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Author Topic: Refractometer  (Read 2709 times)

Offline Chris Craig

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Refractometer
« on: January 02, 2012, 12:55:58 PM »
I just got my refractometer in the mail.  It has automatic temperature correction.  Anybody have experience with these?  Any advice, words of caution, etc?  I suppose I should be measuring gravity with a hydrometer as well until I have some confidence in this new toy.

Offline Ian Grant

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2012, 01:18:41 PM »
There easy to use just a couple drops and bam there's your gravity.  For FG there is a formula to use can't  remember what the website is but I think it was on the morebeer site.   Alcohol causes it to have a false reading which the formula will correct.

Offline JohnQ

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2012, 03:58:51 PM »
The formula is also built into beertools, under the refractometer tab, you enter the current brix and the OG it gives you the current gravity corrected.

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Offline fakr

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2012, 08:47:50 AM »
good plan on using a hydrometer with the refractometer until you're comfortable with just the one.
I had a couple of questionable alcohol % calculations just using the refractometer, and I would have liked to have a hydrometer reading just to make sure.  I've since taken as accurate a measure with the refractometer as possible, no rounding up or down the numbers.  Confirmed with a hydrometer a couple of times and am good now.
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Offline Chris Craig

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2012, 09:36:58 AM »
It seems that BeerSmith also does the calculations for you.  Overall, I think it's going to be an improvement in my process.  No more wasting 4 oz of wort/beer for every gravity reading.

Offline Kyle

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2012, 09:55:57 AM »
You do have the option of not taking a gravity reading. Since I know my system fairly well, I was getting very accurate predictions of O.G. with the Beertools software, now I only bother checking gravity for attempted clones or really big beers. Otherwise its just another thing to wash and sanitize after a brewday.
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Offline Chris Craig

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2012, 10:02:17 AM »
I've only been brewing all-grain beer since September, and I've been making changes to my equipment (bigger kettle, changes to the mash tun, etc).  At this point, I still really want to know if I'm hitting the numbers I should be hitting.  A refractometer will make things easier for me.

Once I get better at my process, I'll probably start to slack on the measurements a bit.

Offline Dave Savoie

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Re: Refractometer
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2012, 08:16:36 AM »
my Hydrometer has been broken for many many months so I have no idea what my beers are as far as ABV
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