# hydrometer leans sideways slightly.



## kristie8888 (Jul 25, 2006)

At myfirst reading this worried me a little that i got a bad hydrometer. But after 5 minutes of observation, I learned how to get around the leaning and can get an accurate measurement.


I was wondering if ALL your hydrometers lean in the water (due to the way the metal is distributed in the bottom of the glass) or do most peoples hydrometers float strait up and down. 


FYI- if it is a slight defect, I have found it to be a measure of character and I love my hydrometer. 


Kristie


----------



## scotty (Jul 25, 2006)

i have 3 hydrometers and none lean . maybe your table is off level




*Edited by: scotty *


----------



## pkcook (Jul 25, 2006)

Both mine float upright.


----------



## Angell Wine (Jul 25, 2006)

Half a bubble from being plum are you. I like wine makers that lean a little. That means their wine is good drinking. You might check to see if there are any small cracks anywhere.


----------



## leelanau (Jul 25, 2006)

Leelanau here. Now into secondary stage of my first batch, I have beenusing the wine thief to draw a sample and then place the hydrometer in the wine thief to read. I notice mine leaning even if I spin/rotate the thief. Maybe I have the wine thief tilted a tad when I do it. Hmmm... I have even touched the top trying to straighten it. Should I be not be using it in the thief? I know my table isn't level. Maybe I will check for small cracks, also. *Edited by: leelanau *


----------



## masta (Jul 26, 2006)

Sometimes the hydrometer does want to lean to one side when using the Fermtech Wine Thief/Test Jar Combo but I just keep spinning it or adjusting until it stays in the center to get an accurate reading. 


I don't think it is due to a defect in the hydrometer but more of a function of the small diameter of the thief itself.


----------



## kristie8888 (Jul 26, 2006)

No scotty, my tables and counters and floors are not all crooked




There are no cracks either. But the metal in the bottom of the device is uneven.(One side has more metal than the other side.) So I am assuming that everbody elses is not crooked.


----------



## scotty (Jul 26, 2006)

kristie8888 said:


> No scotty, my tables and counters and floors are not all crooked
> 
> 
> 
> ...


sounds like you may be one of the lucky ones





http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d199/slowpoke59ds/wine%20making/*Edited by: scotty *


----------



## kristie8888 (Jul 26, 2006)

Alright scotty, the only thing crooked in your house is all the carboys are looking a little short of wine --looks like someones been stealing drinks! 


Whats going on with the Welches one gallons? Are you bulk storing them with an airlock? Or doing the primary fermenting in the one gallon carboys? I mean why arn't they topped up? 


Whats the red one gallon in the middle?


----------



## scotty (Jul 26, 2006)

kristie8888 said:


> Alright scotty, the only thing crooked in your house is all the carboys are looking a little short of wine --looks like someones been stealing drinks!
> 
> 
> Whats going on with the Welches one gallons? Are you bulk storing them with an airlock? Or doing the primary fermenting in the one gallon carboys? I mean why arn't they topped up?
> ...



those welches are old photos. i have only one gallon left of the cran raspberry(the red one in the middle)which im going to add 1/2 of one percent sugar to try for an off dry wine, The foam in the off red one is my degassing with a chop stick. 
the carboy that is not full is jus another part of my learning process. on an earlier batch of welches(one gallon) it came very sweet. My reasoning was that i should dilute the juice. actually fermentation had not completed. so the 3 gallon cardoy was suposed to be 2 gallons of wine with one 11.5 ounce can of welches. To complicate thing more. i forgot to add the sugar on that batchso i ended up with 2 and 1/2 gallons of ????? the wine fermented perfectly. the acid level is good. so ill sweeten it to 1/2 percent sugar now and give it to my friends.




these goofs are the reason why i am glad i didnt start the kit yet.
so if i learn by my mistakes, i am now a wine master




i will start to top up on all of my next batches and also will not use an omproperly sized carboy. This batch size is why i just ordered that 2 gallon primary. ((with the 2 gallon bucket i will no longer need to use a gallon for a primary fermenter. my idea is to make a little moreof the gallon batches and save some for topping. I guess thats what i will do with the kit also.*Edited by: scotty *


----------

