I received a refractometer as a gift but the reading I get is off by quite a bit from a hydrometer. They both read 1.000 for water but the refractometer reads 1.032 and the hydrometer reads 1.020. at end of fermentation. What gives?
I received a refractometer as a gift but the reading I get is off by quite a bit from a hydrometer. They both read 1.000 for water but the refractometer reads 1.032 and the hydrometer reads 1.020. at end of fermentation. What gives?
Question for anyone on converting kegs to brew pots. Is there a preferred keg material. Aluminum vs an old stainless. The old stainless ones are harder to come by!
zrule said:I received a refractometer as a gift but the reading I get is off by quite a bit from a hydrometer. They both read 1.000 for water but the refractometer reads 1.032 and the hydrometer reads 1.020. at end of fermentation. What gives?
Refractometers measure gravity by reading how much the light bends through the given liquid. When alcohol is present in the liquid, the light bends differently giving the user a skewed gravity reading.
My suggestion:
1) Use your refractometer to measure OG (there is no alcohol present so you should have an accurate reading if it is calibrated properly). Record this number.
2) Use your refractometer to check the gravity during the end of fermentation. Although this will not give you an accurate reading of the actual gravity (because alcohol present), it will give you a consistent reading. Once the reading is the same for three days in a row you know that fermentation has ended and it is time to bottle/keg.
3) On bottle/keg day, take a final reading of your beer using hydrometer (becAuse alcohol is present now). Record this number. Use the number from step 1 and step 3 to find your ABV.
In short, use the refractometer to measure the OG. Use the refractometer to determine when fermentation has stopped. And use a hydrometer to measure the FG.
The reason not to use the refractometer for measuring the FG is because the charts online have been proven again and again to be inaccurate (last time i checked, however things could have changed since then).
I also like to use the hydrometer to taste a sample, to see if there are any other issues..
iaefebs said:I see more error from people reading a hydrometer. Always viewing the meniscus from whatever angle gets the results they are hoping to see.
I calibrate both my refractometer and hydrometer with distilled water at 60 o. They are both dead on for the FG using Beersmith. I no longer use the hydrometer. The refractometer is so much easier and faster.
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