Hydrometer reading mystery?

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Chuck_Swillery

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I'm finishing up my sparge and took a hydrometer reading in both the brew kettle and in a hydrometer vial. The temp in the kettle is currently 118 and change and when you put it in the hydrometer vial drops right down to 109 and change. The mystery is when I take the reading right in the kettle its 1.042 but in the vial its 1.032 which even after correction is a pretty big difference. Thoughts?
 
For comparison - I did just another check...


117.1 in the kettle, reading 1.042, corrected 1.052.
106.0 in the vial, reading 1.034, corrected. 1.041

I made sure the hydrometer wasn't catching/sticking to the edge of the vial, etc. Curious issue!
 
Obviously its a density issue. (edit) I posted a steam/ice comparison but then noticed your gravities are opposite to what I would have thought. I wouldn't trust the reading till you are at pitching temps.
 
Buy a refractometer if you want to take readings of hot wort. Save the hydrometer readings for pitching temps and final gravities.
 
I don't ever take a hydrometer reading unless the wort is below 90 and preferably around 70. While I brew, I keep a small saucepan in the freezer so that whenever I need to take a reading, I can just pour 3-4oz in the pan, swirl for 2mins, and it's usually between 70-90. Using this method, I've been able to calculate post-boil readings within .002.
 
I don't ever take a hydrometer reading unless the wort is below 90 and preferably around 70. While I brew, I keep a small saucepan in the freezer so that whenever I need to take a reading, I can just pour 3-4oz in the pan, swirl for 2mins, and it's usually between 70-90. Using this method, I've been able to calculate post-boil readings within .002.

I do close to the same, I have a pan full of ice water with a measuring cup in it that I keep in the freezer, add the hot wort into a measuring cup. Easy for taking multiple readings over time since all you have to do is wash out the measuring cup.

Same general concept, same results :)
 
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