Salometer's - Hydrometer Style, For Measuring Brine Density

[Cheese Head]

From US based CulinaryCookware I ordered a French Matfer Bourgeat brand Salometer.

I found digital Salometer's but for several hundred USD, so went with this traditional glass analog hydrometer style Salometer for USD14.07 plus shipping .

It has a special scale for measuring the sodium chloride salt % readings of my brine solutions, plus a normal standard specific gravity scale.

While a tall test jar would be easier to see the exact measurement, this model Salometer is only 200 mm/7-7/8 in long so I plan on placing it directly in the brine as easier and faster and I should be able to see an exact enough reading for my needs.

I re-use my brine and the reason for getting this meter is:

• Salt content in cheese is critical for it's development and for my brine bathed cheeses, I was just bathing them in a small volume ratio of saturated brine, which as small was depleting in % salt as salt was absorbed by the cheese. This would have resulted in a non-consistant nor optimal % salt in my final cheeses.
• So I did some research on brines and brine salting cheeses and recommendations are not to use saturated brine but rather brines between 18-23% which without this tool I could not measure.

I've started a separate topic for what salt % for brine bathing cheeses as this thread is for Salometers.

[DeejayDebi]

John this is scarey. Are you sure we are not long lost twins or something? I just ordered a salometer and new pH meter from Amazon last week. I ordered the digital one though.

[DeejayDebi]

Oh I just noticed you didn't order a test jar. These things are much easier to read with a test jar. It's not like a thermometer where a little line moves on the scale with these things the scale stays the same it's the meter that moves. It measures by floating in the jar. You take one reading in the plain water than one in the salted water and compare. I can't explain it well without pictures but here's a link to my explainantion of using the hydrometer on my website. You'll see what I mean. It works the same way I believe.

http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/microbrew3.htm

[Cheese Head]

Debi, I assume you mean digital pH meter as the only digital salometer I could find was this one for USD435.

The store I ordered from had no tall test jar, so as above I was just going to place it directly in the brine.

The effect you describe is surface tension of the fluid which along with how oil or water wet the salometer is, governs how high the fluid will climb, same effect is for capillary forces and why car washing sponges will soak up water. For now I'll try and visually correct for that effect. If not I can try and find my old test jar from beer making days when I was teenager .

[DeejayDebi]

Well yes the pH tester is digital but so isn't the salinity tester - just a cheapy

EDIT: This was advertized as a salinity tester but now that it in it looks like a pool tester ...  I removed the picture.

[wharris]

The Beverage Peoples brine page states Specific Gravity of 1.148-1.169 for a heavy brine.
I just use my wine hydrometer to make this.

[DeejayDebi]

Good one Wayne. I have a hydrometer someplace ...

[linuxboy]

I made a table that has the Baume, SG, and Salometer degrees, as well as various other handy information. This is for measurements at 60 degrees. For every 10 degrees F, adjust by 1 salometer degree. You can use a regular beer/wine hydrometer to make up brines without having to buy a salometer.

[bigfish_oz]

As I used to keep marine fish, I purchased a refractometer to monitor salinity levels like this:

http://www.northcoastmarines.com/refract.htm

Really simple to use, quite accurate once calibrated and no parallax error or forgetting which part of the miniscus to check against!

Cheers,
Alan

[motochef]

I was at Three Shepherds in Warren VT and took a 3 day class that was great! If you have a chance check it out they are on Facebook too. The owner Larry recommended a Hydrometer that has a 0.0 to 26.5%  scale. He also said to save your money and use Ph strips because the meters mess up due to the milk protein build up and calibration can be a pain. He did say that if you get one always check the reading against the strips once in awhile. Have you any tips or plans on setting up an aging unit of some kind?     

[Groves]

He also said to save your money and use Ph strips because the meters mess up due to the milk protein build up and calibration can be a pain.

I thought that prevailing wisdom here stated that pH strips were too lax in precision and that a .01 readout was helpful? Which pH strips does he use?

[linuxboy]

You can use any hydrometer (Baume, Salometer, SG) with my conversion chart http://www.wacheese.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65 . A cheap wine hydrometer works just fine.

strips are subject to user error, but can be used if the operator is good. pH meters do need maintenance, but good meters with proper care can last for many years. I'm going on 1 ISFET probe for 7 years now, and it doesn't need that much calibration because the readings don't drift.

[wharris]

A cheap wine hydrometer works just fine.

I use that, and these instructions here:

[motochef]

He also said to save your money and use Ph strips because the meters mess up due to the milk protein build up and calibration can be a pain.

I thought that prevailing wisdom here stated that pH strips were too lax in precision and that a .01 readout was helpful? Which pH strips does he use?

These were what he used for ph testing. I'm still looking for them. I got some at a winemaker store by me. He has been making cheese for years so I'm sure that his eye is just as good! After all what were they using 150 years ago?

[motochef]

A cheap wine hydrometer works just fine.

I use that, and these instructions here:

Thanks Wayne!