hydrometer

[Mr impatient]

Hi everyone, again, and a special hello to Mr bernardsmith for all the help you have given me, well I am at it again and for some reason I have had a total blank on how this little begger (hydrometer) works.

Ok i have been busy with making something to help get me through to next season plus there is still apple wine to make (just waiting for the apples to start falling, this week hopefully). I have one demijohn of blackcurrant one of blackberry and two of rose hip. I added some pectalose yesterday to the blackberry and tested the black currrantto see how it was fairing.

Now as far as I can read the thing the whole batch started at 0.94 which was two marks down from the 90 or three marks higher than 1.100 I do hope you understand all this so far apparently if I twist the hydrometer a bit it will show me the max strength (%) available for the sugar content which was bang on the 15% mark. When I read it yesterday as I checked it over the reading was at 10 six marks down from the 1.000 near the top of the hydrometer just bellow then words "bottle" and "dry".

I have an abv calculator which tells me when I put these figursin that I am at 112% so I am doing something wrong somewhere. I have had feedback on this from bernardsmith before but even going back over my old posts and what you have told me before I think my brain has malfunctioned because for some reason I am at a loss.

Taking the difference between the two comes to 84 which when I divide by 7.362 gives me 11.4% am I right or do I need to go back to school?

 

[myndflyte]

It sounds like you started at 1.094. Don't worry about any of the other numbers on the hydrometer, just look at the gravity because those other numbers just confuse people.

What do you mean 10 six marks down from 1.000?

 

[Mr impatient]

What do you mean 10 six marks down from 1.000?

I do wish I had a camera to take a photo of the thing. When the sugar is all but fermented out the hydrometer sinks down, there are words written on the lining paper inside the thing, one of them is "bottle". I don't know how mant types of hydromiter there are, there do seem to be a few out there, but the paper inside it is coloured. Starting from the top (the end oposit the weighted end) the colours are white, yellow, a black band which runs under the yellow and reads as "10" literally just under the word "bottle". Then white again then a thicker red band then a small white band moving on to a large blue section and finishing with white to just above the weighted section.

The very bottom reading is 120 not 0.120 or 1.20 or 12.0 the verry top reading is 990 but there are five increments (marks) above that that would take it to 980 but that figure isn't there. Between each numbered section there are five marks I would imagine they are worth two of what ever it is they are as there are five of them between each number.

I may have read it wrong because with my reading glasses on the line near the top where it reads 1.000 is a thick one and the yellow section it is on goes to two marks above the 1.000 where there is another line but not as thick. so four of what ever these marks are bellow the 1.000 it reads "10".

My maths says 10 from 94 is 84 divided by 7.362 = 11.4% with room to go but even with all this I am not reading it right because the calculator I have now says 123.4%

Do I stick to my maths or do I need a new brain?

 

[myndflyte]

Does your hydrometer look similar to this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUQIBG0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The colors may not be the same but the numbers should be similar. The 120 reading is 1.120 and the very top is 0.990. Each mark is 0.002. Based on what you've said, your wine started at 1.094. Is your wine currently at the 10 mark? Meaning the gravity is 1.010? If so, use those those 2 numbers to calculate ABV and it's around 11%.

 

[Mr impatient]

Well at least we agree about the 11% so my math is OK, The hydrometer you showed is different to mine, mine does not have beer written on it although it doesn't show the detail like yours did, you can see the markings hovering the curser over it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005LVQA1G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[myndflyte]

Well at least we agree about the 11% so my math is OK, The hydrometer you showed is different to mine, mine does not have beer written on it although it doesn't show the detail like yours did, you can see the markings hovering the curser over it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005LVQA1G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Ah ok, so it's exactly what I was thinking. So the major markings below the 1.100 line are 1.110 and 1.120. Major markings below the 1.000 line are 1.010, 1.020, 1.030, etc with the very top marking being 0.990. Just ignore any words written on them and just use the numbers to gauge where your wine is at and when it needs to be bottled. And if there is a side that tries to tell you ABV, just ignore that as well. Use your gravity numbers to calculate ABV.

 

[bernardsmith]

Yeah - ignore any wording. That is provided to help people who need instructions about what to do next and less to help people read the scale on the hydrometer.

The hydrometer you provided from Amazon UK ignores the decimal point when the significant figures change. So, 120 is really 1.200 and 110 is really 1.100 (if you stand back and look at the "big picture" you can kinda sorta see this.
Remember: the higher UP you go in a hydrometer implies the less dense the liquid the hydrometer is sitting in and so the lower the hydrometer will sit in the liquid (it weighs too much for the density (AKA the "specific gravity" ) of the liquid to support it. The hydrometer tends then to sink lower. The surface of liquid will then cross the hydrometer nearer the top. The more dense the liquid (the more sugar that is still in it) the higher up in the liquid the hydrometer can sit - the density of the liquid being greater and so it is more able to support the weight of the hydrometer) . The liquid then will cross the hydrometer more towards the bottom of the hydrometer. Numbers get smaller as they are inscribed higher up and larger as they are inscribed lower down.The greater the density , the larger the number in relation to 1.000.

The density of all liquids are compared to the density of pure water and pure water (at a specific temperature calibrated for YOUR hydrometer) is given the number 1.000. You add sugar , the density increases (one pound of sugar dissolved in water to make 1 gallon will raise the density by 40 points - ie to 1.040. Two pounds will raise the gravity of that same total volume to 1.080. Two and a quarter pounds of sugar in that same volume will increase the gravity to 1.090 and a starting gravity of 1.090 has the potential to provide you with a wine of about 12% alcohol by volume).

Alcohol is less dense than water and any and all wine will be a mixture of alcohol AND water. Most wines are about 12% ABV, so the density of wine (depending on how much sugar is still unfermented when bottled) is likely to be around 1.000 but it could be as low as 0.996 (or lower) - and that is quite dry or 1.015 (or higher) and that is semi sweet (or off dry).

Hope this helps you see how your hydrometer works but as I say you can ignore the inscribed instructions.

 

[myndflyte]

So, 120 is really 1.200 and 110 is really 1.100 (if you stand back and look at the "big picture" you can kinda sorta see this.

I don't think this is right or you made a typo. The hydrometer already lists 1.100 on a main line so why would 110 under it also be 1.100? I believe that should be 1.110 and 1.120 (not 1.200).

 

[bernardsmith]

You are quite correct. The white band shows 1.100; 1.110; and 1.120 . A careless reading and a typo.

 

[myndflyte]

You are quite correct. The white band shows 1.100; 1.110; and 1.120 . A careless reading and a typo.

No problem. Just wanted to clarify for myself and OP so he can better understand what he's reading on the hydrometer.