Hydrometer cooler

[Brewpastor]

I came across this picture on the web and thought it was a cool Idea. I thought I would pass it along. The idea is a hydrometer tube with a water jacket and a drain. It is a bit geekish but when did that stop me?

 

[Janx]

A bit geekish???

 

[casebrew]

Shouldn't there be a port for a themometer?

 

[Brewpastor]

Shouldn't there be a port for a themometer?

I would have to spend some time figuring out how it would be done. It would complicate the design a great deal as far as I can figure.

 

[RichBrewer]

OK. I'm stumped. What/how does that contraption work?

Does it cool the wort before it's poured into the hydrometer flask?

 

[Lounge Lizard]

Brewpastor,


Janx doesn't advocate the use of hydrometers. He thinks just using one at all is geekish. Just thought you might like to know....

 

[flip143]

Was there any other cool ideas on that site? Pass along the addy so we can all get a view please.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Perhaps there's an inline thermometer on the water supply somewhere...the wort in the tower should eventually equalize to that temperature. It does seem pretty nifty but a bit unavailing if the temperature isn't known to at least a few degrees. Perhaps a floating thermometer is used to measure the wort temperature in the tower, and then replaced with the hydrometer when it's in range.

 

[Brewpastor]

View attachment colored hydrometer.zip

Here is a drawing of this unit. There is an inner tube (red dots) with a valve drain on the bottom (orange). This tube is open at the top and the wort to be cooled and measured is poured in here, just like your hydrometer flask. This tube is jacketed with a second tube (yellow) and water (blue) flows through it to cool the wort in the inner tube.

I have made a number of units similar to this for various reasons and it is a fun project and a copper sweating challenge!