Trouble reading hydrometer

[japaisley1]

Hello fellow wine makers!
I am new at this and have a question. Any help would be great! I have a hydrometer and I did a reading on my first batch of a chiraz wine kit. Fermentation is 6 days in from when I pitched. It started fermenting on day 2 today the reading showed just under 2 on the pic of my hydrometer below. What does this mean?
Thank you so much in advance.

 

[dralarms]

I'm clueless on this one, never saw one with those markings.

 

[cpfan]

That scale's title appears to read "SP GR COR", ie "specific gravity correction". I've never seen a hydrometer with that scale on it. The scale you probably should be reading is the one that appears on the other side. In the picture, it looks like a line of zeroes.

You may get some help from this thread.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16574

Steve

 

[japaisley1]

Does this tell you anything else? Here is the other side. I thought It was just for the temperature?

 

[japaisley1]

Maybe I need to get another hydrometer lol

 

[dralarms]

Yes, a triple scale hydrometer. That makes it a lot easier to read.

 

[cpfan]

I don't think that is a hydrometer, unless there is a third scale. I have heard of a combination hydrometer-thermometer, but have never seen one. Just did some googling, and the combo units that I saw are different from this one.

Steve

 

[DoctorCAD]

That looks like a vinometer. It has a capillary tube.

Do yo submerge it or just stick it in a wine sample?

 

[richmke]

It looks like a straight thermometer with a built in SG correction scale.
http://generators.tpub.com/TM-9-6115-643-24/css/TM-9-6115-643-24_80.htm

 

[sour_grapes]

I agree with richmke's interpretation regarding the correction factor. However, is there yet another set of numbers on the "third side"?

 

[japaisley1]

There are no other numbers. I will have to get a hydrometer today. Thanks for all the help guys!!

 

[JohnT]

Perhaps this is a proofing hydrometer (for distillers)? Could the scale going to 120 be proof?

Either way, I agree that this was meant for wine. Get a new one, they are rather inexpensive.

 

[JimmyT]

Perhaps this is a proofing hydrometer (for distillers)? Could the scale going to 120 be proof?

Unless this is different from mine I'd say it's not a proofing hydrometer. Mine goes from 0-200

 

[JohnT]

Unless this is different from mine I'd say it's not a proofing hydrometer. Mine goes from 0-200

That makes sense since 200 proof is pure alcohol.

 

[BigSell]

This is a SG correction thermometer. One scale is temp. The second is the number you add to your hydrometer reading to compensate for hydrometer calibration vs your actual must temp.
Problem is unless your hydrometer is calibration to the same 0 as the thermometer it's wrong. Note the 0 calibration on the example is around 77f, most of my experience is with hydrometer calibrated at 60f.

 

[japaisley1]

Thanks everyone. I went to buy a hydrometer today