Remove calibration limit on hydrometer correction

Black Lion Homebrewery

Black Lion Homebrewery

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I just received Brewing America’s mash hydrometer and was frustrated that the temperature correction for hydrometer was locked at 55-75F. This is a hydrometer is calibrated at 155F for use at mash temps. Could this limit be removed so I don’t have to go to another site for temp corrections?
 
Black Lion Homebrewery said:
I just received Brewing America’s mash hydrometer and was frustrated that the temperature correction for hydrometer was locked at 55-75F. This is a hydrometer is calibrated at 155F for use at mash temps. Could this limit be removed so I don’t have to go to another site for temp corrections?
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This is an odd thing. If you put a couple drops of 155 degree wort on a room temperature stage, the wort will cool to nearly room temperature instantly. Also, calibration is an interesting proposition: Your stage and distilled water would need to be at 155 degrees. Since it's the refractive index you're measuring, calibrate the instrument to room temperature and make up for any deviation with the wort correction factor. Just a suggestion...
 
Nosybear said:
This is an odd thing. If you put a couple drops of 155 degree wort on a room temperature stage, the wort will cool to nearly room temperature instantly. Also, calibration is an interesting proposition: Your stage and distilled water would need to be at 155 degrees. Since it's the refractive index you're measuring, calibrate the instrument to room temperature and make up for any deviation with the wort correction factor. Just a suggestion...
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I would if I could, but this is a hydrometer not a refractometer. I've never been happy with the accuracy or consistency of the refractometers I've used in the past. I've followed Brewer's Friend instructions for the wort correction factor and it swings widly from 0.86 - 1.2 from batch to batch. I've given up on it and trust the direct measurement instead. The mash hydrometer negates some if the benefits of refractometer.
 
I think I like my hydrometer, calibrated to 60F, in tandem with my ATC refractometer to handle specific gravity measurements in my brewing operations. To keep my WRI (wort refraction index) correction factor current, I constantly update my spreadsheet using my most recent 30 measurements. Before each brew day, or any gravity check, I calibrate my refractometer. My WRI correction factor has settled around 0.981 for quite a while.
So @Black Lion Homebrewery what sold you on this seemingly very limited tool?
 
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Herm_brews said:
I think I like my hydrometer, calibrated to 60F, in tandem with my ATC refractometer to handle specific gravity measurements in my brewing operations. To keep my WRI (wort refraction index) correction factor current, I constantly update my spreadsheet using my most recent 30 measurements. Before each brew day, or any gravity check, I calibrate my refractometer. My WRI correction factor has settled around 0.981 for quite a while.
So @Black Lion Homebrewery what sold you on this seemingly very limited tool?
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I was doing the same. Checking calibration of both with distilled water before brew day. Measuring with both pre- and post-boil to update the WRI. The WRI figures were all over the board from 0.86 to 1.2. It gave me no confidence in the refractometer, so I've stashed it away. The hydrometer is a direct measurement and both my precision hydrometer calibrated at 60F and the mash hydrometer agree with each other.

I don't think this is anymore limited of a tool than most of our brewing tools. This provides the confidence of measurement of the hydrometer without needing to cool the sample.

Regardless of my preferences and experiences, I was hoping that the software admins might remove a seemingly arbitrary limit on the hydrometer temperature calibration.
 
can I ask a couple questions?

- When you're using the hydrometer, I assume you're pulling off wort from the mash, and measuring with this hydrometer?
- Are you using that reading to see the progress of your mash?
- At what point do you need brewers friend to calibrate temperature of that reading?
- Are you trying to put this into your equipment profiles? Or somewhere within the Brew Session while you brew?

I just tried it on the equipment profiles, and it let me put any temperature I wanted.
 
I see it, it's giving you the error in the Brew Session as you're making a log? I just tried it there and it gave me the temp range you mentioned.

So, why put temperature corrected? If your mash hydrometer is calibrated to 155, and you're pulling samples within a few degrees of that, can you just take that number exactly as is without letting Brewers Friend calibrate?
 
oliver said:
I see it, it's giving you the error in the Brew Session as you're making a log? I just tried it there and it gave me the temp range you mentioned.

So, why put temperature corrected? If your mash hydrometer is calibrated to 155, and you're pulling samples within a few degrees of that, can you just take that number exactly as is without letting Brewers Friend calibrate?
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Yes during the brew session logs. I measure with this at the end of mash/pre-boil and post boil.

I don't need Brewer's Friend to calibration the hydrometer, just adjust for the actual temp vs calibrated temp.

I don't just take the reading off the hydrometer because I don't always mash at 155. If I mash at 149 and it measures 1.050, it's actually 1.048. It may not seem like much but when calculating abv that's 0.25% difference. Also, I use those numbers to look for any issues with my process and to ensure I'm hitting my numbers consistently. If I wanted to accept that level of inaccuracies, I would have stuck with the refractometer.
 
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Thanks for the request, I'll need to take a look at this product. I'm not sure if the same calibration function will be accurate for a hydrometer calibrated at 155, it'll likely be just as inaccurate as using a hydrometer calibrated to 68 in wort that's at 155.

Code wise I'm sure that's a very simple change to remove the allowable input range from that, but I'll need to check the manufacturer and do some research if there's any better fitting Formula.
 
Pity you couldn't just set a mash step for 155f durin your brew days then just plonk the hydrometer in the kettle...

Set 155 as your second mash step before mash out type thing...

Sounds like a cool hydrometer to me especially to withstand that temperature.
 
Trialben said:
Pity you couldn't just set a mash step for 155f durin your brew days then just plonk the hydrometer in the kettle...

Set 155 as your second mash step before mash out type thing...

Sounds like a cool hydrometer to me especially to withstand that temperature.
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That sounds like a good plan in theory, but I don't have a heated mash tun. I also have small children, so my mash times often get unplanned extensions. So my ending mash temp is often 5-6-F in the summer/ 8-10F in the winter lower than where I started, assuming I'm able to hold to a 60min mash. I'm a few years out and several other house projects away from adding extra electrical capacity in my brew space.

I also don't do any mash out steps. I've never seen a difference in efficiency or noticed any change in flavor, so it got cut from my process.

Your standard 60F hydrometer will withstand the same temps, especially with some care. I add a little bit of hot wort to step up the temp of the glass pour it back in and then take a full sample. It may not be necessary, but it helps ease the thermal shock.
 
Black Lion Homebrewery said:
That sounds like a good plan in theory, but I don't have a heated mash tun. I also have small children, so my mash times often get unplanned extensions. So my ending mash temp is often 5-6-F in the summer/ 8-10F in the winter lower than where I started, assuming I'm able to hold to a 60min mash. I'm a few years out and several other house projects away from adding extra electrical capacity in my brew space.

I also don't do any mash out steps. I've never seen a difference in efficiency or noticed any change in flavor, so it got cut from my process.

Your standard 60F hydrometer will withstand the same temps, especially with some care. I add a little bit of hot wort to step up the temp of the glass pour it back in and then take a full sample. It may not be necessary, but it helps ease the thermal shock.
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Good luck with it;)
 
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