Alternatives to Hydrometer

[TheGeek]

So today as I was setting up to do my bottling, I grabbed my hydrometer out of my equipment tub and heard a distinctive 'crack' as I turned to head to the kitchen. My glass hydrometer had fallen right out of its tube and broken in half. This brew was a relatively low gravity and I had taken a reading when moving to the secondary so I wasn't so worried about not knowing the FG but, I don't want to have this happen again.

What alternatives to the classic glass hydrometer do you suggest if there are any? Something new-fangled and digital would be right up my alley. Suggestions?

 

[Walker]

refractometer.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-0-32-ATC-Brix-Refractometer-Wine-Beer-CNC-Sugar_W0QQitemZ390176210055QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad8507c87

Austin Homebrew occasionally puts theirs on sale for $30, too.

edit: there are digital devices to check gravity, but they are laboratory grade devices and cost hundreds or thousands of $s.
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[TheGeek]

That looks like a perfect replacement! Thanks. I had seen refractometers before, but I always thought they gave a Lovibond rating or something. hehe.

 

[Clonefarmer]

That looks like a perfect replacement! Thanks. I had seen refractometers before, but I always thought they gave a Lovibond rating or something. hehe.

Most are in Brix, but this one from Morebeer.com has specific gravity as well.

Lovibond is the scale used to determine color.

 

[Walker]

That looks like a perfect replacement! Thanks. I had seen refractometers before, but I always thought they gave a Lovibond rating or something. hehe.

Most of them read in "Brix" (though I have seen some that have brix and gravity). You can pretty accurately convert to Specific Gravity by multiplying by 4.

Note: they can be used straight-up for OG readings. For FG readings, you have to do some math (and you need the OG number, too) because the alcohol throws it off.

There are on-line calculators to do the heavy lifting:
http://www.onebeer.net/refractometer.shtml