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Hydrometer Help

Northern Brewer General
#1

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.

#2

Is your sample deep enough to ensure that the hydrometer is not sitting on the bottom?

#3

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.

#4

Reading a hydrometer is a fairly simple task.

This page explains it in detail:

http://www.lumcon.edu/education/K-12/st ... ometer.asp

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.

#5

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.

#6

[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.

#7

It’s all about the meniscus!

#8

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

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