How to use your Hydrometer

[oz11]

+1 to a turkey baster, cheap and efficient, I've a plastic one and sit in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes (usually the time it takes to find where SWMBO has hidden the hydrometer.. she says tidied) to sanitise it. Minimal disturbance of the beer/CO2 "blanket". As a bonus I get to try the sample..it's all good :party:

 

[luckyeddie]

Me too, +1 for the turkey baster.

A perfectly adequate turkey baster will set you back around a fiver, and you can sterilise it easily with boiling water. Mine even came with a bottle brush and a little black plastic cap to stop me sticking the pointy bit in my eye when I'm taking it out of my brewing toolbox (naturally I have now washed the cap down the sink, so my eyes are on borrowed time).

4 turkey basters full into a jug (100 ml total), hydrometer into the trial jar, pour the beer into trial jar, take reading, drink contents (remember to remove hydrometer before drinking - those things can block your windpipe).

 

[Moley]

A perfectly adequate turkey baster will set you back around a fiver

WHAT?! :shock:

I get mine from Wilkinson's, and expect change from a quid!



Disinfected with Videne, and the trial sample goes down the gullet to appease the wine & beer gods.

 

[oz11]

Things must be good in Castle Donington... gold plated turkey basters.... :lol:

 

[luckyeddie]

Things must be good in Castle Donington... gold plated turkey basters.... :lol:

Just started work at Jaguar today - one has to make an impression.

 

[domejunky]

Hello All,

Total newbie here, working my way through some Brewferm kits...

I was reading this thread, and noticed that the instructions are completely the opposite to my Hydrometer. Mine is made in France by Alla. The instructions clearly state that the reading should be taken from the top of the meniscus. I didn't actually read these instructions at first, just did it like this anyway. I seem to remember using Hydrometers like this at school...


Pete

 

[luckyeddie]

Hello All,

Total newbie here, working my way through some Brewferm kits...

I was reading this thread, and noticed that the instructions are completely the opposite to my Hydrometer. Mine is made in France by Alla. The instructions clearly state that the reading should be taken from the top of the meniscus. I didn't actually read these instructions at first, just did it like this anyway. I seem to remember using Hydrometers like this at school...


Pete

So long as you take the reading in exactly the same manner as you calibrated it, I don't suppose it matters

 

[cask is best]

:thumb: Thanks was diverted here by Jagcrusher :clap:

 

[The Goatreich]

Hi all,
I've received some conflicting advice regarding the use of my hydrometer and thought I'd check out your opinions.

Firstly, the lady in the shop I bought it from said that I needed to wait until the hydrometer reading was 1000 before bottling, where other advice I've read just says to make sure it is steady over a period of a few days.

Also, I don't have a thermometer (yet). How much does an average room temperature affect the reading?

I also don't have a baster, will it be ok to dip a sterilised trial jar into my brew and then take the reading from there?

 

[cask is best]

I'm only on my 4Th brew so I'm new too but i wait until i have a steady reading over 2 or three days. With one brew i was lazy and just waited till i could see no bubbles rising then bottled.
The lager you are brewing i believe it is okay to brew at a temp of as low as 14-15c as lager yeast can ferment at a lower temp. Obviously the lower the temp the longer it will take.
You can fill a sterilised jar with your brew and take a reading or drop a sterilised hydrometer into the wort and twirl it round to disperse any bubbles attached to it and take your reading from there.
Hope this helps and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[The Goatreich]

Nice one, cheers :)

 

[cask is best]

That's what I've just bottled btw Coopers Aus lager

 

[The Goatreich]

Nice, mine's been in the FV for 9 days now, so it must be ready by now.

 

[The Goatreich]

This reading was 1006 from what I could tell. Had a little sip out of the trial jar, and there was a very slight taste of cider. I hope this hasn't been infected.

 

[bigred]

Also, I don't have a thermometer (yet). How much does an average room temperature affect the reading?

I also don't have a baster, will it be ok to dip a sterilised trial jar into my brew and then take the reading from there?

Buy one and buy one, allow +2 degrees for temperature while it is active, but it isn't that critical. If you want to take readings, buy a baster, they are only a couple of pounds, well definitely less than a fiver. If you don't want to buy one, wait for it to stop bubbling, unless you are experimenting, it will work. I the reading is a little high what are you going to do? just have patience and it all works out.

 

[oldbloke]

Firstly, the lady in the shop I bought it from said that I needed to wait until the hydrometer reading was 1000 before bottling

That's a slightly dry wine. If you want it medium or sweet, that's too low.
If it's beer, it's too low!

 

[The Goatreich]

I definitely have beer. The reading I got yesterday was 1006, and will try again this evening.

I will get a baster and thermometer next opportunity.

Thanks as always for the advice.

 

[cask is best]

I think my final reading a lager i did was 1007 so it should be about right.

 

[The Goatreich]

Good stuff, bottling Thursday then as I'm out tonight. :party:

 

[The Expert]

hope its easier when i do it, head spinning at the moment - first time and all :drink: