National Homebrew Club Ireland

General Discussions => Chit Chat => Topic started by: on January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 AM

Poll
Question: You are being castaway on a desert island which Do you bring with you, Refractometer or Hydrometer
Option 1: Hydrometer votes: 9
Option 2: Refractometer votes: 4
Title: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Ciderhead on January 30, 2014, 05:52:26 PM
For the question lets assume that you have all the requisite items to calculate results and to sterilise your hardware.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: RichC on January 30, 2014, 06:41:17 PM
should probably be a third option 'refractometer & hydrometer'
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Beerbuddha on January 30, 2014, 06:42:20 PM
or electric hand held density metre option 3  :)
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Ciderhead on January 30, 2014, 07:53:24 PM

Quote from: RichC on January 30, 2014, 06:41:17 PM
should probably be a third option 'refractometer & hydrometer'

No Rich, choose which parent you want to live with!


Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: RichC on January 30, 2014, 08:00:57 PM
At this stage I'm getting more worried about which one will end up living with me:)

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on January 30, 2014, 08:39:30 PM
hahaha
I'd never think of refractometer option #2  ;D
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Will_D on January 30, 2014, 10:32:58 PM
Quote from: alealex on January 30, 2014, 08:39:30 PM
hahaha
I'd never think of refractometer option #2  ;D
SO; You never had to answer the question: "Do you like it rough or smoooothe" :-[
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: LordEoin on January 30, 2014, 11:14:03 PM
does a refractometer need batteries??
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on January 30, 2014, 11:22:21 PM
No, only light source.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: LordEoin on January 30, 2014, 11:45:10 PM
refractometer it is then as I'd not be able to order a new hydrometer when i drop it (i seem to do that a lot recently...)
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on January 30, 2014, 11:51:23 PM
Refractometer does shit job once alkohol is present. But very handy while mashing.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on January 31, 2014, 12:01:08 AM
I was using ref on the wine that should finish fermenting ages ago. Result: 1.031
Hydrometer: 1.006
Since then I've stop using ref for checking fg
Didnt check on slow set.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Ciderhead on January 31, 2014, 12:08:30 AM
Alex listening to podcast last year of a guy on beersmith who has come up with a better equation for refractometer FG and where he asked 100 brewers to measure using hydrometer and refractometer a controlled sample, firstly his calc improved the actual FG by 0.1% on abv using refractometer but secondly and more critically 60% of the homebrewers using the refractometer got a more accurate reading than hydrometer.
I think there was a problem up to 10 years ago in terms of the FG calc but issue is long gone.



Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Ciderhead on January 31, 2014, 12:09:50 AM
Alex what was your original gravity or brix?


Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on January 31, 2014, 07:12:49 AM
OG on that particular one was 1.10
Btw I know what slow set is  :) I think even my four year old knows on this stage.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: LordEoin on January 31, 2014, 10:36:59 AM
Quote from: Tubomyces on January 30, 2014, 11:48:25 PM
Dildometer ftw
I suppose... you might get lonely on a desert island...

another use for it would be bludgeoning pigs for food.

Just make sure to clean it up between the 3 activities of brewing, dildoing and bludgeoning.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Hop Bomb on January 31, 2014, 10:41:03 AM
Why cant I have both?

I use both & both are always bang on. Ive a brix lad so have to use beersmith on my phone to convert brix to gravity. Handy yokes. Wish I got one that had gravity & brix on it though.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Ciderhead on February 04, 2014, 01:25:56 AM
Nearly 2:1 wow surprised
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on February 04, 2014, 07:42:09 AM
Quote from: CH on February 04, 2014, 01:25:56 AM
Nearly 2:1 wow surprised
?
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Damien M on February 04, 2014, 08:07:41 AM
Quote from: Hop Bomb on January 31, 2014, 10:41:03 AM
Why cant I have both?

I use both & both are always bang on. Ive a brix lad so have to use beersmith on my phone to convert brix to gravity. Handy yokes. Wish I got one that had gravity & brix on it though.

+1
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on February 07, 2014, 05:48:22 AM
Here's the proof. Is the refractometer fukked or what it is?
Readings are always the same on water or wort.
Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: Ciderhead on February 07, 2014, 10:19:37 AM
Lads you don't use that value as FG, you put the brix or SG OG and that value into a formula ???!!!

See attached or just use beersmith


Title: Re: Refractometer or Hydrometer
Post by: alealex on February 07, 2014, 02:42:46 PM
@Tube: prism isn't fukked, just took a shot in front of yellow halogen light.
@CH: thanks for the chart, that is the missing element