No Longer Use Hydrometer

[cheezydemon]

I don't know if I have just been lucky or what.

Over my first 6 or 7 brews, I never saw anything surprising from my hydrometer readings.

Now (25 or so brews later) I still haven't used it since that 7th batch.

I have had no problems whatsoever.

I think I really stopped because I was constantly trying to get an accurate reading without wasting a whole sample.

I decided that a tiny thread attatched when I dropped it in the fermenter added a small amount of weight that could throw it off.

Letting it just stay in the fermenter, it collected a small amount of gunk that I would guess threw the reading off.

In the end I have had no problem whatsoever.

I always use WL liquid yeast. I am not saying that it is that significant, I have just never had a stuck fermentation or bottle bombs.

Just sharing. Let the criticism ensue!(if anyone cares)

 

[Parker36]

I have definately limited the number of times I take readings and don't really stick to the three in a row measurements technique so much anymore (mostly because I let it go in primary for atleast 2 weeks before secondary for a few more) and also because taking so many (especially when I first started) led me to getting like 4-4.5 gal at the end.

 

[Evan!]

Whatever works for you. That first time you end up with bottle bombs is gonna suck, though.

 

[Revvy]

No criticism here...the difference between you and a n00b who is going by airlock bubbling and panicking that their beer isn't fermenting OR won't use it because they are afraid of opening the bucket, is that you have enough experience to know what's going on.

You are also consistently using the same yeast, so you know the characteristics of it as well....I'd say after 25 beers you can read fermentation pretty well.

 

[EdWort]

I still do because I like to know my efficiency and I like to know ABV % so I can warn people.

 

[Chriso]

You know, I can't convince myself to keep doing it either. I try, I really do. But it's a pain. By the time I've chilled and collected my wort, and then started to clean up, I just don't have the attention to detail to do something that could potentially infect my brew. Plus, I've accidentally got into the habit of pitching my yeast immediately on my way in the door, and sealing the lid... then remembering about the hydro sample.

I'm not worried from an end-of-fermentation standpoint, because I A) leave it in primary for 3 weeks and B) keg, so bottle bombs don't matter. But it means that I never know my OG or FG for any given recipe.

Part of why I've been avoiding my hydrometer, though, to tell you a secret...........is because I don't want to know how sh!tty my efficiency is. I've been ballparking it at 65% but I think I keep coming in under, even at that percentage.
(Yesterday's wheat should have been 1.045 at 65% brewhouse eff., I tried to take an eyeballed reading through all of the foam, and I think it was around 1.038. Maybe more, maybe less, I gave up trying to read through the foam.)

Once it cools off outside, I'm going to start making a very concerted effort to re-brew simple, controllable recipes, and try to hone my procedure. For now, I'm just trying to A) make beer and B) not die of heat stroke in the process.

 

[quickerNu]

I like to know my abv, for warning others, and planning my Sundays....
I don't bother with several samples, I leave everything in the primary at least 2 weeks, so unless I have an unusually high FG, I bottle.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I take two readings per batch...once before pitching, and once before kegging/bottling. The FG is always almost exactly where I expect it to be. After all the batches I've done, I have a pretty good idea of when fermentation is done. It helps that I make fairly staightforward beers (nothing with exotic sugars or other ingredients) and that I leave everything in primary three weeks or more at carefully controlled temperatures.

Actually, I even skip the first hydrometer reading, now that I've learned to trust my refractometer...no more wasted samples. I still use the hydrometer for the final reading, but that sample gets chilled and consumed!

 

[DeathBrewer]

I don't know if I have just been lucky or what.

Over my first 6 or 7 brews, I never saw anything surprising from my hydrometer readings.

Now (25 or so brews later) I still haven't used it since that 7th batch.

I have had no problems whatsoever.

I think I really stopped because I was constantly trying to get an accurate reading without wasting a whole sample.

I decided that a tiny thread attatched when I dropped it in the fermenter added a small amount of weight that could throw it off.

Letting it just stay in the fermenter, it collected a small amount of gunk that I would guess threw the reading off.

In the end I have had no problem whatsoever.

I always use WL liquid yeast. I am not saying that it is that significant, I have just never had a stuck fermentation or bottle bombs.

Just sharing. Let the criticism ensue!(if anyone cares)

yeah, but what percentage is your beer?

I use a refractometer for OG now...only takes a few drops...and i don't having a problem with taking a sample for FG. It wastes a VERY small amount. and no there is no chance of contamination.

hell, you're going to drink it anyway. why not taste how it's coming along?

but YES, you can make beer just fine with no hydrometer and a bit of patience.

 

[conpewter]

What is this "waste a sample" about? Generally for other than my OG reading it is beer by the time you are sampling... you arn't pouring beer down the drain are you?

 

[cheezydemon]

I take a sample by inserting a long straw in the fermenter and putting my finger over the end to pull out a tablespoon or so.

If it tastes done, it is done. It always has been. I assume that it would be sweeter than expected when not done.

I don't expect bottle bombs from a sample that tastes like it should. I also let them go way longer than expected by at least 2 weeks or so.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I only check after boil on the way to primary, when I transfer to secondary, and at bottling. The only reason I check is for abv and curiosity. I have never had a surprise or stuck fermentation so far. I feel like taking a bunch of samples is just a waste of future HB. I don't pour the sample beer, but a fermentation temp, flat, uber green beer doesn't rank very high on my enjoyability scale, so I pretty much say that is wasted beer.

 

[Roasty]

I only check after boil on the way to primary, when I transfer to secondary, and at bottling. The only reason I check is for abv and curiosity. I have never had a surprise or stuck fermentation so far. I feel like taking a bunch of samples is just a waste of future HB. I don't pour the sample beer, but a fermentation temp, flat, uber green beer doesn't rank very high on my enjoyability scale, so I pretty much say that is wasted beer.

+1 to everything he just said. I knew I couldn't be the only one who "tastes" his samples, but doesn't drink all of it. I find them to be pretty nasty, generally.

 

[BarleyWater]

I check my pre-boil gravity to know if I need to boil a little longer to reach my target OG, and I check my OG. Other than that, I am pretty lazy about taking readings now though. I know when it's ready to transfer and bottle at this point in my brewing, and I can guess as to about the FG by taste. As long as I know my OG, I can estimate Alc% within a few points.

 

[BarleyWater]

+1 to everything he just said. I knew I couldn't be the only one who "tastes" his samples, but doesn't drink all of it. I find them to be pretty nasty, generally.

When people say there samples taste "good", I assume it means like it should. It doesn't taste bad to me, but it's not something I would want a glass of.

 

[Philip1993]

I take two readings per batch...once before pitching, and once before kegging/bottling. The FG is always almost exactly where I expect it to be. After all the batches I've done, I have a pretty good idea of when fermentation is done.

+1. Except now that I've recently switched to AG, I take a few samples during the process to check my progress and success.

 

[cheezydemon]

Even my AG ventures have gone just fine. I am not saying that it will never backfire, but I can't see how it would.

The next imperial stout or IIPA I do will probably use 2 readings. I will do both with the thread taped on so that I waste no brew and the difference in readings should be accurate even if the thread weighs a tiny bit.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I've wandered about just leaving the hydrometer in the carboy after primary fermentation was complete and krausen had fallen back down. Only downfall is if you ahve more than one brew going at the same time or want to brew antoher before that one is done.

 

[budbo]

I only check the pre-boil to keep track of efficiency, and like Barley see if I need to add some fermentables or even dilute the final product (for lighter beers, I will dilute them if I over shoot OG by too much)

 

[NitrouStang96]

Beersmith calculated my original and final gravities 100% accurate three batches in a row. I am patient and don't rush to get my beer out of primary - I have been leaving it for 4-7 weeks and stopped taking readings as well. I know what the gravities and ABV are going to be - Beersmith tells me.

 

[Bob]

All of you guys who talk about leaving your hydrometer in the fermenter -

WTF!? Have you never heard of test jars? You know, those things in your LHBS right next to the hydrometers that look like the graduated cylinders you used in middle-school science class? The things that are all of, like, $4?

When I started brewing 15 years ago, my kit came with a hydrometer and test jar. Have we gone retrograde, or do we just not use test jars anymore?

Cheers,

Bob

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

All of you guys who talk about leaving your hydrometer in the fermenter -

WTF!? Have you never heard of test jars? You know, those things in your LHBS right next to the hydrometers that look like the graduated cylinders you used in middle-school science class? The things that are all of, like, $4?

When I started brewing 15 years ago, my kit came with a hydrometer and test jar. Have we gone retrograde, or do we just not use test jars anymore?

Cheers,

Bob

We use test jars. It would be nice if you could just drop your hydro in the fermenter and check your gravity with a simple glance, but it doesn't work because junk builds up on the glass and you can't read the lines. Everyone still uses sample jars.

 

[Bobby_M]

I brew to 5.5 gallons anyway in anticipation of sampling. I'll grab a sample when the beer is flowing into the fermenter. I'll grab a sample if it's a batch I secondary. I'll do a final check when racking to keg. That's all about 12oz of beer total and the latter two a fully enjoyed.

When you're brewing all grain, the fermentability is highly dependent on your mash temp/length so I like to verify that I did what I wanted to do.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yep. like i said earlier, there's no way to test for mash efficiency or attenuation without an hydrometer. Final Gravity all depends on the yeast you use and how fermentable you wort is.

 

[Bob]

We use test jars. It would be nice if you could just drop your hydro in the fermenter and check your gravity with a simple glance, but it doesn't work because junk builds up on the glass and you can't read the lines. Everyone still uses sample jars.

Well.....

I decided that a tiny thread attatched when I dropped it in the fermenter added a small amount of weight that could throw it off.
Letting it just stay in the fermenter, it collected a small amount of gunk that I would guess threw the reading off.

I've wandered about just leaving the hydrometer in the carboy after primary fermentation was complete and krausen had fallen back down. Only downfall is if you ahve more than one brew going at the same time or want to brew antoher before that one is done.

Okay, that's only two, but it's still brewers apparently not using sample jars. I'm not snarking; I'm just wondering why not? Even the crappy books back when I started didn't tell you to just drop the hydrometer into the fermenter.

Bob

 

[Desert_Sky]

I made a similar thread a while back

I rarely used one. However, when I finished my Brutus Ten I broke down and got another one. Just finished my 6th batch and have been getting 80 - 81% every time. Im not worried about 1% in efficiency, I know where my OG will be now.

Evan! pointed out about bottle bombs. Good point, and I guess If you bottle condition your beers then yes you should check if for nothing else but from a safety standpoint. I keg so it means nothing to me. If I were to finish a few points to high, well theres nothing Im going to do about it anyways, its still going into the keg when it stops.

I still have one, and I will use it if i remember to pull a sample. If I dont, well it's not the end of the world. I can toss it and Ill still produce consistent quality beer. But if you are just starting out brewing, by all means keep testing. You will never know if you are coming up short without it.

 

[SteveM]

I'm another who doesn't bother with the hydrometer. There's nothing special about my brewing, I'm just an extract guy and mostly what I make is real hoppy IPAs and American Ales. I'm happy with my approach in that it (so far) has never failed in somewhere between 50 and 100 batches.

 

[mykayel]

After I pitch my yeast, I oxygenate my beer and stirr, then I take a sample (in a sample jar) for my OG reading. I don't throw out that sample but rather just place it next to my fermenter covered with a paper towel that I soaked in starsan and let it ferment out. I use that for my final gravity reading. If it gets infected, no big deal but I'll have a close final gravity reading without taking a sample from my primary.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Well.....
Okay, that's only two, but it's still brewers apparently not using sample jars. I'm not snarking; I'm just wondering why not? Even the crappy books back when I started didn't tell you to just drop the hydrometer into the fermenter.

Bob

Actually its not 2. I didn't say i DO this, I said I've wandered about. Please re-read my post. I DO use a sample tube. it doesn't bother me to pull a littel from the final product. My only gripe is the initial readings to see if it is ready to transfer (If doing a secondary). Especially if I only do 5 Gallons in a 6.5 gallon carboy. The turkey baster I use doesn't reach down to the wort and I have to tilt it quite a bit with one arm, while trying to draw a sample with the other take 5-6 drawings from it with my turkey baster. PITA! I know I should get a Wine Thief, but they're so expensive for what they are! My LHBS wants like 15 bucks for a long plastic tube! I'm find with the "just leave it for a month or two then transfer assuming it's done but you wouldn't catch a stuck fermentation this way!

 

[Teacher]

I still do because I like to know my efficiency and I like to know ABV % so I can warn people.

Same here. I'm a bit obsessive about recording things I'm working on (not just beer, but also photography and woodworking projects), and this allows a great degree of precision in my notes.

 

[bgrubb7]

I use my hydro for preboil readings to see if I'm coming close up to my BeerAlchemy numbers.

I use it right before going into the Primary, and I take a final gravity before bottling, so I can calculate my ABV.

For most of my beers I leave them in the primary for 2 weeks then go to a secondary for 2 more. I'm not worried about bottle bombs at that point. The only time I bother with Hydro reading from the primary are if I'm doing a quick brew, where I'm bottling straight from the primary or if I'm using a new yeast that I am not familiar with.

 

[olllllo]

If anyone has read Jeff Sparrow's Wild Beers....

Do you get the sense that many of those commercial lambic brewers DO NOT use a hydrometer?

The book details OG and FG but the brewer comments seem to imply that they take an OG reading and then it's all by their senses from day 1 to year 3.

 

[thewurzel]

Personally I like to only take a sample before pitching and one before keging. As its noce to know efficiency and ABV.

I use a wine thief and usually put sample back in before pitching yeast, and always drink it before keging, nice to know what it tastes like and it is only a couple ounces of beer.

 

[vfinch]

I take a sample:
-Pre-boil to check efficiency
-Pre-pitching
-Just before racking to secondary
-Before bottling/kegging

I always clean and sanitize my hydrometer, tube and sampler so I have no qualms about dumping the sample back into the batch. I've never had an issue, and I don't lose any beer. As well, I always take a small portion to taste. I don't find taking the samples that much of a chore (10mins tops each, with cleaning up??).

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Like Bobby, I brew 5.5 gallons to account for samples (as well as wort loss to trub). I always take a reading when the wort is going into primary, then I take another when I keg.

If I'm using a different yeast strain for the first time or brewing a style that I have never brewed before, I will also take a reading before racking to secondary, to ensure that attenuation is within range for the yeast and is consistent with my recipe.

If I'm brewing a huge beer (1.090 or higher) I'll take a pre-boil reading to see if I need to make any adjustments in process.

There are a few brews that I do so often that I could probably get away with not doing the readings, but it's my way of verifying that everything is going smoothly.

For example - I've made my EF clone probably 10 times now and every time the FG came in between 1.014 and 1.017. I checked my most recent batch before I kegged it and it was 1.010. If nothing else, it is nice to know that this keg will finish a bit more dry than the batches that I've made in the past.

 

[SteveM]

If anyone has read Jeff Sparrow's Wild Beers....

Do you get the sense that many of those commercial lambic brewers DO NOT use a hydrometer?

The book it self details OG and FG but the brewer comments seem to imply that they take an OG reading and then it's all by their senses from day 1 to year 3.

The way Papazian writes in Microbrewed Adventures seems to suggest that he is not careful about hydrometer use also. He gives the OG and FG but seems to imply that he goes by guess and by gosh for determining when the ferment is finished.

 

[grace1760]

Why are hydrometer readings good for preventing bottle bombs? Is it simply that a beer that is not completely done fermenting (as indicated by FG) could continue to produce gas in the bottle?

 

[uglygoat]

exactly grace.

if it's a beer style that's small, like pale ales and bitters i generally am not checking the og, just the final, to see where it's down too. my last twenty brews have all been 8-10 lbs of some sort of two row, and less than a pound of crystal type malt. i keg it all these days, good luck blowing that thing up...

 

[stever]

Some of us are anal and just like to keep track of every detail and/or we like to know if we are close to what the recipe calls for and/or we like to know or final ABV. If you don't really care about any of those then by all means, don't both with the readings. To each his own.

 

[cheezydemon]

Absolutely stever, this was by no means meant to be an "anti hydrometer" thread.

I am neither anal, nor overloaded with time, so it seems unneccesary to me.

As I stated, I take a few tablespoons to taste when I think it is done. What kind of brewer would I be after 30 or so batches if I could not tell that a batch was way off by taste, especially when the main culprit would be too much sweetness?

Another plus on bottling. It makes you wait at least a week or two for carbing . I have seen many threads on short cutting the already fast process of keg carbing. No doubt to drink it only a day or two after being born(ie: out of the fermenter)