Hydrometer, how it works and why

Home brewing: For wine making and beermaking whether from kits or bare ingredients, the hydrometer is a must (no pun!). This is what it does.

hydrometer wine final

Fermentation starts as a high value

Fermentation ends at a low value

The home brewing hydrometer will show you the progress of your fermentation if you check your wine with regular intervals.

Wine - or rather a mix of fruits, sugars and water - is heavy at the start of fermentation. This is because sugar is heavier than water. When fermentation is over it will normally be lighter than water because the sugar has been used up and replaced by alcohol with a lower s.g. than water. So during fermentation, s.g. will drop continously until it eventually sticks at a low value and your homebrew wine is ready.

Typical start values are 1075 - 1100 g/litre for home brew wine (and 1040 - 1060 for beer). Final values are normally below 1000 for wine and 1000 - 1005 for home brewed beer.

Next page: reading the hydrometer values.

News

[February 22, 2012] Our new price list now ready, valid from March 1st. For retailers, there is also a new Excel order form available on the download page.

[January 17, 2012] Better Brew Beer Kits now in stock, the first Brewers Quality beer kit on the UK market!

wine beer fermenter

[November 5, 2011] Better Brew new 27.5L fermenter now in stock! You can have it with or without tap.