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Author Topic: Hydrometer  (Read 3153 times)

Offline rustynails

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Hydrometer
« on: May 29, 2011, 01:39:51 pm »
I received an old hydrometer for my birthday. It was made in Germany (D.R.G.M. No 1014519). It has a scale for potential alchohol, 2 other unlabled scales, and a therometer. It is labled as from 'Berg & Sons, Tacoma and Seattle. The instructions on the hydrometer tells me to 'float tester in the brew when ready for fermentation ... When tester sinks to letter B fermentation is finished and it is time to bottle. Legal limit of alcohol is 1/2 of 1%'
Anybody have any info on this, I would be glad to learn more. The hydrometer appears to be in un-used shape and is in original package.
Before anybody asks, it is not for sale.

Thank you
Rusty Nails 
There are more miracles in a cask of ale than in a Church full of Saints.

Offline punatic

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2011, 04:58:55 pm »
D.R.G.M. = Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster meaning that the design or function of an item was officially registered inside all of the Germany states and not only locally registered.  Used 1891 to 1952.
 
In 1952 it was changed to Deutsches Bundesgebrauchsmuster (D.B.G.M.) 
Guess they had an aversion to using "Reich" for some reason...

Your hydrometer is vintage pre-1952
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2011, 06:02:41 pm »
The alcohol limit makes it sound like it was produced for the US market during Prohibition.
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Offline rustynails

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2011, 06:41:33 pm »
As soon as I can get one of the kids (or grand kids) to help me, I'll post pics
There are more miracles in a cask of ale than in a Church full of Saints.

Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2011, 10:20:57 am »
I have one of these hydrometers, but made in the USA.  One scale is exactly double the potential alcohol scale, which I assume is potential proof?  No idea what the third scale is.  It's zero point is at -1% potential alcohol and reads 28 at 13% potential alcohol...
Is that a counter-pressure bottle filler in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Offline rustynails

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2011, 10:44:54 am »
That's the same as the scales on mine. Still trying to find info on it.
Thanks
Ed
There are more miracles in a cask of ale than in a Church full of Saints.

Offline rustynails

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2011, 10:55:17 am »
The third scale appears to be degrees Plato, but I could be dead wrong.
Ed
There are more miracles in a cask of ale than in a Church full of Saints.

Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2011, 11:04:14 am »
That's what I thought at first, too.  But looking at the hydrometer I normally use, I see that a reading of 24.5 Plato (actually Brix/Balling) is at 13% potential alcohol.  But it could be that the two hydrometers are using different potential alcohol scales and that it is Plato.
Is that a counter-pressure bottle filler in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Offline rustynails

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Re: Hydrometer
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2011, 11:35:08 am »
I ran some numbers through ProMash. 28.6 Plato gives you 13% ABW. BeerSmith put it at 12.9%ABW. This is assuming that the FG will be 0. (1.000 SG)

Ed AKA Rusty Nails
There are more miracles in a cask of ale than in a Church full of Saints.