Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

First Timer

  • 18-09-2012 11:55AM
    #1
    Mister Burns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 118 ✭✭


    I just got my first kit having done a lot of reading online etc I went for the Coopers DIY Beer Kit with the Coopers Canadian Blonde. While everything seemed very straight forward on the instructions and online instructions I don't think I read the OG right. It read at 1.036 however plain water was only reading 0.994 rather than the 1.000 that I was expecting - Is there something simple that I'm doing wrong?

    Thanks in advance for any help or pointers you guys have


Comments

  • #2
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 12,213 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Mister Burns wrote: »
    Is there something simple that I'm doing wrong?
    Hydrometers are only accurate at 20C. To measure liquid at other temperatures, you need to calibrate the reading.

    My beer blog | Bluesky | My other beer blog



  • #3
    Mister Burns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 118 ✭✭Mister Burns


    Thanks BeerNut,

    That makes more sense although I didn't take note of the temperature when I took the OG yesterday so I'll just have to take a rough guess and chaulk it down as a lesson learnt for the next batch


  • #4
    Baz_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,660 ✭✭✭Baz_


    I got that coopers kit myself when starting and the hydrometer that come with it was faulty. Having done some research online it's a known issue so I contacted the store I bought from and they sent me out a proper working replacement...


  • #5
    Mister Burns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 118 ✭✭Mister Burns


    Thanks Baz,

    Am I right in assuming that if it is working right that at 20C it should read water as 1.000 with no calibration required?


  • #6
    Baz_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,660 ✭✭✭Baz_


    I believe so but when I put mine into the trial jar of water it slowly sank to the bottom. Now I'm no big city detective but I knew something was up then...


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Mister Burns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 118 ✭✭Mister Burns


    Thanks Sherlock!

    I'm thinking mine is off cause it seems to measure water at 0.994 - 0.995 so I'll take your first suggestion and get it replaced


  • #8
    Baneblade
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 426 ✭✭Baneblade


    its a common thing with those coopers hydrometers that they are off by 0.005
    the one i got with the coopers kit was off by about the same amount. got a new one and it sat at 1.000 in water

    as long as you take the og and fg readings with the same hydrometer the % result will still be correct


  • #9
    Mister Burns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 118 ✭✭Mister Burns


    Cheers Baneblade that makes sense


Advertisement
Advertisement