Comments on: eDrometer Digital Hydrometer for Brewers and Winemakers

By: sdmikev

sdmikev — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:33:00 +0000

I make up my own recipes, based on a lot of early trial and error.
My stout I just made was based on recipes culled from around the internet for SN, like I noted, then I went from my own starting place and what I like to drink.
Note, I ALWAYS use CA White Labs 001 ale yeast, and 7 pounds of liquid malt extract for my base, then alter from there. Different hops, cracked special grains (Crystal, Black patent, etc..)
For this, I used 2 ounces of Magnum in the boil for 60m, one OZ of Cennt for a half hour, one for the kettle finish and one whole flower Cascade in the secondary ferment for my dry hop.
1 of the 7 pounds of ME was wheat, as well.

By: Quibbler

Quibbler — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 23:14:00 +0000

A hydrometer has to be one of the simplest devices to use. I have been brewing for 40 years and that is all I need to test the final gravity. Sometimes I use a refractometer when mashing to test the conversion because they only take a drop to give a measurement.

By: retchdog

retchdog — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:01:00 +0000

pleasantly surprised to find that’s from a real recipe. i’ll have to try it. :)

By: retchdog

retchdog — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:43:00 +0000

yeah, i know. i’m just imagining folks buying all this kit, brewing two or three beers according to stock recipes, and getting tired of it.

i have two stout variants fermenting right now, though they’re only a gallon each. my total equipment expenditure has been about $20. admittedly, $6 of that was for a hydrometer.

By: Nagurski

Nagurski — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:13:00 +0000

Probably overkill for hobby/home operations, probably quite useful at any commercial level from brewpub on up.

By: dragonfrog

dragonfrog — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:11:00 +0000

How to measure specific gravity, c. 1669:

“Take of spring water what quantity you please, and make it more than blood-warm, and dissolve honey in it till ’tis strong enough to bear an egg, the breadth of a shilling”

By: dragonfrog

dragonfrog — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Sure, for the OG I put a sample in a graduated cylinder, letting it overflow and carry the foam away. For the FG I put another sample in the graduated cylinder.

I just mean in between – say if you want to know far along the fermentation is, to estimate the length of a diacetyl rest – you don’t need to know the gravity to the nearest single point. For that sort of thing, I can easily eyeball it to within 2 or 3 points without extracting a sample, and that’s quite good enough.

By: uberbitter

uberbitter — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:44:00 +0000

I agree hydrometers suck, but I don’t think that most of those homebrewers who find using a refractometer properly too bothersome will have $500 to shell out for this device.

By: uberbitter

uberbitter — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:40:00 +0000

I find there is too much foam to get a good reading for the OG that way. Not that I would spend $500 on such a measuring device either…

By: huskerdont

huskerdont — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:04:00 +0000

Wow, that’s pretty laid back. I have no need for a refractometer, considering I’m not making up my own recipes but at most altering existing ones, but I can’t imagine not being curious about final gravity and alcohol content.

By: foobar

foobar — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:56:00 +0000

It doesn’t require laboratory equipment, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful.

By: retchdog

retchdog — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:59:00 +0000

It’s amazing how something humanity has been doing for about 12,000 years now requires laboratory equipment.

By: SeattlePete

SeattlePete — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:46:00 +0000

Hydrometers suck, for the reasons stated. Refractometers need to be recalculated and adjusted for increasing alcohol in solution and will not give accurate readings as fermentation progresses.

A lot of homebrewers think that they can use a refractometer without applying the required mathematical correction and still make good beer. This is the device for them.

By: sdmikev

sdmikev — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:11:00 +0000

Eh, I’ve been brewing for 20 years and I’ve never even bothered.
Having a glass of my latest stout right now, based on SN recipe, with my own twist.

By: freshyill

freshyill — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:29:00 +0000

I was wondering why I would buy this when I can get a refractometer. I don’t know why, but I thought refractometers were more expensive. They’re all over Amazon for ~$30. Now I need to buy one. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=refractometer

By: dragonfrog

dragonfrog — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:03:00 +0000

Ah, just stick your hydrometer right in the fermenter – can’t get much faster than that. You only need two really accurate readings – at the beginning and end of brewing.

By: mzed

mzed — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:02:00 +0000

Indeed… the price! I could break 50 analog hydrometers for that.

By: HubrisSonic

HubrisSonic — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:03:00 +0000

Madness!

By: foobar

foobar — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:02:00 +0000

This is getting pooh-poohed in /r/homebrewing, and I have to agree. There already exist handheld electronic refractometers for this purpose, and they’re about a quarter the price.