digital hydrometer

[jamesngalveston]

I have been notified that I have one in shipping..paid for a while back.
Any how, I send an email to the owner requesting he contact wade, and that he should be a sponsor for winemakingtalk, and stated it is the largest and best site for home wine making.

I hope this is not out of line...I think the digital hydrometer is the next gen for home wine making, my opinion only.
Here is a link if any are intrested.

http://www.stm-instrument.com/category-s/1823.htm

admin are moderator: if this post is out of line, please delete...

 

[Runningwolf]

James what was the cost of it? I see it reads brix and sg. How large of a sample is required and does it require any other reagents?

 

[Runningwolf]

I see the price now..about $425 total. Very interesting but I'll be sticking to my hydrometers.

 

[Julie]

"......admin are moderator......."


James do you mean or?

 

[jamesngalveston]

yes julie...or

runningwolf..no reagents are needed..and the sample is 1 1/2 oz.
I am sure i will get instructions with it.
we shall see.
i also am on list to get the other digital product when it is released to the public.

 

[Julie]

James, is that your southern accent coming thru?

 

[Wade E]

Wow, $399 for a hydrometer!!! You out of your stinking mind?? Not out of line at all but we are not the biggest wine forum out there, I do believe we are second but second to none if you know what I mean! I cant see this being a big seller at that price though!

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

there are refractometors out there that do the same for a fraction of the cost and only use a few drops.
For home wine making I too think it is a bit expensive, for tight quality lab work it is probably worth it.

 

[seth8530]

Nice find. However, for the purpose of WINEMAKING I feel like the density meter is a little too pricy. I say this because for around $450 you could get an ebuillometer (sp) to determine your ABV. Also keep in mind, all of our density to alcohol equations are of limited accuracy, so their comes a point where increasingly accurate density measurements do not really improve your ABV calculation all that much.

However, I do think it is a really cool instrument and I am sure it could have quite a few useful applications outside of winemaking.

 

[turkeylipz]

Unfortunately it just seems like a highly accurate digital read out. Imagine though if it could take continuous reads (no samples needed and no reagents after initial calibration) and output that data in some digital format other than visual read out. Now we are talking....

One could right a script to parse the data, create actions based on the data, i.e. punchdown every 0.1 drop, send email alerts when reaching a certain SG.

Even better if it could daisy chain...imagine a browser based dashboard outlining the relative SGs (and other data) for 6 primaries and they all are being stirred and then , perhaps, transferred.

Sorry, my imagination is getting the best of me. I have this vision of mixing up a primary and then 6 months later a "ding" to tell me there is newly bottled wine ready for the cellar.

 

[jamesngalveston]

turkeylips...i have one of those coming that does exactly as you state and its blue tooth.

 

[BernardSmith]

Unfortunately it just seems like a highly accurate digital read out. Imagine though if it could take continuous reads (no samples needed and no reagents after initial calibration) and output that data in some digital format other than visual read out. Now we are talking....

One could right a script to parse the data, create actions based on the data, i.e. punchdown every 0.1 drop, send email alerts when reaching a certain SG.

Even better if it could daisy chain...imagine a browser based dashboard outlining the relative SGs (and other data) for 6 primaries and they all are being stirred and then , perhaps, transferred.

Sorry, my imagination is getting the best of me. I have this vision of mixing up a primary and then 6 months later a "ding" to tell me there is newly bottled wine ready for the cellar.

Except "accuracy" covers many sins. If we are using density as an indicator of the sugar content for our purposes then "accuracy" presumes that there is no other agent in the liquid that increases or reduces its density but there are including the alcohol content itself. But presumably tannins, acids, dissolved CO2... all must have some impact on the accuracy of a density measure. Then there is the "accuracy" of the scale. Precisely how many grams of unfermented sucrose will raise the density of elderflower wine at 7 %ABV by .007. Will the same amount of dextrose increase the density by .007? Glucose? What if the wine was at 5% ABV? What if the wine was gooseberry? Mead? Strikes me that the one area where a digital tool might be more "accurate" - all other things being equal is in our ability to read the output. With an analog device you need to know whether to read the top or the bottom of the miniscus and it is kind of difficult to read the lines because for some reason all hydrometers are designed to face away from the reader no matter how you spin them (a bit like a slice of bread always falling butter/jam side down)
I think most inexpensive hydrometers are accurate plus or minus a gravity reading of about .002 (that is .004 total) and that is good enough for practical purposes.

 

[turkeylipz]

turkeylips...i have one of those coming that does exactly as you state and its blue tooth.

What? The one you provided a link to? Hmmmmm. What format of data does it provide and can it be continuous?

 

[turkeylipz]

....and that is good enough for practical purposes.

Agreed. But the digital output is the real benefit in my mind. Data output that is

 

[Runningwolf]

If it was half the price and did everything it said it does including residual sugar in a finished wine, I would consider it.

 

[bkisel]

This is just a hobby for me so I'll stick with the inexpensive and accurate enough analog instrument over the more accurate but expensive digital instrument.