Everyday's a learning day: Refractometer 101

[Roo]

So after buying a Refractometer a while back I thought I was the dogs.

My brews began to suffer but I never linked the two. I thought I was doing something wrong with my yeast as the readings weren't coming close to 1.010....closer to 1.025. Was double pitching, whisking after a week, pitching with and without a starter etc etc. I was having a crisis of confidence.

Turns out the refractometer doesn't give an true reading between pre and post fermentation as the alcohol distorts it. My recent 3.5 ABV are actually closer to 5.5 ABV. It's almost my Eureka moment.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/refractometer-calculator/

[Quiet_Man]

Yup. Been down that road too. Still use mine for OG.

[armedcor]

Yea they're only really accurate for prefermented wort. There's calculators etc for working out FG but a hydrometer is better I find.

[Beermonger]

I find refractometers a pleasure to use and hydrometers a wasteful, timeconsuming and fiddly hassle.

Refractometers work just fine for fermented wort (beer) if you adjust their readings using any of the many calculators available. You need to know the current (apparent) reading from the refractometer plus the original gravity reading to use these calculators.

Conventional homebrewing wisdom says you should take the original gravity with a hydrometer. If you enjoy using a hydrometer, go ahead. Refractometers technically need a conversion factor, but since this is based on wort composition but cannot be easily calculated, and given that it is always within a few percent of unity, there's no point worrying about it. Use a refractometer all the way through and you'll be fine. And happier .

[Leann ull]

Been using a refractor for years, great when measuring the boil, seeing the meniscus using my  hydrometer was a pain in the arse. I only need 2-3 drops of fluid to measure
The formula for calculations now are very accurate.
I was so convinced about it I now have a digital one and it's a joy to use during a boil
My recs would be at least use something to measure gravity, only buy refractometer with brix scale as the relationship to gravity is not linear. Cheap Chinese ones are ok.
If you are on a very tight budget stick with hydrometers

[sub82]

I was not aware of this! Every day is a school day.

[molc]

Love my refractometer to monitor the sparge as I go.

How do people usually get a few drops out of the fermentor to measure for the refractometer? I usually use the hydrometer in one of those wine thiefs but it's a pain to have to clean after since its so long.

Sanatised spoon maybe?

[Leann ull]

plastic pipette
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1-2-3-ML-x-100PCS-Graduated-Pipettes-Disposable-Pasteur-Plastic-Eye-Dropper-Set-/171433912653?var=&hash=item27ea41e94d
Dont invert with hot wort from boil it will fly out

[molc]

Perfect. I have 1 of those, but I'd never trust it after using once as I can't clean it.

The joys of the disposable world eh?

[mr hoppy]

Teaspoon

[Eoin]

Best thing for knowing gravity during the boil, it speeds things up no end. Best bit of kit I've bought.