The trouble with hydrometers is . . .

[scurry64]

My hydrometer always sticks to the side of my thief, preventing me from getting accurate gravity reading. I usually end up shaking the thief, or pouring the beer into another container in order to get an accurate reading. The trouble with this is that I've probably either added oxygen by shaking and/or pouring, or possibly contaminated the sample due to prolonged exposure. Then I've lost it and since I make 2.5 gallon batches most often, that doesn't sit well with me.

I know I'm not the first person this happened to. So, what can I do to prevent this from happening?

 

[Coastie]

Get a refractometer. You will only use a few drops each time you take a reading. The downside is that you have to convert the brix reading to specific gravity.

 

[verbhertz]

That would drive me nuts on a 2.5g batch. I wouldn't worry about oxygenation or contamination though and dispose of every sample. I don't believe either of those can affect the gravity reading in the short time the sample is used.

 

[Revvy]

just give it a spin, like the rest of us do.

 

[Calichusetts]

Get a refractometer. You will only use a few drops each time you take a reading. The downside is that you have to convert the brix reading to specific gravity.

Times brix by 4

A brix of 16 = (16 x 4) = 64...so your specific gravity is 1.064

Its not perfect but its not far from it

 

[Golddiggie]

Get the refractometer found on Bobby_M's site. It shows brix and SG. Just grab the speeadsheet that also adjusts the reading for once alcohol is present.

I fill a 4 dram vial for gravity readings now and do them after brew day (I refrigerate them until I'm ready to take the reading). That's more than enough to get a reading.

 

[zeg]

My hydrometer always sticks to the side of my thief, preventing me from getting accurate gravity reading.

Spin it, spin it some more, and keep on spinning it. Mine also likes to stick to the tube, so sometimes I just read it while it's still slowly spinning down.

I usually end up shaking the thief, or pouring the beer into another container in order to get an accurate reading. The trouble with this is that I've probably either added oxygen by shaking and/or pouring, or possibly contaminated the sample due to prolonged exposure.

Adding a little oxygen to 5oz of beer isn't going to affect a 2.5 gallon batch. Furthermore, prolonged exposure is not likely to be a factor in infection. The infection is going to come from something that was on your hydrometer or in the thief, it's extremely unlikely that something is going to fall out of the air into the tiny opening on a thief/hydrometer tube and cause the infection. So once it's been measured, you've taken on essentially all the risk.

Furthermore, ideally you want to get dissolved CO2 out of the solution before taking your reading, anyway, so letting a sample sit for half an hour while shaking / stirring isn't a bad idea.

Personally, I don't return samples. I don't completely buy that the risk of infection is all that much higher than many of the other processes we use in the beermaking, but it means I don't have to bother sanitizing my hydrometer or its tube. It also gives me an excuse to drink the beer as it's growing. For me, that is part of why I enjoy making my own beer---you can't sample a Sam Adams at every stage of the process.

 

[StusBrew]

I drink and taste the gravity sample. As zeg does. My part in reducing contamination or aeration if adding sample back to fermenter.
Spin and spin. Give it a dunk.

 

[StusBrew]

What's it called the "angels's share" or "brewer's share"

 

[Barnzy02]

just give it a spin, like the rest of us do.

Yup. Just spin it.

 

[nutty_gnome]

I hate my hydrometers. I have two that will tell me different OGs for the same wort. Its very frustrating. I DO like my refractometer and I really like the suggestion to store wort in mini vials for testing when its conveniently cooled. I wonder where I can get some little vials?

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Refractometers are cool toys, but to me it doesn't seem worth it at over ten times the cost of an hydrometer. I can get almost two bags of 2-row for the price of a refractometer. But to each his own

 

[MichaelBrock]

I had this same issue. I bought a thief (instead of just using a turkey baster) specifically to be able to use the hydrometer in it. But I too had the issue with the hydrometer touching the sides. I couldn't keep the thief vertical enough long enough to read it. So I abandoned the thief as a container for the hydrometer measurement and now use the plastic tube the hydrometer came in. I stick the cap on the bottom to serve as a base, and set it on the counter. Much easier to read.

 

[Golddiggie]

Refractometers are cool toys, but to me it doesn't seem worth it at over ten times the cost of an hydrometer. I can get almost two bags of 2-row for the price of a refractometer. But to each his own

Benfits of the refractometer include:
ATC: making sample temperature irrelevant in so much as it cools off to the correct range pretty much by the time you hold it to a light source.
Ability to take samples during the different steps/stages of a brew day. You can quickly get the first runnings gravity to see what it is. You can get the gravity of the sparge runnings and stop when you hit where you want to stop.
Much less fragile: Do a quick search on the boards and you'll see an asston of posts about people breaking their hydrometer and not having a spare to use. Not an issue with the refractometer.
Amount needed to get a SG reading: FAR less than a hydrometer. I collect about 1/2oz (4 dram vial) and that's enough to take several readings. Even if there's a significant amount of matter in the sample. You need maybe 1/2ml for a reading.

Personally I have two refractometers right now. One from Bobby_M for beers. I have a second one that reads in a higher range for my meads and such.

Use whichever tool you wish to take a gravity reading. Just know that hydrometers have several shortcomings. Luckily neither use batteries but only one will roll off your table/counter and shatter on the floor.

 

[malkore]

I drink and taste the gravity sample. As zeg does. My part in reducing contamination or aeration if adding sample back to fermenter.
Spin and spin. Give it a dunk.

This is the correct method of disposing of thief samples.

Its called a thief...not a borrower

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Benfits of the refractometer include:
ATC: making sample temperature irrelevant in so much as it cools off to the correct range pretty much by the time you hold it to a light source.

A quick check of the hydrometer adjust on Beersmith takes care of any issues with the temperature.

Ability to take samples during the different steps/stages of a brew day. You can quickly get the first runnings gravity to see what it is. You can get the gravity of the sparge runnings and stop when you hit where you want to stop.

I can do the same with the hydrometer. Again, a quick look at the tools with Beersmith and it is done.

Much less fragile: Do a quick search on the boards and you'll see an asston of posts about people breaking their hydrometer and not having a spare to use. Not an issue with the refractometer.

True. But I haven't broken a hydrometer in at least five years. *knocks cautiously on wood*

Amount needed to get a SG reading: FAR less than a hydrometer. I collect about 1/2oz (4 dram vial) and that's enough to take several readings. Even if there's a significant amount of matter in the sample. You need maybe 1/2ml for a reading.

The only time you need to collect a sample for the hydrometer is if you are checking FG in a carboy. Otherwise, you just drop your sanitized hydrometer in the wort/beer to get a reading.

Look, you like your refractometer. That is fine and dandy. But I look at it as an unnecessary and and expensive toy. Not that there is really anything wrong with that- face it, EVERYTHING we use as homebrewers are pretty much our "toys". But at $60, to me it is just not worth it.

 

[Golddiggie]

Bernie...
I don't ferment in buckets. Haven't in a very long time and plan to never ferment in one again. So that negates that aspect of your post. Since I ferment in sanke kegs it would be useless (if not foolish) to drop my hydrometer into it. Plus if you have any foam on the wort after transfer or oxygenation getting a reading that way is difficult at best.

For the readings during the process you have to use something that won't distort at those temps if you're going to use a hydrometer. I know of two brewers (persknally) that have had their reading tubes melt/distort while trying to take a reading during the mash process (or anytime the wort is hot).

IME temperature adjusting for a hydrometer when the sample is over 80F is tricky at best and downright impossible at worst.

Knowing that you'll never need to worry about something breaking when you put it into the bucket/fermenter is worth more than a bit. Never needing to chill the gravity sample before you can take a reading is worth more. Not worrying about any gas (CO2) distorting the reading is worth even more. Being able to put the tiny sample in the fridge (sanitized vial) so that you can take the SG of it later is worth even more. All that more than offsets the cost difference between a refractometer and however many hydrometers you go through in ayear (or two).

 

[AngerManagement]

...I freaking break them all the time.

Hey, that's where I thought this thread was going. :fro:

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Golddiggie- I use both buckets and carboys, So I do use a thief and take a sample when using carboys. No biggie to me there.

And why on earth would you use the reading tube when the wort is hot? Of course it will melt! You just put the hydrometer in there. It won't melt. And I have never had any issues with temperature correction. So you go ahead and use your refractomer and have fun with it. I am not knocking you for having it. I am just saying that, like a lot of the things we homebrewers use, it is not necessary, and, for me, not worth the cost. If the cost ever came down, I might change my mind.

 

[JJL]

Just wait til you break 2 or 3 of them and you will be saying "The trouble with hydrometers is . . . "

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Just wait til you break 2 or 3 of them and you will be saying "The trouble with hydrometers is . . . "

Dude, I have been brewing for 15 years and have broken a grand total of two of them.

 

[scurry64]

Just wait til you break 2 or 3 of them and you will be saying "The trouble with hydrometers is . . . "

I broke two in one week.

 

[grimzella]

I broke two in one week.

butter-fingers jk. I felt like picking on a local. never seen a post from a brewer that lives in WashPA. may have to get together and try each others brews.

 

[scurry64]

butter-fingers jk. I felt like picking on a local. never seen a post from a brewer that lives in WashPA. may have to get together and try each others brews.

Sweet! Good to know I'm not isolated here. I'm in South Strabane in Washington Woods. What about you?

 

[Golddiggie]

Golddiggie- I use both buckets and carboys, So I do use a thief and take a sample when using carboys. No biggie to me there.

And why on earth would you use the reading tube when the wort is hot? Of course it will melt! You just put the hydrometer in there. It won't melt. And I have never had any issues with temperature correction. So you go ahead and use your refractomer and have fun with it. I am not knocking you for having it. I am just saying that, like a lot of the things we homebrewers use, it is not necessary, and, for me, not worth the cost. If the cost ever came down, I might change my mind.

One of the people from the LHBS I occasionally visit (now, used to go there more often) would complain about this since he was checking the gravity while sparging and didn't have time to chill it in the freezer before checking it. My brew buddy checked the gravity of a sample that was a bit too warm, with the tube the hydrometer comes in, and it was useless after that. He ended up getting a proper hydrometer tube (with integrated stand) after that (part of an order I placed). He lost one of those, so we ordered another. Cost of the one hydrometer went up several notches due to that.

Have you checked the cost of the refractometer Bobby_M sells?? For the cost you get a great item. I picked mine up last year, from him, when it was a lower cost. I have since ditched the cloth bag and set up a Pelican case for it. I have two spots for 4 dram vials in the case, so I can safely transport the refractometer and samples without any worries. Sure, I've spent more money on it, but I consider all of that a one time purchase. I seriously doubt I'll need to replace the refractometer. Plus the case wasn't all that much (thanks to Amazon and my Prime membership :rockin).

I do like being able to take home the tiny sample to test X days later. By the time my batch is in fermenter, it's getting late and I'd rather just clean up and go home. Once I'm able to brew at my own place again, that could change.

I suppose it's a lot like what we use to either mash or boil in, or even ferment in. Swing a cat and you'll find a range of different setups for both those items. Even just for the boil, you'll find everything from cheap pots to Blichmann kettles, to keggles and more.