Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

odd hydrometer reading ??

Options
  • 18-07-2011 6:06pm
    #1
    bullets
    Registered Users Posts: 4,612 ✭✭✭


    Took OG reading Sun 10th July on the Larger that came with my
    coopers kit it was giving a reading of 1030 after calibrating the reading
    for 24C just before I added the yeast.

    Took a reading yesterday at it was showing 1010 at 19C

    Took reading today but the hydrometer nearly sank to the bottom and
    went off the scale, emptied it and tried twice more and same thing happened
    at 18C

    Is something wrong here, I would not have expected an extreme
    difference between yesterday and today, and my cider brew never went
    that low.
    IMG_1692.jpg
    IMG_1691.jpg


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    irish_goat
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 5,779 Mod ✭✭✭✭irish_goat


    Try giving the hydrometer a good wipe as it looks like a lot of bubbles are forming on it which would affect the reading.


  • Options
    #3
    bullets
    Registered Users Posts: 4,612 ✭✭✭bullets


    tried wiping/drying/cleaning and knocking or tapping on it to knock any bubbles out but its still sinking, does not look like their is any damage to it either as its been sitting on the shelf since yesterday.

    I also tried mixing a bit on honey in some warm water just to see how the hydrometer behaved in a different liquid and it floated fine. weird.

    The Wort was fermenting away all last week fine with lots of crust and foamy head that subsided now. And temps were between showing up about 20C most of last week, only dropping to 18ish today.

    ~B


  • Options
    #4
    Donny5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,827 ✭✭✭Donny5


    Just as a matter of interest, what is the reading in just water?


  • Options
    #5
    bullets
    Registered Users Posts: 4,612 ✭✭✭bullets


    Donny5 wrote: »
    Just as a matter of interest, what is the reading in just water?

    It just sinks to the very bottom of the tube.

    ~B


  • Options
    #6
    Donny5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,827 ✭✭✭Donny5


    bullets wrote: »
    It just sinks to the very bottom of the tube.

    ~B

    Okay, then it's defective. The specific gravity of water should be 1.000. You can allow a range of between maybe .990 and 1.1 to allow for impurities, but outside of this means your hydrometer has a problem.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    bullets
    Registered Users Posts: 4,612 ✭✭✭bullets


    cool good to know thanks.

    Kicking myself now I did not read more before starting to see if it
    was ok to begin with, I just presumed when I was getting readings on the
    previous brew's that were in or around the expected that it was ok.

    ~B


  • Options
    #8
    bullets
    Registered Users Posts: 4,612 ✭✭✭bullets


    Picked up a brand spanking new hydrometer yesterday from home brew west
    it got posted last night, and had the delivery guy ring me door bell at half 7 this morning which was very quick! (very nice prices on that website compared to other places I was looking at)

    Thankfully this one measures perfectly at 1.0 for water so Strawberry Cider is a go for tonight!

    Bottled Larger last night that had started it on the 11th guessing it was done
    but could not take the final reading. I wont be drinking it anyway, only made it
    cos it was free with the initial kit.

    The Apple cider I don't hold any hope for, its still tastes Manky with not really
    much sign of the flavor getting any better over the last month.

    Strawberry should be fun if I dong get the rotten egg smell I've been reading about!

    ~B


Advertisement