That time a $25 hydrometer lied to me for 2 months

I was brewing a batch of hard apple cider back in March using some honeycrisps from a orchard outside Eugene. Kept checking my hydrometer and it read the same number for like 3 weeks so I figured fermentation was stalled or dead. Turned out the little paper scale inside had slipped and I was getting false readings the whole time. Has anyone else had a hydrometer just give up on them out of the blue?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosejackson18d agoMost Upvoted

A hydrometer's paper scale slipping is just bad luck, not a design flaw, and most work fine for years.

the_karen18d ago

That hydrometer from Eugene - bet it was a BrewCraft brand. I've seen two of those do the same thing actually. The paper scale is just glued in with cheap adhesive that breaks down after a few months in liquid. Had a buddy lose a whole batch of mead that way. You can fix it by opening the tube and repositioning the scale with a dab of waterproof glue, just make sure you trim the paper edge so it sits flush.