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Author Topic: Trying to read a Hydrometer  (Read 15379 times)

Offline bluesman

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #15 on: February 03, 2011, 07:32:59 pm »
1.04583477556

+/- .0000000001

Seriously, anything within .003 to .005 is fine in my book. DWHAHB Let 'er bubble away.

You must have the digital scientific scale. I'm on the lookout for one of them.  ;)
Ron Price

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #16 on: February 03, 2011, 07:37:42 pm »
I could tell you where to get one...... but then I'd have to kill you.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline bluesman

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #17 on: February 03, 2011, 07:42:16 pm »
I could tell you where to get one...... but then I'd have to kill you.

Well Oscar you're too late. I might need to take out a loan on this one.  :)

http://www.sbsbattery.com/subpage_index.php?_subp_=172

Ron Price

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #18 on: February 03, 2011, 07:57:41 pm »
And now that you know how to visually read your hydrometer, there're two more things you need to do.  Number one is to look for the little chart that came with the hydrometer - that chart tells you how to correct the visual reading for the temperature of the wort you're measuring.  Number two is to go to the grocery store and get a jug of distilled water - use your hydrometer to measure it's gravity and, after correcting for temperature with the chart, it should read 1.000.  If it doesn't, you'll need to remember correct your readings for whatever error there might be.
Joe

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2011, 08:11:50 pm »
I could tell you where to get one...... but then I'd have to kill you.

Well Oscar you're too late. I might need to take out a loan on this one.  :)

http://www.sbsbattery.com/subpage_index.php?_subp_=172



Oscillating Youtube technology..... I am in AWE!
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline Tim McManus

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #20 on: February 03, 2011, 08:18:18 pm »
I could tell you where to get one...... but then I'd have to kill you.

Well Oscar you're too late. I might need to take out a loan on this one.  :)

http://www.sbsbattery.com/subpage_index.php?_subp_=172



Who's gonna' be the first person to click on the "Request Quote" link?  I want to know how much this thing costs.
Tim McManus
Haskell, NJ

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #21 on: February 03, 2011, 08:21:21 pm »
One MILLION dollars.....


Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline punatic

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #22 on: February 03, 2011, 08:24:30 pm »
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


AHA Life Member #33907

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #23 on: February 03, 2011, 08:32:25 pm »

what does the Plato mean? 


Plato

Well that's who he was and what he thought but what did he mean?
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
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"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
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Offline Tim McManus

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #24 on: February 03, 2011, 08:58:46 pm »
I thought it was this (<-- That's a link).
Tim McManus
Haskell, NJ

Offline punatic

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #25 on: February 03, 2011, 11:10:45 pm »
I thought it was this (<-- That's a link).

Naw, that's just Homer Simpson having fun Homer-style...   :D
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


AHA Life Member #33907

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #26 on: February 03, 2011, 11:30:10 pm »
In "Designing Great Beers" Ray Daniels says:  "(The hydrometer reading should be observed at the top of the small meniscus that forms around the hydometer shaft.)  While this might seem simple, I did it incorrectly for nearly six years!"  (page 14).

The SG looks like 1.045 if you read it that way.
I agree a couple of points either way doesn't make much of a difference, but read the above again - Ray only did it wrong for 6 years, I did it for much longer than that!  For a gravity reading you read from the TOP of the meniscus.  This is totally different from taking a volume reading, where you read the bottom of the meniscus.

I suspect it is designed this way because for a volume reading you read the marks on the outside of the vessel so the color and viscosity of the liquid make no difference.  For a gravity reading you read the marks off of something floating in the liquid, so the color/viscosity may make it harder to read the bottom, but you can look from the side and see where the top is.

But not that big of a deal either way.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline punatic

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #27 on: February 04, 2011, 07:33:18 am »
I use a class A volumetic flask and a scale with 0.001g resolution.  That is a direct measurement of density, not a correlation to buoyancy.  In this case I sight the reading across the bottom of the concave meniscus.
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #28 on: February 04, 2011, 10:30:04 am »
I use a class A volumetic flask and a scale with 0.001g resolution.  That is a direct measurement of density, not a correlation to buoyancy.  In this case I sight the reading across the bottom of the concave meniscus.
Use what you have :)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Trying to read a Hydrometer
« Reply #29 on: February 04, 2011, 10:35:10 am »
I use a class A volumetic flask and a scale with 0.001g resolution.  That is a direct measurement of density, not a correlation to buoyancy.  In this case I sight the reading across the bottom of the concave meniscus.

And you find the average hydrometer off by how much? My guess is .002-.004
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....