The first step is to measure the temperature of the liquid being tested. The process of hydrometer temperature correction is relatively simple. This is why it’s important to correct the reading for temperature. So if the liquid temperature is not at the same temperature the hydrometer was calibrated for, the reading will be inaccurate. However, the density of liquid changes with temperature. Therefore, the more sugar content present in the liquid, the higher the hydrometer will float. The denser the liquid, the more sugar it contains. To understand why hydrometer temperature correction is necessary, it’s important to know how a hydrometer works.Ī hydrometer measures the density of a liquid. This is why hydrometer temperature correction is so important. But if the liquid you’re measuring isn’t at the temperature the hydrometer was calibrated for, the hydrometer reading won’t be accurate. If you brew beer, you know the importance of using hydrometers to measure the amount of sugar in the wort. Hydrometer Temperature Correction: What You Need to Know Most homebrewers will work in Specific Gravity and, conversely, most hydrometers have a Specific Gravity scale but some double or triple-scale hydrometers do exist. You can also choose which measurement of Gravity you want to use – Brix, Plato, or Specific Gravity. Use our calculator to calculate the actual specific gravity of your beer to correct the reading for the wort sample temperature and the hydrometer’s calibration.

Plato hydrometer temperature correction