how to use a hydrometer for newbies

[Bowmag]

I started it 12/26/15 the fermentation really slow down about 2weeks ago today I added 2 teaspoons of Fermax. The yeast I used red star Montrachet . Thanks for the help

 

[Fedoradude]

Is it possible for Specific Gravity to INcrease during time in the carboy? I racked my Cab Sauv juice from the Primary Fermenter into the carboy 10 days ago and it was around 0.994 or so (see attached pic).

But now, after 10 days, the S.G. is up to just over 1.0 in the thief sample. Is that possible? If so, is it a good thing this is happening? The Winexpert kit instructions say don't begin degassing or refining until it's below 0.996....

Thanks for the insights I know you all will offer.

 

[barbiek]

No not possible unless taken the day after mix, however it is possible to get a false reading from the sample taken. Fi the solids and gas pushing the hydrometer up. You want to give the hydrometer a spin or 2 I always do this 3 times. Take a reading each time

 

[richmke]

in the thief sample. Is that possible?

When you use a thief (vs free floating as in the picture), you have to be careful that the hydrometer is not sticking to the side of the thief or test jar.

I have wondered if the amount of dissolved CO2 would influence the SG. As you remove CO2, the SG should decrease. Or, when CO2 is high, could the CO2 come out of solution, attach to the hydrometer, and float it? That would lead to a falsely high SG reading. Giving a good stir (or shaking wine in the test jar) before taking an SG reading should minimize the effect.

 

[Fedoradude]

OK. I'll retest tonight and see what readings I get. Thanks, all.

 

[Fedoradude]

OK. I'll retest tonight and see what readings I get. Thanks, all.

Calibrated my hydrometer tonite. Water at 70 degs F it read 1.000. So, I re-thiefed a sample (if that's a word) and retested and specific gravity was right where it should've been. So...onto the next step!

 

[sour_grapes]

So, I re-thiefed a sample (if that's a word) and retested

Yes, "sample" is definitely a word!

But seriously, all seems well and you are in good shape!

 

[Radek]

Hi. This may help You.
Use to Measure Specific Gravity of Your Brew.
This Hydrometer is specifically designed for home brew beer, wine & cider making. The Homebrew Hydrometer is the most versatile instrument you can have in your home brew tool box. It allows you to calculate alcohol, see when the fermentation is finished and diagnose/troubleshoot problems. Coloured bands indicate where to start and finish wines and beers making it very easy to read.
Wine and Beer Hydrometer 0-25 Blg % (Balling)
Lenght: 17 cm

Method of measurement:
1. Pour the tested solution into test-tube or another height vessel.
2.Put the meter into the liquid ( the indicator must not touch the vessel walls or bottom)
3.After the immersion level has set, read the value.
The tested solution temperature at measurement should be 20°C.

 

[Radek]

Here You are How to use hydrometer and alcohol meter
http://alcofermbrew.com/en/FAQ-i7.html

 

[Rhetoric]

How do you, like, use a hydrometer? I have never seen one, only pictures on Amazon. It would be nice to have a very obvious description, step by step, assuming nothing. Also, can a refractometer be employed for the same effect?

Oh, I just saw a post (why couldn't I see it before?) that explains part of this. You pour some must in a tube. How do you pour it into the tube? And what do you do with it afterward? Do you pour it back into the batch or discard?

 

[mennyg19]

Dont need to use a tube. As long as ur hydrometer is sterilized, you can drop it straight into your must and take a reading from there

 

[wineforfun]

How do you, like, use a hydrometer? I have never seen one, only pictures on Amazon. It would be nice to have a very obvious description, step by step, assuming nothing. Also, can a refractometer be employed for the same effect?

Oh, I just saw a post (why couldn't I see it before?) that explains part of this. You pour some must in a tube. How do you pour it into the tube? And what do you do with it afterward? Do you pour it back into the batch or discard?

I use a baster, draw enough from primary/secondary, put it into test tube. Insert hydrometer, take reading, then dump "must" back into primary/secondary.

Or if fermenting in a large primary (such as doing a 6 gal. batch, etc.) then you could just put hydrometer into primary, as mentioned.

 

[Scooter68]

Dont need to use a tube. As long as ur hydrometer is sterilized, you can drop it straight into your must and take a reading from there

Good luck fishing it out of a carboy or reading it accurately from a bucket as well.
Basically you use a testing tube away from the must so:
1) You can read it accurately.
2) To avoid the risk of contaminating your must (One mistake and you can loose your entire batch to a nasty infection.)
3) When you have a fermentation bag in the must it's going to be in the way of the hydrometer and/or give a false reading.
4) If your must is in primary and you have a lot of loose fruit pulp the reading will be way off, so you draw off the clear or semi-clear liquid at the top of the bucket.

 

[Johnd]

Good luck fishing it out of a carboy or reading it accurately from a bucket as well.

Faced with the dilemma of having to dig a hydrometer out of a carboy, but wanting to streamline the SG reading process, I tied a foot of 2.5 lb test fishing line on to the top of my hydrometer. A spritz of KMS, into the carboy for a reading, rinse and dry, done. Works like a charm

 

[richmke]

1) You can read it accurately.

Accuracy is only needed at the beginning and the end of the ferment. At the beginning to get a good starting SG. At that point, it is easy to read in the bucket.

At the end you need to be able to read it well enough to see that you get the same reading 2-3 days apart.

Since I only ferment one batch at a time, it is not a problem leaving it in the primary/secondary.

If you use a carboy for a secondary, I remove the hydrometer by racking the wine out, and then slowly tipping the carboy.

2) To avoid the risk of contaminating your must (One mistake and you can loose your entire batch to a nasty infection.)

By leaving it in the fermentor, you minimize contamination because you are not introducing anything new each time you read. If you remove some wine to a reading jar, then you either: 1) dump the wine, or 2) pour it back in with the other wine. #2 has just as much risk of contamination, if not more.

3) When you have a fermentation bag in the must it's going to be in the way of the hydrometer and/or give a false reading.

Since the end is when you need accuracy, by then you can remove the bag.

4) If your must is in primary and you have a lot of loose fruit pulp the reading will be way off, so you draw off the clear or semi-clear liquid at the top of the bucket.

I'll give you this one.

 

[Maerzie]

I'm such a newbie, I don't even understand the picture. But, I don't want this wine to be dry anyway. I want it to be just lightly sweet, just a hair above dry. So then, what do I shoot for? I actually made grape jam out of the majority of grapes, and only saved a pint of them to use to TRY a little wine, in case it didn't turn out for a first time. (I have made beet wine eons ago, but that doesn't count, as it was fake wine with citrus fruit for the actual flavor and beets mostly for the color.)

I only had a pint of grapes, a slice of lemon, and I added some Montrachet yeast, (the only kind I could find locally, as I didn't want to use bread yeast) dissolved in a little warm sugar water. I have since tasted it a few times when I stirred it, and it was too dry, so I added some Karo corn syrup. It's probably about 2-3 weeks into fermenting, and it was still too dry, and barely working, so I added the rest of the pkg. of yeast and some more Karo Syrup. I do stir it daily, but I actually don't know what I'm doing. I'm just going by taste and bubbles, as I don't have a hydrometer either. Is there a worse or better kind to buy? (I do understand yeast, a bit, from making breads.) How do I finish this up? It's starting to taste right. I have it in a small crock, and I haven't done any straining yet. HELP!

 

[Julie]

I'm such a newbie, I don't even understand the picture. But, I don't want this wine to be dry anyway. I want it to be just lightly sweet, just a hair above dry. So then, what do I shoot for? I actually made grape jam out of the majority of grapes, and only saved a pint of them to use to TRY a little wine, in case it didn't turn out for a first time. (I have made beet wine eons ago, but that doesn't count, as it was fake wine with citrus fruit for the actual flavor and beets mostly for the color.)

I only had a pint of grapes, a slice of lemon, and I added some Montrachet yeast, (the only kind I could find locally, as I didn't want to use bread yeast) dissolved in a little warm sugar water. I have since tasted it a few times when I stirred it, and it was too dry, so I added some Karo corn syrup. It's probably about 2-3 weeks into fermenting, and it was still too dry, and barely working, so I added the rest of the pkg. of yeast and some more Karo Syrup. I do stir it daily, but I actually don't know what I'm doing. I'm just going by taste and bubbles, as I don't have a hydrometer either. Is there a worse or better kind to buy? (I do understand yeast, a bit, from making breads.) How do I finish this up? It's starting to taste right. I have it in a small crock, and I haven't done any straining yet. HELP!

We have tutorials on here you really need to read. Trying to ferment down to a certain level to leave some sweetness is nothing more than a crap shoot. Let it go dry then backsweeten to your likeness. You really need to get a hydrometer!

 

[Johnd]

I'm such a newbie, I don't even understand the picture. But, I don't want this wine to be dry anyway. I want it to be just lightly sweet, just a hair above dry. So then, what do I shoot for? I actually made grape jam out of the majority of grapes, and only saved a pint of them to use to TRY a little wine, in case it didn't turn out for a first time. (I have made beet wine eons ago, but that doesn't count, as it was fake wine with citrus fruit for the actual flavor and beets mostly for the color.)

I only had a pint of grapes, a slice of lemon, and I added some Montrachet yeast, (the only kind I could find locally, as I didn't want to use bread yeast) dissolved in a little warm sugar water. I have since tasted it a few times when I stirred it, and it was too dry, so I added some Karo corn syrup. It's probably about 2-3 weeks into fermenting, and it was still too dry, and barely working, so I added the rest of the pkg. of yeast and some more Karo Syrup. I do stir it daily, but I actually don't know what I'm doing. I'm just going by taste and bubbles, as I don't have a hydrometer either. Is there a worse or better kind to buy? (I do understand yeast, a bit, from making breads.) How do I finish this up? It's starting to taste right. I have it in a small crock, and I haven't done any straining yet. HELP!

Just to add on to what Julie said, every time you tasted your wine and added sugar (karo syrup), you've only added more sugar for the yeast to turn to alcohol. Eventually, your method will work when the yeast have created so much alcohol that they die in it and you will have sugar left over in your wine, the sweetness you desire, but probably rocket fuel.

A better method? Do some studying and reading to understand the winemaking process. Decide what alcohol content you want your finished wine to have and create the appropriate must using your hydrometer. Ferment it dry, allow it to clear, stabilize it with sulfite and sorbate, then adjust your sweetness, just the way you like it, without fermentation restarting, and no exploding bottles.

 

[Maerzie]

Suggestions

Thank you, John. I will also watch some tutorials, as I have zero interest in super-strong wine. I appreciate the information. Like I said. I am an absolute newbie, never even having watched anyone else make wine either.

 

[wpt-me]

Some LHBS hold classes to help new people to get started, might want to check!!

Bill