Buy A Frickin' Hydrometer!

[arcticsid]

This is not meant to be a bashing to someone who doesnt have one!!! But.............

I am surprised by the number of posts I have seen the last couple of years from people new to the wine making hobby who dont have a hydrometer!

This is probably the single most important tool, and maybe the most inexpensive!

You HAVE to have this. Not only to measure the specific gravity(potential finishing alcohol content), but also to monitor temperature and progress!.

Personally, anyone who enters this forum without one should be required to toss a dollar into the jar at the door. These funds will be used for Wades retirement!

LOL

 

[Rocky]

Absolutely, Troy. I have two; one that I use daily and one "just in case" I drop my daily. Very inexpensive and their "rate of return" is huge.

 

[JordanPond]

Yep, got 2. Had 1, dropped it and discovered that it does not work as a pile of glass. Bought 2 for insurance.

 

[Angelina]

I have 1, and 1 on my list of things to get next time I am at the wine supply store. This tool rules!

 

[Redtrk]

Not only buy one but LEARN HOW to use it.

 

[Micah]

Not only buy one but LEARN HOW to use it.

This was probably one of the harder things for me to figure out as a new guy to the hobby. I'd take a reading and mark it down but have no idea what it was telling me.

 

[Sammyk]

In my defense.....

We went to a wine supply with a a copy of the muscadine recipe. Not once did the shop owner mention a hydrometer. The only thing he said was we did not tanin that the recipe called for.

It was not until I found this forum, did we hear the word hydrometer.

Then when we went back to buy one and I asked how to use it, he said it is self explanatory. (You may re-call we had a hard time figuring it out)

Now we have 2.

 

[Sammyk]

One other thing. I found a recipe on the Internet for Muscadine. I did not realize it was not for a beginner and the recipe assumes that one knows how to make wine.

So hell yes, we had a lot of problems - added sugar right to the must and then later when it tasted bad we called the wine supply shop and he told me to throw in some more sugar. The problems worked out though with help from here.

 

[cpfan]

Not only buy one but LEARN HOW to use it.

and quote the reading as three decimal places.

Does 1.08 mean 1.080 or 1.008? And f it means 1.080, are you sure it wasn't 1.082 or 1.084 or maybe 1.078?

Steve

 

[djrockinsteve]

BINGO! I mentioned the other day not all employees are knowledgable in these supply stores. If I worked there we would talk so much about the process the must would be done before you left the store.

Here is a fabulous idea to anyone. Print on the juice buckets "How to ferment juice". With directions. We all know it's not rocket science but not knowing 1 small thing can drive you crazy then panic sets in.

Big round of applause to TexBrew Wade Julie Grapeman RunningWolf etc. for all the help and information and guidance. Hats off to Articsid for the great stories.

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks Steve for all your how to's. Walkers is good about giving fermentation instructions with juice pails.

 

[non-grapenut]

Sometime it's fun to make a batch without a hydrometer just to keep it real. I do it at least once a year to challenge myself and the end result is just fine. Take the challenge and start a thread, if need be.

 

[mmadmikes1]

With some stuff I dont need a hydrometer. Mead I have to have one at end but never both at start. Berry wine I always need one at start but never both at end because if you are bulk aging for a year, you can be sure it has finished fermenting. Experience makes all the difference here and if you are new, you have to have a hydrometer. Start to finish. Grape wines from fruit I always use one start to finish. Grapes cost to much to mess up. If Wade had a buck for every new person who didn't have a hydrometer he would have already retired

 

[Larryh86GT]

Buy A Frickin' Hydrometer!

Quit pussyfooting around Troy and just say what you mean.

It took me a couple of batches before I took the plunge and got one. Initially making a batch is complicated enough without having to be a darn chemist I thought.

 

[arcticsid]

Okay Larry, you got me.

What I meant to say is that I wanted to see our old buddy Wade retire in style, and I just figured this could be a sure fire way!!!!

LMAO!

 

[Runningwolf]

Good topic and interesting comments. Reading the comments we need to remember something we talk about all the time a newbie is reading for the first time or doesn't even know what a hydrometer is for several reasons. That is where we come in to help folks out where there supply stores failed to do so. If I owned a store I would make sure a new person not only had one but show them how and why to read it. This is what sets us apart from some other forums (wine or others) because we take the time and patience to educate folks. As experienced as some people are on this forum we are all still learning something new from each other.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I totally agree Dan.

Folks who have sparked an interest in wine making and don't have the first clue on what to get or how to use it.

I have noticed from the new folks that a lot of the LHBS's don't offer that information to them.

Just need to keep that in mind.

 

[Wade E]

It may be that the brew place you went to presumed that you had a hydrometer, at least I hope so. I disagree with anyone who doesnt usea hydro at beginning and at end of fermentation unless you are going to fortify this batch of wine or mead or IMO you are playing with dynamite in a bottle!

 

[Sammyk]

If you are talking to me, the answer is he knew we were "new" because we told him so and that is was our first wine. We found another shop that is a little farther away and they get all of our business now. And they have been a wealth of help.

 

[Wiz]

I think I have you all beat. If I break one it is not a simple chore to just go to the LBS for another as they don't exist here in Costa Rica. I have my everyday one plus 3 more backups.