Note to self

[DaveL]

Always have an extra hydrometer! They are glass and they break when dropped. Who knew,,:

 

[tingo]

Fyi they also break when your wife sets them in the sink and you toss press blocks that need cleaned into said sink. Lol

 

[Winofarmer]

Just had to buy a new one yesterday,wasn't smart enough to buy 2 !!!

 

[mjrisenhoover]

Just ordered a second one, I am surprised I haven't broke mine yet.

 

[unclekracky]

Are all hydrometers the same? And is there a "smaller" hydrometer that can be used for checking wine in a more shallow container? I usually check my wine with hydrometer directly in the primary or the carboy (I'm new; and acknowledge I may be doing this wrong). I find that in the one gallon carboy and in the two gallon fermenter it always hits the bottom so I don't get an accurate reading. Obviously don't have this issue in a 5gallon.

 

[Wade E]

No there aren't smaller 1,s but you can get a wine thief and test tube and easily extract a sample and then put it back if you sanitze everything.

 

[Arne]

No there aren't smaller 1,s but you can get a wine thief and test tube and easily extract a sample and then put it back if you sanitze everything.

Or it gives you an excuse for quality control testing. Ya always need a bit of a sip ya know. Arne.

 

[dangerdave]

I now keep two on hand at all times! Broken hydrometers are like flat tires. You've either had one, or you are going to have one.

 

[JohnT]

I make several batches at time of harvest. I have a stock pile of 5 or 6 on hand!

 

[Putterrr]

Mine is 25 years old and still going strong. My spare is brand spanky new. (just in case I get careless in my old age)

cheers

 

[Tripplett]

I received my wine making kit for Christmas. After one week based on the prior day's reading my SG would have been 1.010 so I sanitized all my equipment for testing and racking. I did this in the kitchen and then had to go to the basement where the wine is stored. I slid my hydrometer into the wine thief and held that in one hand with the better bottle and other equipment in the other hand. I tried to open the door with the hand holding the thief and when I turned the knob it allowed the hydrometer to slide out of the wine thief and it broke on the tile floor. That was a quick lesson learned - carrying too much is never a good idea. I now have two hydrometers and moved sanitizing to the basement. I do miss my old one though because it had color gradients on it that were easy to see at a glance.

 

[JohnT]

I remember a post (i think from runningwolf?) where a home made hydrometer case was made from some PVC pipe. I never got around to making any of these, but thought that it was a good idea!

 

[saramc]

Oh, and do not try to hold the hydrometer with your teeth. My hands were full, test jar was falling...that glass is THIN! Fortunately no injuries. That was in my newbie days. I have a wine thief that the hydrometer will fit right in to, and to prevent the hydrometer from falling out by accident I slip a piece of short nylon stocking over the top. I would love to see a small rubber tip that could protect the tip of the hydrometer, somehow.

 

[xanxer82]

Always buy hydrometers in pairs. When they get lonely, they commit hari-kari.