Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

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clarets7
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Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by clarets7 » Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:57 pm

I struggle with reading my hydrometers due to poor eyesight, and was looking for specific beer ones that might have a more expanded scale. I didn't find any, but did find this: -
https://www.swelluk.com/swell-hydromete ... ewQAvD_BwE
Would it be any good for brewing? This would be for small beers only, 1040 or under.
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PeeBee
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by PeeBee » Fri Nov 26, 2021 1:55 pm

I gave up with hydrometers years ago, even before eyesight made them difficult to read. Now use a pyknometer, and Tilt hydrometers (with a Raspberry Pi to display on a Web browser - sounds geeky but is very easy to do) for casual readings of fermenting beer (expensive). Pyknometers are very cheap, but require good weighing scales (not so cheap, but digital ones are getting cheaper these days): About £45-50 all up, but can measure the relative density of just about any not too thick liquid (thick liquids, like tar, need a different bottle) even some solids if you want too. And I'll use refractometers for really quick and dirty readings.

Pyknometers don't emulate (approximate) what a hydrometer does. Rather a hydrometer emulates what a pyknometer does. And pyknometers can be very (very!) accurate. It's just a type of bottle BTW.

No-one (i.e. turnip heads) should be thinking "get glasses" either. Just try spelling "saccadic intrusions" before looking them up.
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f00b4r
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by f00b4r » Fri Nov 26, 2021 3:57 pm

You can get hydrometers with a smaller range and they are much easier to read, eg I have a finishing hydrometer that only reads between 1.020 and below. If you go that route you will probably need to buy two or three to cover the full range.

clarets7
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by clarets7 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 8:31 am

All those options look expensive, I think I'll stick with what I've got and my magnifying glass :D
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by MashBag » Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:30 am

You can get, "narrow range hydrometers" or "precision brewing hydrometer"

Such as....
Bigger Jugs Hydrometer - Stevenson-Reeves Precision Single Scale for Wine & Beer Accurate & Easy to Read Range 0.98 to 1.070 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B17MM48/ ... 9ETCRNZ6SW


For starting sg, you could consider a refractometer

Both about £15

clarets7
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by clarets7 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 2:01 pm

Already got both those Mashbag - it's new eyes I need :(
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by MashBag » Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:30 pm

Could you paint small marks to make it easier to see? (& yes I can already hear "contamination" and "extra weight" in the replies 😁)

clarets7
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by clarets7 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 10:57 pm

I checked my hydrometers and I haven't got that one you linked to Mashbag, so I'll give that a try. Cheaper though if you buy direct from Bigger Jugs than Amazon - at least it is at the moment.
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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by MashBag » Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:53 am

Bigger Jugs had appeared for me a few times lately. Seem to be a good crowd.

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Re: Swell hydrometer any good for small beer?

Post by soupdragon » Sun Nov 28, 2021 1:15 pm

Good price at Bigger Jugs, what looks like the exact same one is £14 at the Malt Miller

Cheers Tom

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