Christie Kiley on November 19, 2014 0 Comments If you are planning on making wine at home, the one tool you should not forget out of any other fancy home-winemaking gadget, is a hydrometer. You will need it and find it very handy from pre-fermentation to the very end. What is a Hydrometer? Before we get into how to properly use one, what is a hydrometer? It is a useful tool to keep your fermentations in check; making sure it is not going along too quickly or too slowly which could result in a stuck fermentation. You will need a hydrometer to see the sugar levels during the fermentation at which points you will need to do a food add or if any adjustments need to be done to your recipe as fermentation continues. This is a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment and it looks like some form of an old glass thermometer with a bulbous end. It is meant to float in a liquid—bulbous end down—to measure its specific gravity. How to Use a Hydrometer You can get a reading of the specific gravity by placing the hydrometer in a graduated beaker or other large container so that it can float freely without touching the sides of the container. Fill it about ⅔ to ¾ full and bulb-side down place it in the liquid and give it a little spin. Let it come to a full rest. Sometimes this process can take a few seconds or up to a minute until it stops bobbing. The hydrometer will settle at a number on the scale located along the side of the stem. The liquid will form a u-shape on the hydrometer at its number reading. The exact reading you will want to make note of, is at the base of the ‘u’. This is the correct reading. Specific gravity (SG) is the relative ‘weight’ of a liquid in comparison to plain water. This number will decrease over time throughout fermentation and eventually reach zero or very close to it. Most juices and must will start out around a reading of 28. While you can purchase a hydrometer that reads from 28 to 0, your readings will be more accurate if you can purchase two or three that have ranges starting at 30 to 15, 20 to 10 and so forth. They can also read potential alcohol and sugar content. 3 reasons why it is important to have a hydrometer: You need to determine the fermentation’s progress. You will be able to calculate the percentage of alcohol before and after readings. To determine whether the fermentation is finished or one you can/should stop. Before you make another batch of wine, it would be wise to have a hydrometer close by. Not only will this improve the end result of your wine, but it’ll make the entire winemaking process easier for you. Winemaking Articles: Shop for Wine Making Supplies 4 Types of Preservatives in Wine Winemaking Preparation: Do You Have Everything You Need? Why Sanitation is Important During the Winemaking Process
