Hydrometer

[Isaiah]

Is it ok to just stick the hydrometer in the jug to get a reading? or do I need to draw some juice out into another tube for that?

 

[closetwine]

As long as your careful about sanitizing! Yeah, go for it.

 

[Isaiah]

Just wiping it down with no rinse cleanser. hope thats good enough!

 

[Julie]

The no rinse cleaner is fine. I believe Wade does it this way all the time.

 

[AKsarben]

It would be better to draw out a small sample and put into a 100ml graduated cylinder, or a hydrometer jar (has no graduations on it, just clear). That way, it is easier to read the bottom of the miniscus. Just rinse the hydrometer off with clean water, and wipe dry with a clean towel.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I spray off with a water/sulfite solution first, then rinse well with water. (we have good water). I will add hydrometer to my buckets but if the wine is in a carboy, I'll put some in a plain beaker. Vern's right it's a lot easier to read, although my hydrometer always spins away from me. Lil bstrd.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I spray off with a water/sulfite solution first, then rinse well with water. (we have good water). I will add hydrometer to my buckets but if the wine is in a carboy, I'll put some in a plain beaker. Vern's right it's a lot easier to read, although my hydrometer always spins away from me. Lil bstrd.

I do the same thing - i will put it in the primary - but after the primary - i draw a sample and put into a hydrometer cylinder.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Often when I rack I'll stop siphoning to the carboy and fill up the beaker. Return the hose back to thecarboy and continue.

This is what I will use to test sweeten or add to the carboy if I'm not.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Often when I rack I'll stop siphoning to the carboy and fill up the beaker. Return the hose back to thecarboy and continue.

This is what I will use to test sweeten or add to the carboy if I'm not.

Good call - i actually tried that last weekend when racking my wine. I found it a lot easier than drawing out a sample after racking.

 

[AKsarben]

Turkey basters work good for home winemaking. I use a plastic wine thief for small containers 55 gal down to 5gal etc. Clear hydrometer jars are the best. My lab has an asortment of hydrometers in the stand 24-16 brix, 16-8 brix, 8-0 brix along with my bit larger one of -5 to +5 Brix. Dry wine will usually go to negative brix of -1.0 or better when all the sugar is gone.

I also use a clinitest pill to test for Residual Sugar (Reducing Sugar), along with the Gold Coast method if we really need to stop the fermentation at some point, ....say 2.3-2.5% sugar.

 

[JohnT]

Turkey basters work good for home winemaking. I use a plastic wine thief for small containers 55 gal down to 5gal etc. Clear hydrometer jars are the best. My lab has an asortment of hydrometers in the stand 24-16 brix, 16-8 brix, 8-0 brix along with my bit larger one of -5 to +5 Brix. Dry wine will usually go to negative brix of -1.0 or better when all the sugar is gone.

I also use a clinitest pill to test for Residual Sugar (Reducing Sugar), along with the Gold Coast method if we really need to stop the fermentation at some point, ....say 2.3-2.5% sugar.

So how does the clinitest pills work?????

 

[AKsarben]

They work great for dry wine!

oh... you maybe want to know how to use them.. LOL 5 drops wine in a test tube, + 10 drops water, add one pill and compare the color to the test strip provided. Each bottle has it's own instructions and color chart.