Bought a MA871 Milwaukee Digital refractometer maybe 9 months ago. I started by checking against my floating hydrometer by doing a distilled water check and the floater read 1.000. I also put a drop on the digital unit and calibrated to read zero which is just the touch of a button.
I then did a simple 1.040 DME starter and checked both as they agreed on 1.040.
I calibrate the MA871 before each sample as it is so easy to do. Lately my numbers have been way off and I figured I screwed up efficiency some how. So after several brews with efficiency issues, I pull out the old faithful floating hydrometer and it reads 1.060 (right on target) and the MA871 reads 1.050 which was surprising to me. This accounts for my efficiency issues which were bogus.
So I change battery for more tests. I wash the lens carefully and use another few drops of distilled water then set to zero. Same issue and reads 1.050 while floater reads 1.060. Have a second floating hydrometer so for double check the 2nd one reads 1.060 as well.
Has anyone had trouble with these refractometers?
I then did a simple 1.040 DME starter and checked both as they agreed on 1.040.
I calibrate the MA871 before each sample as it is so easy to do. Lately my numbers have been way off and I figured I screwed up efficiency some how. So after several brews with efficiency issues, I pull out the old faithful floating hydrometer and it reads 1.060 (right on target) and the MA871 reads 1.050 which was surprising to me. This accounts for my efficiency issues which were bogus.
So I change battery for more tests. I wash the lens carefully and use another few drops of distilled water then set to zero. Same issue and reads 1.050 while floater reads 1.060. Have a second floating hydrometer so for double check the 2nd one reads 1.060 as well.
Has anyone had trouble with these refractometers?
