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Broken Hydrometer?

  • 25-04-2013 4:01pm
    #1
    Lovely Bloke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,748 ✭✭✭✭


    Something that came up at our recent brewing day was that we'd gotten a new Hydrometer - our last one ended up in the dishwasher and the tube is now out of shape.

    Anyway, just to show the newer lads how to use it, I filled the tube with water, then stuck the hydrometer into it and it bobbed to a reading of 1.000, grand stuff. So we made up a kit beer (Coopers IPA I think, added 1kg of Spraymalt) and I was expecting a reading somewhere from 1.035 to 1.045 - but it was still bobbing and coming to rest at 1.000!

    On the other fermenter, with the bendy testing tube, the reading came out at approx 1.043 or so (I don't have the exact reading here to hand). I'm also getting expected readings from three other brews from this bandy hydrometer, and no readings at all (1.000 on three other brews) with the new one.

    What could be causing this? Should I send it back from whence it came? Can it be "fixed"?


Comments

  • #2
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,386 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Are you using it at the specified temp? it will be on the side, usually 20C or 25C.

    If your wort is too warm then it expands and is less dense and gives a false reading.

    But from the sounds of things you probably know this.


  • #3
    Lovely Bloke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,748 ✭✭✭✭Lovely Bloke


    No, I appreciate any and all suggestions - the temperature in the room certainly was between 17-23 degrees (it was Saturday afternoon just gone) and the wort was at the correct temperature for pitching yeast, we'd been measuring that with a proper thermometer. In fact, we'd been the most scientific we'd been of all of our brew days this year due to the fact we were also tackling our first extract brew.

    I was disappointed with this seemingly "broken" hydrometer, I just cannot understand how or why it gave the same reading (1.000) for four different brews, while a different hydrometer was giving readings from those 4, and another 3 which we were bottling on the day.


  • #4
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,386 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Thats really odd. Is it a glass one? there is nothing on it which could possibly supposed to be removed? like plastic packing to stop it breaking in transport.

    If it was me I would have it in a trial jar and add warm water to it to see if it budges at all.

    Other usual things are spinning to release bubbles etc, but this can't be it if you are using it in 4 ones


  • #5
    Lovely Bloke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,748 ✭✭✭✭Lovely Bloke


    We left it sitting in one sample for a good while, the foam was gone from the top, there were no bubbles in the jar at all etc, and it was still just staying at 1.000

    Now, I know there is fermentation going on in all 4 of the brews from Saturday (2 kits, 1 extract and a ginger beer), by the look and smell of them, so there were definitely sugars present in them. And I also know from the taste of the three bottled brews that there was alcohol and sweetness present in those.


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