Alternatives to a hydrometer?

I have given up on both hydrometers and refractometers.

I use a density bottle and (very accurate) scales.

When using a 100ml Density Bottle and taring the weight of the bottle I can read the density straight from the scales, all I have to do is move the decimal point.

A volumetric bottle in not as accurate as a density bottle but could be used if nothing else is available.

Seems no one has suggested a vinometer. Probably the worst tool of them all, used for wines. It gives inaccurate readings when sugar present, so perhaps this should be avoided.

Refractometer that others mentioned here are very easy to use. Since there are many correction calculators available online, the error of reading won't be terrible.

Seems that no one suggested the use of pycnometer. I believe it is most precise "tool" for estimating gravity.

The way it works is similar to what @mboren described.

As others have suggested, a refractometer is probably the way to go. However, if you've just broken a hydrometer and want to get your SG right now, you should be able to use a scale. I haven't tried this myself, so I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the average kitchen scale will yield results that are less precise than a hydrometer.

Given the mass, volume, and temperature of a sample of your wort/beer:

density = mass / volume

SG = density / (density of water at that temperature)

There's a water density calculator here: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-density-specific-weight-d_595.html

A quick google search didn't turn up anything about other people doing this, so perhaps there's a fatal flaw in this method that I'm not seeing. I will do some experimenting tonight to find out.

Edit: It seems like the margin of error with typical kitchen measuring equipment is way too large to even get in the ballpark. For example, for one solution, I measured 1.053 with a hydrometer and 1.13 with a scale.

Stick wth your hydrometer. Thats the only accurate way of measuring SG, because you are directly measuring the density of the wort/beer

If you insist on refractometer: - be sure to stir your wort/beer well before taking out a drop. SG can vary in different parts of your kettle/ferentor - be sure to calibrate you refractometer well - be aware that SG readings during fermentation contains alkohol, and will disturb your reading. The real SG has to be calculated. This will never be accurate.

You also have these digital options:

• https://www.plaato.io/
• https://tilthydrometer.com/

Refractometers can be used - they are a bit pricier, but on the other hand the sample you need is MUCH smaller.

Here's a video of one being used.

Refractometers are about the only other reasonable alternative for the homebrewer. They are a little more expensive, but usually much easier to use. They only need a few drops of wort/beer to get a good measurement. Take note however, reading final gravity of your beer is not a one step operation. You need to do a little more math if you want to calculate ABV with only a refractometer. The nice thing is BeerSmith and probably other programs will do the math for you.

The flip side to all of this is that with the larger sample needed for the hydrometer, you have a good excuse to taste your wort/beer more often. Why dump those four oz. you need for the reading when you can drink it!

Edit

Just to clear this up some. When calculating ABV of your beer, you only need two number and one simple formula. Take the OG, subtract the FG, and divide by .00736. For example, a beer that starts at 1.050 and ends at 1.010 yields (1.050 - 1.010) / 0.00736 = 5.4% ABV.

When using a refractometer, you must adjust your final FG reading. This is because alcohol and sugar are present in the sample. Alcohol refracts differently than sugar. Therefore, your FG reading on a refractometer is NOT correct on its own. You must take into account the OG when reading the FG of the beer.

This makes it a little more complex than when you just use a hydrometer. There are plenty of sites that will explain and do the calculations for you. For example, a quick Google search for 'calculating abv with a refractometer' turned up this site (Onebeer.net) which seems to do a good job.

Of course, it wants the input in %Brix, which means you don't need the refractometer with both scales...

If you really want to know what the formulas are so you can do it yourself, then go to this site (Primetab).

Edit #2

OK. I swear I'm not drinking yet. But math mistake up above. I think that should have been 0.00763. But to simplify it a bit for everyone let's just do this instead.

ABV = (OG - FG) * 131

Now, some will say "Hey! That still isn't quite right!". I agree. The relationship between SG and ABV isn't really linear. High gravity brews have some other things to factor in. Other adjuncts and flavorings can change it all up. That magic number of 131 is just a compromise. Really is can vary anywhere from about 128 to about 135. But in the sake of keeping this simple for the homebrew audience, I think that is good enough.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but how about just being more careful with the hydrometer - I've never broken one so I'm surprised that you're having so much trouble with it? In particular why would you ever use it in hot liquid (i.e. why would going from hot to cold or melting wax ever occur)?

I use a glass hydrometer but I have seen plastic ones before - I imagine they'd cope a lot better with being dropped etc.

the beav, not sure what you mean: "Take note however, reading final gravity of your beer is not a one step operation. You need to do a little more math if you want to calculate ABV with only a refractometer." A hydrometer doesn't do the math either.

On a different note, some measure in specific gravity. austinhomebrew.com has one for $40 this week.

I too have broken so many hydrometers. My current strategy is to just be super careful with it. We treat it like a VIP now and haven't broke one in the last year or so. Use and put it away ASAP.

However, now I'm interested in refractometers. Never knew they existed.