Description

Sikes Hydrometer with weights, thermometer, 2 rules, exc.

The Sikes Hydrometer was the standard instrument for measuring the proof (concentrated strength) of liquor in order to calculate its excise tax. Users submerged the object into a vial filled with a liquor sample, and weights would be attached to the instrument’s stem until the liquid reached a point on the scale etched onto the stem. The number on the scale was correlated with the temperature of the sample, and using either the Sikes Tables of the Concentrated Strength of Spirits or a special slide rule, users could determine the alcohol’s proof.