[Stevie]

I guess I'm wondering how you break them?

Rolling off the table/counter, bumping something in the sink or cleaning bucket, moving large amounts of stuff the "fast way" by carrying way too much in my hands and dropping it, slippery hands. In 8 years I have owned 6 hydrometers. The worst is when I have one that is dead accurate only to be replaced by one a point or two off.

[gmac]

I guess I'm wondering how you break them?  "I" broke one once... and that was my girlfriend breaking it by setting a bucket on top of it in the sink... Maybe get a stand for it?  I could see it maybe getting broke if you just had it in a drawer or something?  I actually just store mine in their original 'tubes'  I have a set of the high precision ones... They were expensive like maybe $20 each... but they are certainly a lot easier to read ;-)

I've never broken one.  Mine is actually my Dad's that I inherited (I was hoping for a fortune, I got a hydrometer).  I've had it for 12 years and he had it for 20 before that so I assume I win for the oldest hydrometer.  Please send my trophy to my home address.  Thanks.

[dkfick]

I guess I'm just paranoid with delicate things... when I'm done with mine I rinse it off and stick it back in the tube.  It never really sits anywhere where it be knocked or dropped onto the floor...

[HoosierBrew]

I guess I'm wondering how you break them?

Rolling off the table/counter, bumping something in the sink or cleaning bucket, moving large amounts of stuff the "fast way" by carrying way too much in my hands and dropping it, slippery hands. In 8 years I have owned 6 hydrometers. The worst is when I have one that is dead accurate only to be replaced by one a point or two off.

What he said. I broke two by these methods of my own accord, one was broken by my daughter who was curious. But I've brewed since '92ish, so I guess that's an average of roughly every 8 years. Lots o' batches.

[Stevie]

This hydrometer is two weeks old and has been sitting here in this container with my thief and thermometer for 12 days. Might explain why I break them.



At $6 a piece, I'm not all that careful.

[rodmanxxx]

Ya don't shake them too vigorously when holding the neck to get the sanitizer off them either

[theoman]

I might have to try the buy-two solution. I went years without breaking one, and suddenly I'm going through them like candy. It usually happens during clean-up. The last one I was trying to be extra careful. I cleaned it and let it dry, then when I was going to put it away, I bumped it and it fell to the floor. Sigh... I do wonder if the ones I've been buying are particularly fragile.

I could just skip the hydrometer reading, but then I wouldn't be able to drink the sample.

[denny]

Ya don't shake them too vigorously when holding the neck to get the sanitizer off them either

I can't recall ever needing to sanitize my hydrometer.

[Stevie]

Just ordered a refractometer on Amazon. $25 + $4 same day shipping. $60 at the LHBS.

[dkfick]

Ya don't shake them too vigorously when holding the neck to get the sanitizer off them either

I can't recall ever needing to sanitize my hydrometer.

Same.  It goes from the storage tube to the sample cylinder; gets a quick rinse and then gets put away back in the storage tube (still wet).

[rodmanxxx]

Ya don't shake them too vigorously when holding the neck to get the sanitizer off them either

I can't recall ever needing to sanitize my hydrometer.

Same.  It goes from the storage tube to the sample cylinder; gets a quick rinse and then gets put away back in the storage tube (still wet).

I throw it in the primary prior to transfer to bottle bucket just to make sure it's done. How do you guys get the previous quote stuff on your posts, are you copying & pasting it? Oh wait, I think i see it down there, insert quote....

[dkfick]

Ya don't shake them too vigorously when holding the neck to get the sanitizer off them either

I can't recall ever needing to sanitize my hydrometer.

Same.  It goes from the storage tube to the sample cylinder; gets a quick rinse and then gets put away back in the storage tube (still wet).

I throw it in the primary prior to transfer to bottle bucket just to make sure it's done. How do you guys get the previous quote stuff on your posts, are you copying & pasting it? Oh wait, I think i see it down there, insert quote....

In the upper right of each post there is a "quote" link.  That will automatically copy that post into a quote for your reply.

[rodmanxxx]

Ya don't shake them too vigorously when holding the neck to get the sanitizer off them either

I can't recall ever needing to sanitize my hydrometer.

Same.  It goes from the storage tube to the sample cylinder; gets a quick rinse and then gets put away back in the storage tube (still wet).

I throw it in the primary prior to transfer to bottle bucket just to make sure it's done. How do you guys get the previous quote stuff on your posts, are you copying & pasting it? Oh wait, I think i see it down there, insert quote....

In the upper right of each post there is a "quote" link.  That will automatically copy that post into a quote for your reply.

gotcha thx!

[denny]

I throw it in the primary prior to transfer to bottle bucket just to make sure it's done.

I pull a sample with a sanitized turkey baster.  After I get a reading it goes into a PET bottle with a carbonator cap.  Hit it with 30 psi, into the freezer for 45 min., and I've got a cold, carbed sample.  Just did it with a Rye IPA in primary.  I'm gonna go mow the yard and when I'm done I'll be able to try it!

[rodmanxxx]

I throw it in the primary prior to transfer to bottle bucket just to make sure it's done.

I pull a sample with a sanitized turkey baster.  After I get a reading it goes into a PET bottle with a carbonator cap.  Hit it with 30 psi, into the freezer for 45 min., and I've got a cold, carbed sample.  Just did it with a Rye IPA in primary.  I'm gonna go mow the yard and when I'm done I'll be able to try it!

Sweet, i recently convinced the girlfriend that we need to build a bar with kegerator setup, so when i start getting equipment maybe will try that. It's good to have a nice cold beer after mowin the yard