Hydrometers: Short Vs Long

[Choubacca]

After doing some searching on the threads I found one person saying that short hydrometers in short cups are harder than the long. Is this true?

[adk1]

that is what I hear too

[3rdgen.maple]

What do you mean by Harder? Harder to use or a harder glass? have used both and never noticed a difference other than you need more syrup for the long one to float. But the longer ones are suppose to be more accurate.

[Choubacca]

Yeah, sorry, I meant that I've heard the shorter ones are not as good as the longer ones and not as accurate. If that is the case, why are there shorter ones in the first place?


What do you mean by Harder? Harder to use or a harder glass? have used both and never noticed a difference other than you need more syrup for the long one to float. But the longer ones are suppose to be more accurate.

[3rdgen.maple]

Its all about the mighty dollar lol. longer hydrometer cup, more money, longer hydrometer, more money. I think the short syrup hydrometers are just fine to use and more likely the standard for us. The sap hydrometer on the other hand I use only the long one. Sap is not as dense and therefore I think the accuracy of the short one would be more noticable. Just another one of those preference things I would imagine.

[Russell Lampron]

I use the short syrup hydrometer at the draw off and the long one for bottling. The short one isn't as likely to hit the draw off valve when I'm moving it around in the tight space.

[Grade "A"]

Both hydrometers are accurate. What makes the long hydrometer better is that the brix scale is bigger (bigger distance between the numbers) so it makes it easy to read. The short hydrometer has a tighter scale so the number are closer and you have to look a little harder at it.
The draw back to the long hydrometer is that if you need a long cup, and if you have a small evaporater it take to much syrup to fill it. I would like to use the long cup and hydrometer myself but the short cup works better with my evaporater.

[maple flats]

That is the only part, a long hydrometer has an easier to read scale, streatched out if you will. But both if used properly and carefully are as accurate, if calibrated and never dropped into your test cup. If one hits bottom it gradually slides the paper down and soon needs recalibrating.

[adk1]

I will buy the long one, jsut easier to read. The difference between the long and short cup is basically the long cup is 2" longer. Not a huge deal

[Choubacca]

Wow guys thanks a lot for the help and input. I'll go with with the longer one for now and see how I fare. :)