Alcohol Hydrometer

The following URL will take you to a web special sale for an alcohol hydrometer and test jar. The hydrometer measures both percentage and proof.

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Price Was ------- ------- Hydrometer $ 29,95 $ 42.95 Test jar 8.95 12.95 ------- ------- $ 38.90 $ 55.90 plus shipping

Sounds like a good deal to me. Anyone ever buy one of these?

Dick

-- Richard D. Adams, CPA Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated

Reply to
Dick Adams
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Sounds like Spam to me

regular price for a hydrometer and test jar is $6.64 at my usual outlet

$40+ will buy a lot of beer.

I quit using a hydrometer years ago. It doesn't really tell you anything helpful, you risk contamination of the wort . . . what is the use? bragging rights?

Reply to
default

Dick,

That sounds expensive. Hydrometers are down around $6-7 for a regular hydrometer. You can get narrow range hydrometers where you need a set of 3 hydrometers that cover the range that the inexpensive hydrometer covers. The narrow range hydrometers are probably about $20 each so $60 for a set. If that is what they are pricing, you do not really need that quality unless you get real serious. Even then, I question whether the added accuracy of the narrow range hydrometers really improve the accuracy of your alcohol calculation. There is probably a 0.5 to 1.5% error in the calculation methods so getting a better SG reading will not improve your estimate.

Ray

Reply to
Ray Calvert

This is a proof/percentage alcohol hydrometer. Not the same as used for sugar measurements (density) and is not very accurate.

Stick with a good old specific gravity hydrometer.

Mike

default wrote:

Reply to
MeadMax

Specific gravity is specific gravity (or density) - the hydrometer is nothing more than a float with a few lines etched into it.

It is possible to increase or decrease the resolution depending on its construction - but there's no real difference in the basic design of the instrument. It is "the same" in that respect.

What I'd really like to know is who cares? and why? What is the point of knowing, or (more correctly) believing you know the alcohol content?

Reply to
default

Well for a commercial operation you HAVE to know for purposes of labeling information and more importantly tax reporting.

I think most people understand the basics of a 'specific gravity hydrometer' as used in brewing but those same people may not understand the difference between the graduations marked on a brix or proof scale hydrometer.

There are few absolute accurate measures for alcohol by volume and that is why the (US) government only requires measurements to be accurate to .5% - 1.5% +- depending on the determined abv/proof

Anyway, if anyone wants a real measurement of 'alcohol' let me know. I have an Anton Paar Alcolyzer.

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I only know a little about the subject ;-)

Mike

Reply to
MeadMax

Dick if you have money to give away, there are many who will take it.

The hydrometer is well over priced, and those selling should make a considerable profit.

As for the Test jar I picked one up some 6 Months ago for less than $.

Stephen SG

Reply to
Stephen SG

Well OK it has a legal use. Are you a commercial brewer?

I think if I were looking for toys, a "High Performance Liquid Chromatograph" would be my first choice. I could watch the flavor develop, and the alcohol for that matter.

Reply to
default

Yes I am a commercial mead maker. I am also a commercial distiller. I'd love to have a gas chromatograph (my friend at Agilent kees trying to sell me one).

Mike

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Reply to
MeadMax

Hello default,

At risk of sounding like a complete idiot; how do you know your fermentation is complete without the use of a hydrometer ? And why wouldn't you want to know the alcohol content of a given beverage ?

Duke

Reply to
Duke

Try this web site:

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Go to test equipment. The price is a lot better! It is a Canadian site. Eddie V.

Reply to
Sabia Vanderzeeuw

I must be some sort of weirdo then, I simply use the plastic tube the hydrometer came in as a testing jar. It's tall enough, narrow enough and free.

Reply to
Ralconte

My tube was damaged, thus as it was so cheep what the hell. Some of these hydrometers don't come plastic tubes.

As for you being a crack pot, well only you can judge or those around you.

Stephen SG

| > As for the Test jar I picked one up some 6 Months ago for less than $. | >

| I must be some sort of weirdo then, I simply use the plastic tube the | hydrometer came in as a testing jar. It's tall enough, narrow enough | and free.

Reply to
Stephen SG

So are most people -:)

If you have had it for a year or more and it has not cracked it, you are one lucky guy.

Dick

Reply to
Dick Adams

snip

I'm using two stage fermentation in glass. Back in the days when I thought I needed a hydrometer, it was always the same reading (given the same type and amount of sugar and yeast) Unless I screw up, fermentation is more than over in two weeks. At two weeks and onward, I check the brew periodically for clarity (with a flashlight through the carboy). If it isn't clear in two weeks I give it one more -

One batch in 20 may still be a little cloudy at three weeks - I bottle it and "archive" it (put it on the bottom of the stack so it gets used last).

I would want to know the alcohol content - but only if there were no downside to learning. To "know" the alcohol content you have to have an accurate idea of the SG going in - that is almost never accurate in my setup. And you still don't know the alcohol - just the SG, from that you calculate and assume to know the alcohol.

Once my equipment is sanitized, the yeast is pitched, the wort aerated, I'm loath to open the fermenter for any reason. To my way of thinking that just makes good sense.

If I were using a conical fermenter taking a sample wouldn't risk contamination and I might do things differently.

Besides, I've done hundreds of batches in 14+ years. When fermentation is over it is visible - no airlock bubbles (or one every

10+ minutes), clear liquid, no froth on top, no bubbles on the surface, etc..

If I had the SG and it wasn't "right," I might worry - there's not like there's much I can do about it. My goal is a satisfying brew, the effects of alcohol are secondary to taste.

From my experience sanitation is important, ditto good yeast, well started, good selection of hops, and then careful temperature control. (mixing and aerating wort are second nature now). Get the technique down and good beer is the result.

There are NO hydrometers in the labs - they do use them in the chemical manufacturing plant - but only as a crude measure. The closest thing we have in the labs is an instrument that sends a sample into a loop of glass tubing and vibrates the tubing, from the frequency of the vibrating tube they calculate the density of the liquid. To measure sugar, we use an instrument that measures optical rotation (the sugar twists the polarized light passed through the sample). To measure alcohol the gas chromatographs, or liquid chromatographs are probably the accurate ways. GC measures the ability of the sample to affect the ions (electrical conductivity) of a flame or nuclear source detector, LC measures the absorption of a particular wavelength of light (mostly UV), both measure when (time) the sample elutes from the column - a sort of resistance to the movement of certain molecules over others, and the magnitude of the absorption or ionization voltage.

Experience biases perception.

When all is said and done, a satisfying beer is what it is all about, not the alcohol content.

Reply to
default

Off the top of my head, I can think of several good reasons other than calculating alcohol:

For beer, you need one to determine

1) mash and brewhouse efficiency 2) adjustment of hops in the kettle 3) problematic fermentation 4) when to start lagering phase 5) when fermentation is complete 6) wort fermentability

And since you crossposted to a winemaking group:

1) adjustments/dilutions prior to fermentation 2) problematic fermentations 3) final adjustments

I'm sure I left out a bunch.

The risk of contamination from taking a small sample post fermentation is nearly zero assuming you can use reasonable sanitation procedures. For wort, the greatest risk is prior to fermentation. If you're not able to take a small hydrometer sample of fermented wort without introducing an infection, there's little hope that you'll be able to produce a decent non-infected beer to begin with.

Reply to
bregent
25+ years actually, but who is counting, the one I was using was glass.

Stephen SG

Reply to
Stephen SG

I agree with your Comments, despite the fact some including my self who have this equipment, I rarely use it. A good wine is not based on how much alcohol is within but on the pleasing properties it presents.

I trust that others have different views...................

Stephen SG

"default" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... | On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 02:21:04 GMT, "Duke" wrote: | | snip | >

| >Hello default, | >

| >At risk of sounding like a complete idiot; how do you know your fermentation | >is complete without the use of a hydrometer ? And why wouldn't you want to | >know the alcohol content of a given beverage ? | >

| >Duke | >

| >

| I'm using two stage fermentation in glass. Back in the days when I | thought I needed a hydrometer, it was always the same reading (given | the same type and amount of sugar and yeast) Unless I screw up, | fermentation is more than over in two weeks. At two weeks and onward, | I check the brew periodically for clarity (with a flashlight through | the carboy). If it isn't clear in two weeks I give it one more - | | One batch in 20 may still be a little cloudy at three weeks - I bottle | it and "archive" it (put it on the bottom of the stack so it gets used | last). | | I would want to know the alcohol content - but only if there were no | downside to learning. To "know" the alcohol content you have to have | an accurate idea of the SG going in - that is almost never accurate in | my setup. And you still don't know the alcohol - just the SG, from | that you calculate and assume to know the alcohol. | | Once my equipment is sanitized, the yeast is pitched, the wort | aerated, I'm loath to open the fermenter for any reason. To my way of | thinking that just makes good sense. | | If I were using a conical fermenter taking a sample wouldn't risk | contamination and I might do things differently. | | Besides, I've done hundreds of batches in 14+ years. When | fermentation is over it is visible - no airlock bubbles (or one every | 10+ minutes), clear liquid, no froth on top, no bubbles on the | surface, etc.. | | If I had the SG and it wasn't "right," I might worry - there's not | like there's much I can do about it. My goal is a satisfying brew, | the effects of alcohol are secondary to taste. | | From my experience sanitation is important, ditto good yeast, well | started, good selection of hops, and then careful temperature control. | (mixing and aerating wort are second nature now). Get the technique | down and good beer is the result. | | There are NO hydrometers in the labs - they do use them in the | chemical manufacturing plant - but only as a crude measure. The | closest thing we have in the labs is an instrument that sends a sample | into a loop of glass tubing and vibrates the tubing, from the | frequency of the vibrating tube they calculate the density of the | liquid. To measure sugar, we use an instrument that measures optical | rotation (the sugar twists the polarized light passed through the | sample). To measure alcohol the gas chromatographs, or liquid | chromatographs are probably the accurate ways. GC measures the | ability of the sample to affect the ions (electrical conductivity) of | a flame or nuclear source detector, LC measures the absorption of a | particular wavelength of light (mostly UV), both measure when (time) | the sample elutes from the column - a sort of resistance to the | movement of certain molecules over others, and the magnitude of the | absorption or ionization voltage. | | Experience biases perception. | | When all is said and done, a satisfying beer is what it is all about, | not the alcohol content.

Reply to
Stephen SG

This is for an ALCOHOL hydrometer, not a water hydrometer. Note that it reads percentage and proof, NOT specific gravity. Bob<

Reply to
B0B

Mine is 25 years old. Works like a charm, and the plastic tube is just the right size for a good first taste! :-) Bob<

-- "A 90 year old man was arrested and charged with rape. He was so flattered that he pled guilty. -George Burns-

Reply to
B0B

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