hydrometer/alcoholmeter

[punkassrookie]

Does anybody know how the alcoholmeter and hydrometer are from Mile High Distilling?

http://milehidistilling.900footalien.com/fermenters.htm[/url]

[The Chemist]

The alcohol hydrometer looks just like the one I use at work. Can't really tell much more about it.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

They are fine. I use them and they have always been accurate when checked against a known. However; as discussed elsewhere on this forum alchometers are not very accurate on the low end, like 20% abv and lower.
He is a fine feller as I have met with him to get supplies. Hope to meet the hottie on his web page some day.

[Uncle Jesse]

look good to me

i cant recall the manufacturer of my alcoholometers. if i remember or find it i will post...

[golden pond]

The Widder brand from West Germany is the best I've found so far, I finally got one that reads both proof and temp at the same time and that's a big help.

[Blueraven]

GP's got it.

I ordered the Widder from Brewhaus out of Texas. 1st one broke. very delicate. they split the price on my next one. Got the 30%-60% version for cuts etc.

BR..

[jeepkidd]

My alcoholmeter has not arrived yet and I have been doing stripping runs without it, ready to reflux tomorrow. For the stripping I have been stopping once the dripping went from smelling like alcohol to smelling like stinky sock water... Someone had mentioned that alcohol >50% will burn but <50% will not... would putting a few drips in a shot glass and checking to see if it burns be a viable way to see when my alcohol is getting below 50% as a point of reference?

[Bushman]

If you have a local brewery supply store near you they should carry both. I have had mine for several years without any problem. As mentioned they will break if you don't handle them carefully.

[Buteo]

I heat with propnae. During a run I will periodically capture a few drips in my tasting spoon and throw it into the flame.
It gives me a rough idea of proof.

[jeepkidd]

Thanks Bushman! I do have a Wine supply store nearby, but I was concerned that if I went in and asked for something that could measure high-proof distilled spirits I'd get some questions. I'll swing by tonight and pick one up.

[jeepkidd]

I heat with propnae. During a run I will periodically capture a few drips in my tasting spoon and throw it into the flame.
It gives me a rough idea of proof.

I was using a little lighter and lighting within the shot glass... hoping it was a "safe" way to do it... from your experience was it fairly accurate that 50%+ would burn and anything else would not?

[Dnderhead]

at what point alcohol ignites depends on temperature."hot" off the still is going to ignite
at lower proof than some that is cold.even wine will ignite if hot enough.

[jeepkidd]

I found some data on this:

10% — 120 °F (49 °C)
20% — 97 °F (36 °C)
30% — 84 °F (29 °C)
40% — 79 °F (26 °C)
50% — 75 °F (24 °C)
60% — 72 °F (22 °C)
70% — 70 °F (21 °C)
80% — 68 °F (20 °C)
90% — 63 °F (17 °C)
96% — 63 °F (17 °C)

so... if I had a very tight temperature control, and many shot glasses, I could spend enough time and waste enough likker doing this and getting wrong results that I would be better off paying for overnight shipping on a $10 Proof & Traille Hydrometer/alcoholmeter.

[rad14701]

I do my test burns in a small disc fashioned from the bottom of an aluminum can... I can hold it under the output to catch as many drops as needed and set it on a bottle cap as a steadying pedestal... Once the burn is done I either give it a quick rinse in the coolant water or wipe it with a damp rag and dry it and it's good to go again... A shot glass with build up and retain too much heat... The aluminum cools back to room temperature after burning or rinsing in seconds... I usually have lots of can bottoms kicking around from making alcohol stoves out of aluminum cans as discussed in another topic...