What kind of hydrometer do I have? (beginner)

[elephant]

I just picked one up from an online store after watching some YouTube videos on how to make mead.

Unfortunately the markings do not look familar to any of the YouTube tutorials or other resources I can find describing how to use a hydrometer.

On the black tip at the top (marked "wine") the numbers go from 15 down to 0. At 0, the white section begins and it goes from 0 down to 120 on the bottom. The white section is marked "must". These are the only markings on it.

Can someone please let me know what scale this is so I can research how to use it properly? Thankyou!

You can click the below image to make it larger.

 

[IslandLizard]

Although indicated for wine, it should be A-OK to use for beer or beer wort. Judging by the scale, it should measure Specific Gravity (SG), sugar content by weight.
Is there perhaps a Brix scale on the opposite side?

Consider yourself lucky to find such a nice, long scale, simple and straightforward hydrometer.
One without confusing colors and compressed scale.

Take well care of it, it could last a lifetime of brewing.
No shaking off, dropping, bouncing, etc. Handle gently and carefully. It's very thin glass with a bob of weight on the bottom and very fragile!

Don't lie directly on a (horizontal) surface, it will roll. Put a towel or piece of cloth underneath, when lying it down, and store inside the storage tube* it came in. Use a thin towel to dry or blot it, and be careful handling it at any time.

* Make sure the storage tube has a solid, FIXED BOTTOM that can't drop out at some inopportune moment. If it's a loose stopper, tape it well down to the tube. Stick a plug of cotton wool on the bottom and top.

 

[elephant]

Thankyou ... it was very cheap. It doesn't have any other scales or markings on it, only that one, and I'm not sure what it means. But I'll do some googling on "Specific Gravity" scale, whatever that means.

 

[bracconiere]

i'd recomend buying another one to see the difference in hydro styles...just so it doesn't get lonely!


oh and i'm pretty sure to translate it just add 1.0 & for the bigger ones 1. to it......

 

[IslandLizard]

On the bottom, I see: MO...
Any more info there?
Or anywhere else, such as a calibration/measuring temp?

i'm pretty sure to translate it just add 1.0 & for the bigger ones 1. to it...

Yup, the scale just shows points (of gravity).
0 means 0 points, a specific gravity (SG) of 1.000. Which is the gravity of distilled water at whatever temp the scale is calibrated at.

To translate nn to SG, use 1.0nn
To translate nnn to SG, use 1.nnn

The black ones on top are minus points. Subtracted from 1.000 (gravity of water).
So 5 translates to 1.000 - 0.005 = 0.995
10 translates to 1.000 - 0.010 = 0.990
15 translates to 1.000 - 0.015 = 0.985
And so on.
They're more common for wine not so for beer.

 

[elephant]

Thanks! The bottom (white part) says "MOST" ("must" in German), the top black part says, "WINE" (also in German). I live in Sweden and came from Australia so I had to translate it using Google.

Apart from that there is no other information. But I think your translated-scale there explains a few things, thanks for that. I took measurements with my two mead gallons just now anyway. I thought I'd better do it straight away and just figure out what the numbers mean later.

From what I can tell, the first one reads about ~91 and the second one about ~102 ???

I have no idea what that means but at-least I have the numbers recorded. The first one has about 1.5kg of honey it and the second has about 1kg. I've never made mead before, so I'm just experimenting a bit.

 

[bracconiere]

it can't be that bad a hydro if it's willing to pose for a photo! lol

and is that activley fermenting? bubbles will mess with it.....

 

[elephant]

it can't be that bad a hydro if it's willing to pose for a photo! lol

and is that activley fermenting? bubbles will mess with it.....

It was a bit bubbly because I just gave it a shake before I poured it into the container. Is that not how it should be?

After I took those measurements I added the yeast to both gallons and shook the hell out of them. Now I will just leave them until Christmas.

Yeah ... the hydrometer sat pretty solid in both of them. It bobbed up and down a bit and floated in circles a bit but it settled pretty quick. I dunno, first time I've ever used one, I just figured that's what they do.

 

[IslandLizard]

Those gravities look about right for a mead must.
Don't throw away those samples!

We have a dedicated Mead Forum, so read around there and ask any Qs you may have about fermenting those.

You could check calibration temp of your hydrometer using distilled water at say 20°C and see if it lines up with the "0" line between the white and black scale. If it's a tad lower or higher, like 1 or 2 points (the smallest deviations between 0 and 10), I wouldn't worry about it. Or just make a note of it and correct on the fly when taking readings. Somewhat higher or lower temps will change those readings a little too.

 

[bracconiere]

i was just wondering why the 1kg batch was higher then the 1.5kg batch...but i see yellow chunks in one, and yellow and red chunks in the other?

 

[elephant]

i was just wondering why the 1kg batch was higher then the 1.5kg batch...but i see yellow chunks in one, and yellow and red chunks in the other?

The 1kg batch was the one that measured 91-ish. It has some orange peels and a bit of chilli in it.

The 1.5kg batch was the one that measured 102-ish. It has some lime peels in it.

Don't ask me why, I was just following the directions of the video I watched. They said to put some lime peels in the must, so I did. The other one with orange and chilli was just me experimenting, I have no idea if it will make any difference but I will find out.

 

[elephant]

Those gravities look about right for a mead must.
Don't throw away those samples!

Thanks, that's a relief!

We have a dedicated Mead Forum, so read around there and ask any Qs you may have about fermenting those.

You could check calibration temp of your hydrometer using distilled water at say 20°C and see if it lines up with the "0" line between the white and black scale. If it's a tad lower or higher, like 1 or 2 points (the smallest deviations between 0 and 10), I wouldn't worry about it. Or just make a note of it and correct on the fly when taking readings. Somewhat higher or lower temps will change those readings a little too.

Thanks for the advice there.

Yes, I already saw that forum (and made a post there). I guess this conversation is getting a bit side-tracked from the original point....