Hydromoters ( Anybody found a reasonble use? )

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Question:

Wolney) writes: I use a syringe with a rubber hose attached to suck the stuff out of the fermenter. It takes about two sucks for OG and 2 1/2 for FG. Works like a charm and is easy to sanitize. I’m curious: Why more sucks for FG?

The hydrometer sinks lower in less dense liquid. — Phillip J. Birmingham

Response:

OG? Yes, it has one, and will have it whether I look or not. — R E HAWKINS If you didn’t use a hydrometer, you wouldn’t know how that your OG (and therefore, your mashing) was off.

Actually, yes I do. It’s 1.056 +/- .002. Consistently. To the point that it’s boring to look. The exceptions, of course, being the batch that I accidentally dumped an extra 5lbs or so of grain into (and I don’t know which one), which came out about 1.070, and the MWB I used to make for my wife, which is so low as to be depressing. Oh, and I would know the gravity was low when I tasted it. Of course, you might not care,

True, I don’t. Either it is heavy enough, or it isn’t, and it’s already happened by the time you can measure it. but I believe in using every tool at my disposable to increase my chances of success.

I’ve already checked for complete conversion either with iodine or by tasting the mash. I guess its like playing darts blindfolded…you can still hit the dartboard, and sometimes even the bullseye occasionally, but you’ve got eyes….use them.

Out of over 40 mashes, only one came in below weight, and that was while doing an experiment mashing and sparging using a bottling bucket, quart bottles for a false bottom, and a grain bag to hold the grain. It was a single-step mash using 2-row. It didn’t occur to me until after testing the gravity that the thickest wort was at the bottom of the bucket below the spigot level, and that I should have poured this in. Getting the mash to work is more like finding the lightswitch in a dark room as you enter than the dartboard. — R E HAWKINS

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wolney) writes: I use a syringe with a rubber hose attached to suck the stuff out of the fermenter. It takes about two sucks for OG and 2 1/2 for FG. Works like a charm and is easy to sanitize. I’m curious: Why more sucks for FG? Formation of bubbles in the syringe from the dissolved carbon dioxide would be my guess. No, Phil. I’m surprised at you. It takes more sucks for FG because the hydrometer floats lower in the testing cylinder for FG (that’s the point, isn’t it?).

Duh. I hadn’t thought of that. I always fill my test test cylinder to the same level so it hadn’t occurred to me. You learn something new every day. — Phil

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| | Ok, newbie question coming here. It sounds like some people extract the | initial wort into a jar which they let ferment for the same time frame as | the primary/secondary carboys. | | No, this is never done (to my knowledge). Oh? Papazian recommends this. This is the method I use all the time. | Two differently shaped and | sized containers with the same brew will ferment differently. Why is this? | What is done is that you collect the sample from the main fermenter using | aseptic techniques (well, as close as possible), put it in the sample jar, | take your measurement and then throw the sample away. Do not return the | sample to the fermenter to reduce the possibility of contamination. But this is rather a pain as many people have pointed out. — Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory I don’t speak for LBL; they don’t pay me enough for that.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wolney) writes: I use a syringe with a rubber hose attached to suck the stuff out of the fermenter. It takes about two sucks for OG and 2 1/2 for FG. Works like a charm and is easy to sanitize. I’m curious: Why more sucks for FG? Formation of bubbles in the syringe from the dissolved carbon dioxide would be my guess. —

I would guess that for FG reading the hydrometer sinks deeper into the beer and thus you need more liquid in the same diameter test glass. Tony

Response:

Yup, I try to use one every time. Otherwise, as has been said before, how do you know what you’ve got? I think it’s most important to take OG readings. OG? Yes, it has one, and will have it whether I look or not. — R E HAWKINS

The reason I use a hydrometer is that in my two years of brewing, I have only repeated a recipe once. Each recipe has been different and different from published recipes, especially when it comes to the Hops. I HAVE to use a hydrometer to check my boil gravity so I can calculate how much hops to add and what my final IBUs will be. That is my most important reason to use one. I also keep records of what the OG and FG are so that I can better evaluate the batch and recipe. This is very helpful when it comes to evaluating yeast performance. — Metallurgist for International Space Station Alpha My file, How to Brew Your First Beer, containing info on equipment,

terms, brewing processes and troubleshooting, is available via FTP from Homebrew/Docs at sierra.stanford.edu or via WWW on Spencer’s Beer Page at http://guraldi.hgp.med.umich.edu/Beer/

Response:

Formation of bubbles in the syringe from the dissolved carbon dioxide would be my guess. — Phil

Response:

I bought a hydrometer after I was brewing for a while and found that they are too much trouble to use. i.e. After you fill up your primary fermenter you need to take a reading. I’ve tried attaching a fishing string and suspending the hydrometer in the carboy. This allowed me to take the initial reading, but the hops were covering the sides too much to read it after fermintation. I will not pour the juice out of my fermenter, and disturb the sediment, just to get a hydo reading. Does anybody use one, or was it just a waste of money?

I tied a hook to mine and use it as a Christmas ornament. Several blue ribbons later, I still have no use for it. — If the world were run by logic, men would ride sidesaddle.

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Yup, I try to use one every time. Otherwise, as has been said before, how do you know what you’ve got? I think it’s most important to take OG readings. Often, I don’t even bother with taking a final gravity reading, but it’s nice to be able to estimate the alcohol content of the brew; this usually impresses friends too. I also find it pretty easy to use. I put a simple gravity tap on my primary vessel, so all I have to do is let some wort flow out into the test jar. When the secondary is done, I rack it back into the primary vessel again before adding the malt (or sugar) for priming, then take another sample from the tap. Tracy

Response:

I bought a hydrometer after I was brewing for a while and found that they are too much trouble to use.

[snip] I use a syringe with a rubber hose attached to suck the stuff out of the fermenter. It takes about two sucks for OG and 2 1/2 for FG. Works like a charm and is easy to sanitize. Dave Blue Ox Brewers- givers away of premium homebrew since Aug. 5, 1994

Response:

Yup, I try to use one every time. Otherwise, as has been said before, how do you know what you’ve got? I think it’s most important to take OG readings.

OG? Yes, it has one, and will have it whether I look or not. — R E HAWKINS

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Tim Buss writes: Hydromoters ( Anybody found a reasonble use? ) I’d say the hydrometer is the most important device in brewing! 1.It tells you your starting gravity, so you can see if the extraction was good or poor. If a recipe says the OG should be 1.054 and yours is 1.036, something is wrong, either with your recipe, technique or materials. How can you know if you don’t measure the SG? 2.How well is your fermentation is going? Hydrometer readings morning and night let you monitor this. SG goes down as the fermentation progresses. If it slows down, gets stuck, or stops you need to do something about it. By taking regular readings you can tell precisely what’s going on. -A slow rate of bubbles through your airlock. Has the fermentation finished or has it got stuck? How do you know without a SG reading? 3. It’s useful to know how potent your beer is, use hydrometer readings to calculate this.

Ok, newbie question coming here. It sounds like some people extract the initial wort into a jar which they let ferment for the same time frame as the primary/secondary carboys. Is there a certain size of test jar that is recommended (i.e. 1 cup, 1 quart, etc.) in order to ensure that the test jar will ferment at the same rate as the carboys? — * David M. Desroches * See to it that no one captivate you with * * Worcester Polytechnic Int. * to human tradition, according to the * * (508) 831-5487 * elemental powers of the world and not * * * according to Christ. Col 2-8 *

Response:

Well, the last hydroMOTER I saw was pushing a generator at Grand Coulee. My tool with which to measure SG, however, is a very useful tool. While you can do without most of the time, it’s very useful in judging stuff like the dextrin content of some grain mashed different ways, etc, etc. — Copyright alice!jj 1994, all rights reserved, except transmission by USENET and like facilities granted. Said permission is granted only for complete copies that include this notice. Use on pay-for-read services or non-electronic media specifically disallowed. ——- Something’s happnin’ here, what is it ain’t exactly clear, there’s a man with a gun over there, tellin’ me I ought to take care… —–

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An earlier post asked what could cause an OG to not be what was expected. I’m just a begginer, but from what I’ve gathered so far, one cause is an incomplete mashing. If you didn’t use a hydrometer, you wouldn’t know how that your OG (and therefore, your mashing) was off. Of course, you might not care, but I believe in using every tool at my disposable to increase my chances of success. I guess its like playing darts blindfolded…you can still hit the dartboard, and sometimes even the bullseye occasionally, but you’ve got eyes….use them. — Steve Hocevar Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Response:

Wolney) writes: I use a syringe with a rubber hose attached to suck the stuff out of the fermenter. It takes about two sucks for OG and 2 1/2 for FG. Works like a charm and is easy to sanitize.

I’m curious: Why more sucks for FG? Scott K.

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I don’t think that’s what people meant. What homebrewers do is periodically take samples from the fermenter, put it in a test cylinder, and measure the SG with the hydrometer. For example, I take a sample from the primary after everything is in there; this gives me the original gravity. I normally let this ferment for a week. I then rack the beer to a secondary. As I’m racking the beer, it will pull a sample for another SG. I generally let the beer ferment in the secondary for another week (longer if there is still "significant" bubbling in the airlock). Finally, as I’m racking the beer from the secondary to the bottling bucket, I’ll take another sample which gives me the final gravity. All the samples I take, I either discard or drink; I don’t return the sample to the fermenter since I don’t want to risk contamination of the beer. I don’t let the initial wort sample ferment separately. Hope this helps. — Phil

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Gee, I usually remember to take an OG reading. I think I’ve even remembered (or cared) to take both an OG and final reading once over the last three years. That time, my curiosity was up, as I wasn’t expecting a 70 gravity. I wish i knew whether that extra five pounds was 2-row or dark crystal. Maybe I should try both ways — R E HAWKINS

Response:

Ever heard of a turkey baster? You can use it to suck up some of your wort and fill your hydrometer flask that way. The hydrometer is one of the most important homebrewing tools. I use mine every bacth. It is impossible to

Response:

Hydromoters ( Anybody found a reasonble use? ) I’d say the hydrometer is the most important device in brewing! 1.It tells you your starting gravity, so you can see if the extraction was good or poor. If a recipe says the OG should be 1.054 and yours is 1.036, something is wrong, either with your recipe, technique or materials. How can you know if you don’t measure the SG? 2.How well is your fermentation is going? Hydrometer readings morning and night let you monitor this. SG goes down as the fermentation progresses. If it slows down, gets stuck, or stops you need to do something about it. By taking regular readings you can tell precisely what’s going on. -A slow rate of bubbles through your airlock. Has the fermentation finished or has it got stuck? How do you know without a SG reading? 3. It’s useful to know how potent your beer is, use hydrometer readings to calculate this. Tim.

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Thread summary (it’s too long to quote): Is there a real purpose for a hydrometer and a way to easily use one. Of course. First, never take a gravity reading directly from the fermenting bucket. The less items you stick in your fermenter, the smaller the chance of infecting the batch. Even if the hydrometer is sanitized. Second, a "wine thief" or turkey baster with a sanitized tip is perfect for removing a sample to then squirt in a tall slender cylinder (a chemists graduated cylidner, for example), or even the tube the hydrometer came in, without disturbing the trub. Third, if your compulsive about when to bottle, the only way to be sure that fermentation is essentially complete is to take gravity readings over a day or two. No change in gravity signals time to bottle. On the other hand, if you’re not compulsive, and not anxious to bottle, then primary-ing for 6 days or so, and then secondary-ing for another week or so is normally sufficient for complete fermentation, and you don’t need a hydrometer. On the other hand (what, have I got three hands??…;), most hydrometers have a potential alcohol scale on them, and I always like to know how strong my brew is. Just my two cent’s worth.

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Me – I use it to read the O.G. Then, at the time I rack the beer to the secondary, I sterilize the hydrometer well and just drop it in the carboy. Then I just watch it until the readings stabilize over a few days (but when I actually bottle depends on how clear the beer is and when I have the time). This is a simple method, but it works. I haven’t had an infected batch yet, so leaving the hydrometer in the carboy hasn’t been a problem. And it’s not TOO hard to shake out when washing up after bottling. — Phil Locker I am but a small cog, and am not expressing the Bell-Northern Research opinions of the big wheel.

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Ah, but then I’d need four or five hydrometers (I have, either by myself, or in cooperation with associates, 6 batches of beer and two batches of mead working right now). I use a pipette to draw the beer out of the fermenter (or just take a little bit while racking) into my testing flask. Andy — Andy Kailhofer 414/678-7793 | To seek revenge may lead to 740 N Broadway, Room 430, Milwaukee, WI 53202| seldom as well; as Sweeney, Member: League for Programming Freedom | Sweeney Todd,the Demon Barber | of Fleet Street.

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Try using a ladle to pour some wort in a testing jar or a turkey baster(giant eye dropper). The testing jar is a tall narrow container that is about the lenght of the hydrometer and a little bit wider. You’ll lose 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wort every time you test, unless you use the testing wort as a tasting sample 8o) It can be interesting to see how the wort changes. Cheers! Shane

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I used one for my first 4 batches, then I broke it. I never got another one, and I’m on batch number 9 now. Knowing when to bottle isn’t a problem, as I’m usually too busy to do it, and I end up waiting 3 weeks anyway. — Larry Martell "Having the federal government run the health care system is a 212-339-2814 a lot like hiring Dr. Kevorkian to be your personal physician"

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