Do you need to replace hydrometers?

cheeseyfeet · Apr 20, 2020

Hi all,

Just realised last night that I have had my current Stevenson Reeves hydrometer for at least 6 years and wondered if they need replacing periodically?

Maybe I just have GAS as I'd like a nice finishing hydrometer with a large scale so I don't have to guess if its 1.009 or 1.010!

Cheers!

terrym · Apr 20, 2020

cheeseyfeet said:
Hi all,

Just realised last night that I have had my current Stevenson Reeves hydrometer for at least 6 years and wondered if they need replacing periodically?

Maybe I just have GAS as I'd like a nice finishing hydrometer with a large scale so I don't have to guess if its 1.009 or 1.010!

Cheers!

If you doubt the accuracy of your hydrometer dunk it in clean water at its calibration temperature (usually 20*C) and it should read 1.000. If it's out by a point or two the paper insert might have slipped, so just apply the difference as a correction. There are no moving parts on a hydrometer so it can't wear out.
But does it really matter if its 1.009 or 1.010, or 1.041 or 1.040, or whether your beer is 4.4%ABV or 4.5%ABV?
Personally I doubt it. The only things that really matter to me are whether OG is where I expected it to be, the fermentation has got down to where I expected it to be, and the final SG readings are consistent so that I can go ahead and package.

An Ankoù · Apr 20, 2020

And to add to what terrym said, if your hydrometer is out measuring the OG it'll be out the same amount and same direction when you come to measure the FG so your abv calculation will be exactly the same as if you had used an accurate hydrometer. I know my "Peter Stephenson Ltd" hydrometer of many decades use reads about a degree higher than it should. Not worried about that at all.

kelper · Apr 20, 2020

For a hydrometer to have a larger scale it would have to be very 'skinny' and that would make it hard to insert the paper scale during manufacture. get a Tilt for Christmas! Good luck.

cheeseyfeet · Apr 20, 2020

Good points on checking my existing hydrometer, I haven't done this for a while.

Kelper - I've had my eye on a tilt and although I'm generally technically able I can't be bothered with the faff!

Graz · Apr 20, 2020

I invariably replace mine from time to time as I'm clumsy and break it - i.e. put it down somewhere where it rolls off onto the floor and smashes.

That said think my current one has been going a fair few years, tempting fate perhaps...