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Lucky Dog Brewing

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Apr 10, 2007
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Location
Fremont, Ohio
OK so I'm doing my second all grain on saturday everythying is going great. I'm hitting all my temps (first time I ever did a step mash) so I'm happy and cruising along :rockin: Do the boil, the transfer still going smooth and then go to take my OG reading and slip smash shattered on the basement floor, there goes my only hydrometer! Damn! It's like 6:30 so the only LBS is closed. So I'll have to pick one up today and just do my FG' to make sure it's done fermenting. Got nothing to go on to start any calculations but oh well everything went well and as planned so I'm not gonna freak. It was incredibly disappointing at the time though. Ok just wanted to share and see how many others have done that.


:mug:

BMW-LDB
 
These things will happen. Relax, You made beer!
A hydrometer is helpful in making beer, but not a critical tool. You can get away without one. Typically if you stick to the 1-2-3 rule, you should be fine. The only exception to this would be extremely high gravity beers. In which case it would be a good idea to get an accurate reading for your final gravity.

What kind of beer did you brew anyway?

BTW: I have never broken a hydrometer.....thermometer yes, but hydrometer no.
 
These things will happen. Relax, You made beer!
A hydrometer is helpful in making beer, but not a critical tool. You can get away without one. Typically if you stick to the 1-2-3 rule, you should be fine. The only exception to this would be extremely high gravity beers. In which case it would be a good idea to get an accurate reading for your final gravity.

What kind of beer did you brew anyway?

BTW: I have never broken a hydrometer.....thermometer yes, but hydrometer no.

Yeah I'm not worried no big deal it will be good beer. Like I said I hit my temps and times thats what I was excited about. It was a kolsh. Also doing the 90 min boil because the pilsen malt and I boiled off 3 gallons WOW! oh well I'll have a good 4 gallons of beer all said and finished.


BMW-LDB
 
Hindsight, before you pitched your yeast you could have put some wort in a sterile beer bottle and capped it and took a reading when you got your new hydrometer.
 
I broke my Hydrometer the other day putting it back into a drawer, I shut the drawer on it and shattered it. So When I went to the Lhbs I picked up 2 new ones so I have a spare, there only like 7 dollars. But ya I would stick to the 1,2,3 rule you wont have any problems.
 
I've had that happen as well, but don't worry about it. Your beer will end up just fine!
 
I have to recomend a refractometer, I got mine from NB and I love the thing it is more expensive but worth the cost. I did kind of the same thing you did.
 
I broke one a year ago when I tried to fill my thief with the hydrometer in the thief. Bad Idea.
 
i've broken a couple and went without for about 5 batches.
i'd recommend getting a refractometer. they're more expensive, but you may save money in replacements in the long run.
* you will need a hydrometer too though to measure the f.g., since alcohol screws up the refractometer reading *
 
I did the same deal once, filled up my sample tube, threw a foam stopper over it and tossed it in the fridge... next day i went to the lhbs for a hydro and tested my sample, all was good :)
 
Or if you have accurate scales that measure small increments you can fill a tube with a known volume and weigh it and work it out. I saw that in BYO mag, can't remember all the details.
 
Hydrometer? Who the hell uses those ancient devices? I use a Beerometer... All my dead weight friends who come and drink my beer tell me how good it is... and we all know that's the REAL measure of quality...lol

I've got two Hydrometers, and a Refractometer... that usually does the trick. Oh, and another helpful hint. For those of you who typically "chill" your sample down to take a reading, there are a few free and (I use beersmith) pay programs for your computer that will adjust for temp of the wort. I take a reading at whatever temp, plug it into beersmith and it spits out the adjusted gravity. Saves me a ton of time.
 
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