Ok, so I know this is stupid, but I can’t figure out how to read/use my hydrometer.
Does anyone have any links, preferably with visuals, to toss at me for help?
Every time I take a reading, it floats to the same level. Regardless of what beer I’m making or whether I take OG or FG, it’s always the same. Every time! I quit taking them for a year, but I had a buddy over while brewing this weekend and he started asking all sorts of questions about measuring ABV, etc, and I didn’t know any answers. I just told him not to worry about it.
Haha, considering how dumb my problem is, that’s a really fair question…
The same is deep enough to not sit on the bottom. As far as I can tell, I’m doing everything right, minus reading it.
If you still have questions, please post legible picture(s) of your hydrometer in the sample jar filled with water and tell us what hydrometer you have.
Also don’t use the tube the hydrometer came in. Buy a hydrometer flask. They are pretty cheap and the hydrometer won’t stick to the side and give false readings.
Next test it in, preferably distilled 60° water. Should read 1.00. If it is much off from there consider a new hydrometer.
[quote=“Shark”]Haha, considering how dumb my problem is, that’s a really fair question…
The same is deep enough to not sit on the bottom. As far as I can tell, I’m doing everything right, minus reading it.[/quote]I hated to ask the question but then remembered the guy who could not get his Autosiphon to work. Long story short, his vessels were both at the same physical height.
This is the video NB produced to explain how to use the hydrometer they include with their starter kits. It’s a good general rundown: http://youtu.be/jNVePBvI2ps
