Need some advice...

[GeorgiaMead]

I kinda messed up my hydrometer tried to take gravity reading and it was too hot and it's now jacked up... Now that I have my first wtf mess up... What Should I do... Hydrometer or refractometer?

 

[lemy]

I kinda messed up my hydrometer tried to take gravity reading and it was too hot and it's now jacked up... Now that I have my first wtf mess up... What Should I do... Hydrometer or refractometer?

There is always debate about this... Refractometer is all I use. If you can get your gravity readings in the ballpark then who cares. When dealing with 5 gallon batches, I would rather have the 12 or so wasted ounces from the test jar go towards my finished product. With a refractometer you may test as often as you like without having to worry about waste.

One thing though, calibrate your refractometer every single time you use it. temperature changes of the refractometer itself will skew readings. Calibration is easy.

 

[aiptasia]

Refractometers won't always tell you the right ABV, so i've stuck to the tried and true hydrometer. Just keep it clean and protected and it should last for years. However, if you're like me, you'll break one or two a year. They're cheap enough that I always have two on hand at all times. Nothing to calibrate other than accounting your readings for temperature. If sanitized properly, you can just spin them directly in the wort with no waste or use a wine thief to snatch a small sample of beer.

 

[peterj]

Also you can't really use refractometers for FG or any time after you start fermenting. The alcohol will distort the reading. There are calculators you can use to adjust for the alcohol but they're not going to be all that accurate.

 

[lemy]

Also you can't really use refractometers for FG or any time after you start fermenting. The alcohol will distort the reading. There are calculators you can use to adjust for the alcohol but they're not going to be all that accurate.

beersmith has a refractometer calculator and it will put you in the ballpark with ABV. I have tested the same wort using a hydrometer and refractometer and they were very close to the same.

 

[GeorgiaMead]

I just got a hydrometer didn't wanna spend the cash when a hydro was $6

 

[arcaniment]

I just got a refractometer and love it. I was having a problem with boil off. I brewed an imperial stout and completely missed my OG. It was supposed to be 1.08X and I got 1.07X. When I transferred to the fermenter, I was sitting at 6.5 gallons instead of 5.5. With a refractometer, you can keep an eye on your gravity throughout the boil.

 

[lemy]

I really like using a refractometer during fermentation, because it only wastes a drop or two, instead of an entire test jar.

Here is some good information: link

 

[K5MOW]

I really like using a refractometer during fermentation, because it only wastes a drop or two, instead of an entire test jar.

Here is some good information: link

I also use a refractometer.

Roger