This glass wine and beer hydrometer is an essential tool for any home brewer or wine maker. It measures the specific gravity (density) of your wort, beer, or wine, allowing you to track fermentation progress, know precisely when fermentation is complete (safe to bottle), and calculate the alcohol content (ABV) of your finished brew.
How to use: Float the hydrometer in a sample of your liquid. Read the scale at the bottom of the meniscus. Take an Original Gravity (OG) reading before fermentation and a Final Gravity (FG) reading when you think fermentation is complete. When two readings 24 hours apart are identical, it's safe to bottle.
ABV formula: (OG – FG) × 131.25 = ABV%
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do I need a hydrometer — can't I just wait the recommended time?
- No. Kit instructions give approximate times, not guaranteed ones. Temperature, yeast health, and other factors mean fermentation can finish early or take longer than expected. Bottling before fermentation is complete is the main cause of over-carbonated or exploding bottles — a hydrometer is the only reliable way to confirm it's safe.
- How do I read the hydrometer correctly?
- Fill a trial jar or tall container with your beer sample. Float the hydrometer so it isn't touching the sides. Read the scale at the lowest point of the curved liquid surface (the meniscus) — not where the liquid appears to climb up the glass. Most home brew hydrometers read in specific gravity (1.000 = water).
- What gravity reading means fermentation is complete?
- Two identical readings 24 hours apart means fermentation has finished. The final gravity (FG) for most beer kits is typically between 1.006 and 1.014. Check your kit instructions for the expected FG range. Don't bottle if the reading is still falling.
- My hydrometer reading seems too high — what's wrong?
- Make sure the beer sample is at 20°C (hydrometers are calibrated at this temperature). Warmer liquid reads lower; colder reads higher. Also check you're reading at the meniscus, not the top of the curved surface. If fermentation genuinely hasn't finished, warm the vessel to 20–22°C and wait another 48 hours.
- Can I use the same hydrometer for beer and wine?
- Yes — this hydrometer covers the gravity range for both beer and wine. Wine musts typically start higher (1.070–1.110) and finish lower (0.990–1.000) than beer, but the same hydrometer handles both ranges.