why hydrometer wont float in ethanol

[curtisj]

?

 

[DarthMalt]

EDIT: see below.

 

[Cranny04]

It has a specific gravity of .79

 

[ak-71]

Displaced liquid weights less then the hydrometer.

 

[BigEd]

Ethanol is less dense than water. That's why the gravity reading drops as the alcohol content increases. A water hydrometer is too heavy to be supported by the displaced ethanol. The right type of hydrometer (alcoholmeter) will float in ethanol and is used to measure the proof of spirits.

 

[david_42]

Summing it up: a brewing hydrometer goes down to 0.980 or maybe 0.970, which is good enough to measure beer, wine and meads, but way out of the range of pure ethanol and most spirits.