I dont think I care about my OG anymore

[BrewProject]

DAMMIT !!!

3 brews, 2 broken hydrometers.

I'm gonna have to start taking it a little more easy on mine.

First one I broke was sanitizing for my 2nd brew. Lessons learned on that and cramming more equipment into my sanitizing bucket. it was actually the bottle tree i was pushing down into the solution that did it...

Then last night while on my 3rd brew, the SWMBO and I were sharing kitchen space. i went to clear her a spot on the counter and the hydrometer hit the floor. Another lesson learned.

glad i had bought two on my last trip to my LHBS.

From now on, I will keep it seperated and protected until i plan on using it.

 

[G. Cretin]

I keep every thing glass in one pile away from every thing else cause I know I would break stuff. thermometer goes in to the mash then a bucket of bleach water at sparge time.

 

[BrewProject]

I keep every thing glass in one pile away from every thing else cause I know I would break stuff. thermometer goes in to the mash then a bucket of bleach water at sparge time.

I am learning. Those hydrometers are awful fragile.

 

[G. Cretin]

so are thermometers. at least there isn't mercury in hydrometers.

 

[CheaperPlease]

no mercury in thermometers anymore unless you have an old school one, finally somebody found out it does not make sence to put a mercury filled vial in your mouth when sick.

 

[G. Cretin]

I live close to mexico.They're still kind of old school about it.

 

[Desert_Sky]

no mercury in thermometers anymore unless you have an old school one, finally somebody found out it does not make sence to put a mercury filled vial in your mouth when sick.

I have an old lab thermometer I use to cal my digital one. but it comes out of the package, takes a reading an goes right back in. the thing feels delicate as hell

 

[Steve973]

I don't know why anybody wouldn't want to use all the tools available to him/her. We are involved in this hobby because we love beer, and we like to make our own, and in the all grain forum, we like to have the ultimate control and flexibility in our beermaking. We have tons of gadgets and tools for each step of the way. Why would you make any of those tools unavailable? It's not a particular bother to take a gravity reading. As someone else in this thread stated, it's not going to change anything. You just take a reading for informational purposes. If things always go well, just think of it as confirmation and as an ego boost.

But hey, it's your brew day. You are going to do what you want, but I can't imagine why you'd make a informational tool unavailable to you. It certainly doesn't hurt anything, and it doesn't make you any less of a brewer.

 

[Desert_Sky]

But hey, it's your brew day. You are going to do what you want, but I can't imagine why you'd make a informational tool unavailable to you. It certainly doesn't hurt anything, and it doesn't make you any less of a brewer.

why don't I? Did you read my initial post?

My efficiency is the same...everytime. So I dont need it anymore for that.
From my notes and growing experience, I can tell when my beer is done fermenting.

Im homebrewing. Im not a pro......yet If I were to go pro, then yes...I would take readings. Im homebrewing, my beer is fantastic, and yes I can replicate a recipe without a problem.

If you choose to use it, well more power to you. If I choose not to, thats my choice. They aren't neccesary.

 

[cweston]

why don't I? Did you read my initial post?

My efficiency is the same...everytime. So I dont need it anymore for that.
From my notes and growing experience, I can tell when my beer is done fermenting.

...

If you choose to use it, well more power to you. If I choose not to, thats my choice. They aren't neccesary.

I think this sums it up pretty well. I had virtually stopped using it in my extract batches. I'm still relatively new to AG, so I've been using it quite a bit.

I almost never use it after brew day, although I recently took a reading before racking, because I was using a yeast type for the first time (Cal lager), so therefore was less certain of how the fermentation would go.

I think with a small amount of experience, it can be a completely unecessary tool. I do find it valuable when I'm doing something new, and I think it is a good idea for beginners to use it--it's reassuring to see that things are actually working as they're supposed to.

 

[utahusker]

DAMMIT !!!

3 brews, 2 broken hydrometers.

I'm gonna have to start taking it a little more easy on mine.

First one I broke was sanitizing for my 2nd brew. Lessons learned on that and cramming more equipment into my sanitizing bucket. it was actually the bottle tree i was pushing down into the solution that did it...

Then last night while on my 3rd brew, the SWMBO and I were sharing kitchen space. i went to clear her a spot on the counter and the hydrometer hit the floor. Another lesson learned.

glad i had bought two on my last trip to my LHBS.

From now on, I will keep it seperated and protected until i plan on using it.

Why are you sanitizing your hydrometer?

 

[desiderata]

by utahusker: "Why are you sanitizing your hydrometer?"

if you don't have a beer thief, then you need to either sanitize the hydrometer or the hydrometer tube to get a reading, don't you? Instead of getting a sample with the tube (good if you want to taste it, i'll admit), why not just put the hydrometer in the wort itself?

 

[BrewProject]

Why are you sanitizing your hydrometer?

now that i think about it, i assume you are correct.

i do use a hydrometer/taste tube to measure and taste with. so i guess maybe i really don't need to worry about sanitizing either of those items.

thanks, now the hydrometer will just stay in the tube and safely put away, except for the few minutes i actually need to use it.

 

[cweston]

by utahusker: "Why are you sanitizing your hydrometer?"

if you don't have a beer thief, then you need to either sanitize the hydrometer or the hydrometer tube to get a reading, don't you? Instead of getting a sample with the tube (good if you want to taste it, i'll admit), why not just put the hydrometer in the wort itself?

Two reasons:

1. Impossible to do in a carboy, pretty-much. Very difficult to get an accurate reading in an opaque bucket.

2. A much greater sanitation risk: getting a good hydrometer reading in a bucket means getting your fingers very close to the wort. In a carboy it means (at the very least) touching the inside of the neck.

If you don't want to lose the couple ounces it takes to get a reading in the sample tube, then sanitize the tube and the hydrometer and just pour the liquid back in the bucket or carboy when you're done.

 

[Walker]

Damn! I can't believe I missed this thread.

I look at it much like I do using a thermometer to see if my steak is done. I've cooked a lot of steaks, and I don't need a thermometer to tell me when my steak is done. True, I might not cook my steak the exact same way every single time, but I still make a damn good steak every time.

-walker

 

[brewhead]

to all those who are ditching their hydros faster than the femenist movement burned their bras, and to all those who have broken several, and to those who find it a pita to use a hydrometer, why not just spend the $35 and get a refractometer. there are so many advantages of a refractometer over a hydrometer that it makes it well worth the minimal investment

 

[Glibbidy]

Please mail your hydrometers to me, I'm thinking of making a sculpture out of them.

 

[Walker]

to all those who are ditching their hydros faster than the femenist movement burned their bras, and to all those who have broken several, and to those who find it a pita to use a hydrometer, why not just spend the $35 and get a refractometer. there are so many advantages of a refractometer over a hydrometer that it makes it well worth the minimal investment

Hang up my $10 device that I hate and buy a $35 device that I will equally hate?

Hmmmmm... give me some time to think about this one....