometers. I all but stopped taking readings. I did find precision hydrometer that only has gravity and the scale range is only 1.000 - 1.070 making it way easier to read. I would include a link, but I bought it from Northern Brewer years ago and they don't seem to have it anymore.

Here's the standard triple scale vs the precision hydrometer.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I did find precision hydrometer that only has gravity and the scale range is only 1.000 - 1.070 making it way easier to read. I would include a link, but I bought it from Northern Brewer years ago and they don't seem to have it anymore.

I searched a number of stores about a month ago for a hydrometer in the 0.980 - 1.020 range (easy measurement of FG with about 4 oz of wort). Finally found one at FH Steinbart (next day order fulfillment and flawless delivery).

They also stock a hydrometer in the 1.000 - 1.070 range.

 

[wsmith1625]

I bought this single scale hydrometer 4 years ago and it's still going strong. Standard gravity from 0.950 - 1.100. The price has gone up a bit, but it's easy to read and has single digit increments.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001X2B4T0?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I see 1.052 where the beer climbed up the hydrometer but 1.053 everywhere else. Which is right?

 

[Chorgey]

I see 1.052 where the beer climbed up the hydrometer but 1.053 everywhere else. Which is right?

It looks like 1.053 at the bottom point of meniscus. It's best to read the hydrometer at eye level

 

[hungupdown]

1.052

Top of the meniscus just reaches 1.052.
But correct reading, is at horizontal line from bottom of meniscus. It looks around 1.054. Hard to tell from the camera angle, but it's definately not 1.052

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

FWIW: I loaded the two images into new tabs (Firefox, Windows 10 Laptop) and zoomed to 500%. (aside: phone camera could do something similar when taking the measurement).

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[Clint Yeastwood]

I still like 1.053! Anyway, we clarified something, so even if we can't be sure what's happening in the photo, we know how to read a hydrometer correctly.

Maybe.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I agree with 1.053. It's not where the liquid touches the glass, it the level of the liquid. Water tension creeps up the side making it look like 1.052

 

[BrewZer]

I have broken almost as many glass graduated cylinders as hydrometers. It is a little harder to read but my plastic one hasn’t broken yet…

Believe it or not, I dropped one onto a concrete garage floor and the darn thing cracked!

Oddly enough, my glass hydrometer was inside it at the time, in its protective plastic tube with paper stuffed at the heavy end and the reading end wrapped in the instructions, and it survived unscathed.

 

[camonick]

Is .001-2 really that big of a deal?

 

[wsmith1625]

Is .001-2 really that big of a deal?

Not really, but it does highlight the difficulty reading the measurement on a triple scale that reads in double increments.

 

[triker]

According to all the unboxing / how-to videos, an important first step is to throw away the instructions. Fortunately for me the instructions for my older French-made tri-scale hydrometer are printed right on the scale inside. It's a bit of an odd duck in some ways that make it easier to use. It is calibrated to read at the top of the meniscus and 20C / 68F (which happens to be the average temperature of my basement laundry brew room). I've never quite figured out why most hydrometers use 60F.

The one major drawback to that French hydrometer is a very scrunched scale, so I recently bought that tall American made hydrometer with the one digit increments mentioned above. I quickly found out that I also needed to purchase the matching tall glass cylinder in order for it to work. I'm relearning how to read at the bottom of the meniscus, but the expanded scale is very nice. After getting left gathering dust on the shelf, my old plastic cylinder decided to jump to the floor in a fit of jealousy and cracked.