Thoughts on hydrometers?

Did i miss the reply where the OP said they were going to get a hydrometer?
In my opinion there is only way to ensure fermentation is done....measure
I would never NEVER bottle without one.......

T
 
Is a refractometer better? Is it significantly more expensive?

A refractometer allows you to use a few drops of wort/beer instead of several ounces. It also allows you to do checks at various times during the hot side without the hassle of cooling the sample. If you're deciding on which one to get, be aware that, if you choose a refractometer, you'll need a hydrometer to calculate the WRI (wort refractive index) that's specific to your refractometer.
 
You'll get a skewed response asking on a homebrewing forum. No you don't need the hydrometer/refractometer to make beer, but you do to make your beer better. I didn't have one for my first brew, went and bought one for my second. There's just so many questions that you ask about how to do things better next time that you need the gravity readings to answer.
Thank you for the honest answer and to everyone else for answering my questions and giving advice. I'm not doing this because I thought it be cool to make a batch of my own beer and I had $100 to blow. I'm doing it because I love beer and interested in the process and eventually even experimenting a bit. So it sounds like I'm getting a hydrometer. I am doing 5 gallon batches so it sounded like I don't need anything fancier than that for the time being
 
I was planning on fermenting atleast 2 weeks I could even go 3 as I've heard weizen yeast tends to be very active. Is it possible to leave it too long before bottling? I also plan on doing atleast 2-3 extract with grains brews before I even attempt all grain. Of the options you mentioned for taking the gravity is their one you consider most effective

Since you will be starting with extracts a hydrometer is only recommended...not required. Yes there is a small amount of additional risk of not fermenting fully. But as long as you ferment 3-4 weeks in the proper temperature range for the yeast, you will be fine. When you start brewing all grain a hydrometer will provide you with invaluable information.

One more thing: You cannot possibly over think or do too much research when it come to brewing. Any time not obsessing over your next brew or next acquisition is just wasted time! :cool:
 
Since you will be starting with extracts a hydrometer is only recommended...not required. Yes there is a small amount of additional risk of not fermenting fully. But as long as you ferment 3-4 weeks in the proper temperature range for the yeast, you will be fine. When you start brewing all grain a hydrometer will provide you with invaluable information.

One more thing: You cannot possibly over think or do too much research when it come to brewing. Any time not obsessing over your next brew or next acquisition is just wasted time! :cool:
My wife would tell you I overthink pretty much everything :p maybe my obsessive nature will finally pay off
 
Thank you for the honest answer and to everyone else for answering my questions and giving advice. I'm not doing this because I thought it be cool to make a batch of my own beer and I had $100 to blow. I'm doing it because I love beer and interested in the process and eventually even experimenting a bit. So it sounds like I'm getting a hydrometer. I am doing 5 gallon batches so it sounded like I don't need anything fancier than that for the time being

My wife would tell you I overthink pretty much everything :p maybe my obsessive nature will finally pay off

You'll be hooked soon enough.
Then fistfuls of dollars will fly freely from your hands.:D
 
Yep. All you need is a kettle and jug to make beer. All the other stuff makes things easier, more fun, and repeatable. Have you thought through how to keep the fermenter cool? You may want to start with an Ale as it ferments at a higher temp, more near room temp.
 
Last edited:
Yep. All you need is a bucket and jug to make beer. All the other stuff makes things easier, more fun, and repeatable. Have you thought through how to keep the fermenter cool? You may want to start with an Ale as it ferments at a higher temp, more near room temp.
Yes my basement seems to be pretty reliably in the right range for a lot of ales. I'd eventually like to do some lagers and stuff that ferments and conditions cooler but I don't want to break the bank to do it. So if anybody has any cheap ideas or tricks for that, short of lagering in a snowbank in the winter which is far too uncontrolled for my liking, I'm all ears.
 
Yes my basement seems to be pretty reliably in the right range for a lot of ales. I'd eventually like to do some lagers and stuff that ferments and conditions cooler but I don't want to break the bank to do it. So if anybody has any cheap ideas or tricks for that, short of lagering in a snowbank in the winter which is far too uncontrolled for my liking, I'm all ears.

Keep in mind that the fermentation process produces heat, so your beer may be several degrees warmer than the ambient temperature. There are cheap ways to help keep the temperature in check. A search for the "swamp cooler" method will find several variations of a very popular one.
 
Keep in mind that the fermentation process produces heat, so your beer may be several degrees warmer than the ambient temperature. There are cheap ways to help keep the temperature in check. A search for the "swamp cooler" method will find several variations of a very popular one.
Looks interesting. Have any of you had a lot of experience with that and what kind of luck have you had with doing lagers? How steady have you been able to hold the help and how much monitoring and maintenance was required to do so?
 
I've never done a lager. I have used a wet T shirt in a bucket of water for an ale in the middle of summer before I invested in a refrigerator and controller. I imagine for a lager you would have to add ice in the summer. It was a pain and the wife didn't like beer in the spare bathtub. I only got away with it once. It takes constant monitoring and hours to change the temperature. Give yourself at least +- 5 degrees of tolerance.
 
I've never done a lager. I have used a wet T shirt in a bucket of water for an ale in the middle of summer before I invested in a refrigerator and controller. I imagine for a lager you would have to add ice in the summer. It was a pain and the wife didn't like beer in the spare bathtub. I only got away with it once. It takes constant monitoring and hours to change the temperature. Give yourself at least +- 5 degrees of tolerance.
I saw a picture on another site of one of those big 48 can square coolers that someone had retrofitted with a homemade foam lid with a hole cut for the airlock. I'm assuming a something insulated like that would hold temp better. My main problem is with my work schedule I would need something that I can leave for 10-12 hours at a time without significant change in temp. I just stuck a thermometer in my basement to gauge what the temp down there is. It's 90 degrees F outside (we're in the middle of a hot spell) which is about as hot as it gets here. Our average high for July is only 82 degrees. We keep our thermostat in the low to mid 70s and the basement is easily still several degrees cooler than the first floor right now. I think I should be good to be well with the fermentation range of most Hefeweizen yeasts based on my limited research. How much heat should I expect fermentation to generate? Also is there going to be any significant difference in the amount of heat transfer and dissipation I'd see with 5 gallon plastic bucket as opposed to a glass carboy? (Basically is the bucket going to retain more heat or be more difficult to cool?)
 
I saw a picture on another site of one of those big 48 can square coolers that someone had retrofitted with a homemade foam lid with a hole cut for the airlock. I'm assuming a something insulated like that would hold temp better. My main problem is with my work schedule I would need something that I can leave for 10-12 hours at a time without significant change in temp. I just stuck a thermometer in my basement to gauge what the temp down there is. It's 90 degrees F outside (we're in the middle of a hot spell) which is about as hot as it gets here. Our average high for July is only 82 degrees. We keep our thermostat in the low to mid 70s and the basement is easily still several degrees cooler than the first floor right now. I think I should be good to be well with the fermentation range of most Hefeweizen yeasts based on my limited research. How much heat should I expect fermentation to generate? Also is there going to be any significant difference in the amount of heat transfer and dissipation I'd see with 5 gallon plastic bucket as opposed to a glass carboy? (Basically is the bucket going to retain more heat or be more difficult to cool?)
Problem is a cooler holds heat in as well as out. Yeast generate heat during fermentation. You can do a Hefe but it, too, likes good temperature control (same yeast fermented at different temperatures yields different results: At 63 you get a nice balanced hefeweizen, at 65 a banana bomb, at 68 bubblegum beer). Temperature control during fermentation is the second highest priority when brewing (sanitation is first). If your fermentation area is warm, do Saisons or Kveik fermentations. I'd stick with those warm-season yeasts while figuring out temperature control, you'll be happier with the results.
 
Problem is a cooler holds heat in as well as out. Yeast generate heat during fermentation. You can do a Hefe but it, too, likes good temperature control (same yeast fermented at different temperatures yields different results: At 63 you get a nice balanced hefeweizen, at 65 a banana bomb, at 68 bubblegum beer). Temperature control during fermentation is the second highest priority when brewing (sanitation is first). If your fermentation area is warm, do Saisons or Kveik fermentations. I'd stick with those warm-season yeasts while figuring out temperature control, you'll be happier with the results.
If my basement is at 67 degrees now on the hottest day of the year might I be alright with just a wet shirt or towel and a fan?
 
If you're tied to a budget, just do the best you can within the constraints and see what you get. There is a tradeoff between ideal conditions and dollars spent. If you're satisfied with the results, fine. If not, save up a few bucks and upgrade to a better system. As Nosybear inferred in his response, Hefeweizen is a poor style to bet on temperature with.
 
One last question on temperature. Found those stick on temperature stickers on Amazon are they worth investing in? Like are they somewhat accurate?
 
I have only used the Fermometer brand and can say that they're amazingly accurate.
 
If my basement is at 67 degrees now on the hottest day of the year might I be alright with just a wet shirt or towel and a fan?

Yeah you'll be fine. Don't spend a bundle until you've made a few batches and have a feel for it. Unless you have the ability to truly control things monitoring the temperature is more stress than benefit.

Order up some Voss and don't even worry about it is also an acceptable answer.

I slowly accumulated things over the last 3 years, adding some, getting rid of some, etc... It's a never ending evolution of a hobby.
 

Back
Top