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tknice · 05-04-2011, 02:03 PM

Hey Guys, quick question about refractometers...

I used mine for the first time recently and recorded a few results througout the mash that puzzled me a little.

At 45 min, my mash was 19 which I think is around 1.076.
30 min was 17 and 1.068
15 min was 15 and 1.060
0 min was 13 and 1.051

My setup is BIAB, so I took another reading after combining the mash and sparge water (stirred) and it was 14 which is 1.055

Does this sound right? Being new to this, I expected the readings to start low and work their way up as more starch is converted but I guess it's the opposite?

Thanks for any clarification!

-TK

scinerd3000 · 05-04-2011, 02:11 PM

mostly I use my refractometer to check first and second runnings. Checking mash sugar during the actual mash seems pointless but in theory it should be increasing. However that being said, if starches or unconverted dextrins have a higher viscosity than sugars, as they converted to sugars and got broken down by enzymatic activity the numbers would start to drop on you. Just a theory.

**Bobby_M** · 05-04-2011, 02:31 PM

You apparently did see higher sugar densities as the mash went on but when you introduce sparge water, that runoff will obviously be of lower sugar density. Once combined, you get some lower average.

beerkrump · 05-04-2011, 03:01 PM

If you are measuring the water at the top of your mash vessel and not stirring, you will see your readings go down as the denser liquids sink to the bottom.

tknice · 05-04-2011, 04:16 PM

Gotcha, thanks.. I was stirring each time and pulling from the top with the little dropper.

Also, I was taking so many readings just because I wanted to see how it worked.