Hydrometer correction factor

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steelerguy

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I didn't know you needed to figure a correction factor for your hydrometer until after doing some reading here. Have done this for a couple batches now and mine seems to be about 93%. Meaning, whatever I read on the hydrometer, after I let it sit for a few mins to cool, I multiple by .93 to get what a hydrometer would give me. Doing this give me pretty consistent reading between the two.

I feel confident enough to just use the hydrometer now, but I think anyone who is using one should take readings during your sparge to get your factor. Otherwise you will overestimate your OG pretty badly.

Just wanted to share my experience.
 
do you mean a refractometer correction? As it is, it doesn't make sense. a hydrometer correction factor for your hydrometer:confused:

Assuming you meant refractometer, I also have a brix correction factor of less than 1 or about 0.95, whereas typical seems to be around 1.04. I don't know why, butit works for me and I get consistent results, so I just go with it.
 
If you are referring to a refractometer, you need to calibrate it with distilled water to zero. If it has ATC, then you shouldn't need any other correction factor assuming you let it sit for 30 seconds to adjust before taking the reading.
It should correlate to your hydrometer reading if you calculate the corrected SG based on the temp corrections for your specific hydro.
 
do you mean a refractometer correction? As it is, it doesn't make sense. a hydrometer correction factor for your hydrometer:confused:

I absolutely meant refractometer...oops!


If you are referring to a refractometer, you need to calibrate it with distilled water to zero. If it has ATC, then you shouldn't need any other correction factor assuming you let it sit for 30 seconds to adjust before taking the reading.
It should correlate to your hydrometer reading if you calculate the corrected SG based on the temp corrections for your specific hydro.

I did calibrate with distilled water. I let it sit for at least 60 seconds because I have noticed, based on the temp of the wort I put on, that the gravity will generally get higher as it cools to room temp even with ATC.

It actually should not directly correlate to the hydrometer if you are using it to measure wort. A Brix refractometer is meant to measure the sucrose in water, but wort has mostly maltose so it is off. This was really the point of my post, you can't just do temp corrections you have to figure out the "wort correction" also.

My last few beers have been high gravity (a couple also had inverted cane sugar added) which may be skewing my number closer to a 1.06 correction factor.
 
I did calibrate with distilled water. I let it sit for at least 60 seconds because I have noticed, based on the temp of the wort I put on, that the gravity will generally get higher as it cools to room temp even with ATC.

It actually should not directly correlate to the hydrometer if you are using it to measure wort. A Brix refractometer is meant to measure the sucrose in water, but wort has mostly maltose so it is off. This was really the point of my post, you can't just do temp corrections you have to figure out the "wort correction" also.

My last few beers have been high gravity (a couple also had inverted cane sugar added) which may be skewing my number closer to a 1.06 correction factor.

Ahhh, NOW I understand what you meant. Sorry for the confusion. :eek:
 
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