Pulling a refractormeter sample during boil

[gungadin]

Any tips on not burning myself or melting the equipment?

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Any tips on not burning myself or melting the equipment?

You only need a couple drops for a refractometer sample.

I just dip a big SS spoon I use for stirring in and pull it out and let it drip on the refractometer.

Ed

 

[gungadin]

I just dip a big SS spoon I use for stirring in and pull it out and let it drip on the refractometer.

Good idea, thanks

 

[Mparsons327]

Also make sure you use a refractometer that corrects for temperature. Most do but i have seen a few that do not. I'm new to home brewing but I have a serious addiction to saltwater aquariums. We use refractometers to measure the amount of salt in the water.
Matt

 

[Chipster27]

I'm new to home brewing but I have a serious addiction to saltwater aquariums. We use refractometers to measure the amount of salt in the water.
Matt

Many have said a saltwater refractometer won't work for beer. The one I had worked just fine as long as my SG was below 1.070, which most are

 

[BMan1029]

Is during the boil the appropriate time to use the refractometer? I only use a hydrometer now, but when used a refractometer when i first started out...always took a sample from my cooled wort. Now I am wondering if I had been doing it wrong.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Is during the boil the appropriate time to use the refractometer? I only use a hydrometer now, but when used a refractometer when i first started out...always took a sample from my cooled wort. Now I am wondering if I had been doing it wrong.

Your original gravity should be taken after the boil and any top off water is added, when the wort is cooled, just before you pitch the yeast.

You can however extend or shorten the boil if you are more concerned about hitting the OG than you are about hop utilization. In this case, you can check the gravity during the boil to see where you are against your expected gravity.

Personally, I don't check the gravity during the boil. I check the gravity of the runoff from the mash to determine when to stop sparging. I check the gravity of the wort pre-boil (this is when I use the ss spoon I mentioned in my post), and I check the OG post boil and cool.

 

[weirdboy]

I just stick an eye dropper in there to pull a sample.

 

[Sawdustguy]

If you use a pipette, which usually comes with your refractomer, the sample of wort you pull is very small and usually cools in less than a minute. I then bought some disposable glass capilliaries for $5.00 qty. 25 from a local laboratory supply company and found they work just fine also.

 

[MBasile]

Your original gravity should be taken after the boil and any top off water is added, when the wort is cooled, just before you pitch the yeast.

You can however extend or shorten the boil if you are more concerned about hitting the OG than you are about hop utilization. In this case, you can check the gravity during the boil to see where you are against your expected gravity.

Personally, I don't check the gravity during the boil. I check the gravity of the runoff from the mash to determine when to stop sparging. I check the gravity of the wort pre-boil (this is when I use the ss spoon I mentioned in my post), and I check the OG post boil and cool.

So what reading do you look for when measuring the runoff?

 

[Ohio-Ed]

So what reading do you look for when measuring the runoff?

I try not to go below 1.010, which is somewhere around 2.7 brix.

Below that you start extracting tannins from the grain.

Ed

 

[Peacedale]

+1 on using the spoon to drip a couple drops of wort on the refractometer.

As for taking readings, I take a reading after collecting my boil volume, and then again toward the end of the boil. My brewing software provides me with the gravity of the boil volume, so it is good to see if I hit my targeted efficiency before I get my boil on. I take a final reading (OG) just prior to pitching.