Checking My Equipment

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Since I got this accurate scale, I thought I would make an accurate solution of sugar water to see how close my hydrometer and refractometer are measuring. I used 175 grams of water and 18.32 grams of sugar. This should have given me a wash of 1.040 SG based on calculators I used online. Measured with my hydrometer, I got 1.041 after temp correction and 1.038 on my refractometer. I guess I’d have liked to have seen them be dead nuts, but good to know I guess. Should I just +.002 for my refractometer and -.001 for my hydrometer or will the discrepancy grow at higher gravities?

 

[Rev2010]

What do they read when you use distilled water by itself?



Rev.

 

[mongoose33]

When you say "temp correction" what do you mean?

When I'm measuring gravity using a hydrometer I get the wort/beer to 60 degrees before I check; that's the temperature the hydrometer is calibrated for.

Same with refractometers; if your wort is too hot, you're going to get a bad reading, typically in my experience lower than it really is.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

When you say "temp correction" what do you mean?

When I'm measuring gravity using a hydrometer I get the wort/beer to 60 degrees before I check; that's the temperature the hydrometer is calibrated for.

Same with refractometers; if your wort is too hot, you're going to get a bad reading, typically in my experience lower than it really is.

Using an online calculator my correction is .001. My measurement was 1.040 so ironically at 70 degrees my hydrometer measured the sugar wash “correctly”. I didn’t ever heat the solution since I was just checking.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

What do they read when you use distilled water by itself?



Rev.

My refractometer was at 0 from the factory when measuring water from my Phoenix tap water. Do you think the salts in tap water are enough to throw it off by 2 points? If so I would think that it shouldn’t matter since I used tap water to make my sugar wash.

 

[passedpawn]

My refractometer was at 0 from the factory when measuring water from my Phoenix tap water. Do you think the salts in tap water are enough to throw it off by 2 points? If so I would think that it shouldn’t matter since I used tap water to make my sugar wash.

I think that's possible. Buy some distilled at the store and test. Or make your own pretty easily on the stove (youtube ftw).

 

[passedpawn]

A few years ago, I tested my 2 hydrometers. One is a backup that has never been used.

With tap water, they both read exactly 1.000.

Then I mixed 8 oz of table sugar with enough water to make 1 quart. This should measure 1.092 @ 60°F.

One of them measured 1.094, the other 1.102. Ouch! Unfortunately, the one that is really high is the one that I had been using for 2 years.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

A few years ago, I tested my 2 hydrometers. One is a backup that has never been used.

With tap water, they both read exactly 1.000.

Then I mixed 8 oz of table sugar with enough water to make 1 quart. This should measure 1.092 @ 60°F.

One of them measured 1.094, the other 1.102. Ouch! Unfortunately, the one that is really high is the one that I had been using for 2 years.

Every time I turn around, I find more fine structure in this hobby. Maybe I should just throw away all my thermometers, refractometer and hydrometers, toss all my cleaners and sanitizers and just stick my wort out in the backyard like the old days. I am seriously considering doing an all bret IPA, but even then, I’m afraid I will have to buy all new gear and keep it segregated.

 

[Big Monk]

My refractometer was at 0 from the factory when measuring water from my Phoenix tap water. Do you think the salts in tap water are enough to throw it off by 2 points? If so I would think that it shouldn’t matter since I used tap water to make my sugar wash.

You have to calibrate the refractometer and hydrometer in DI water.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I researched this a little and I feel pretty confident that unless your tap/well water contains a lot of minerals, DI/Distilled water and tap water are almost identical.

https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2007/AllenMa.shtml

https://www.uswatersystems.com/deionized-water-vs-distilled-water

 

[Big Monk]

I researched this a little and I feel pretty confident that unless your tap/well water contains a lot of minerals, DI/Distilled water and tap water are almost identical.

https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2007/AllenMa.shtml

https://www.uswatersystems.com/deionized-water-vs-distilled-water

The assumption being you have low mineral tap water.

What are the mineral concentrations of your tap water?

 

[kh54s10]

The other day out of curiosity I used my Florida tap water which leaves deposits on my shower doors, and distilled. The readings were the same.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

A few years ago, I tested my 2 hydrometers. One is a backup that has never been used.

With tap water, they both read exactly 1.000.

Then I mixed 8 oz of table sugar with enough water to make 1 quart. This should measure 1.092 @ 60°F.

One of them measured 1.094, the other 1.102. Ouch! Unfortunately, the one that is really high is the one that I had been using for 2 years.

How accurate were you measurements of the 8 oz and the quart?

 

[passedpawn]

How accurate were you measurements of the 8 oz and the quart?

Not very. I really don't remember, but I'm sure I used a scale. It was at least 5 years ago. But even if quantities were off by a little, the two hydros should have read the same. At least one of them was way off.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Not very. I really don't remember, but I'm sure I used a scale. It was at least 5 years ago. But even if quantities were off by a little, the two hydros should have read the same. At least one of them was way off.

agreed. Regardless, they should match if they're accurate. It kind of reminds me of a quote my 8th grade science teacher had on his wall:

"A man with one watch always knows what time it is. A man with two is never sure."

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

.8 grams dissolved solids per gallon.

 

[kh54s10]

agreed. Regardless, they should match if they're accurate. It kind of reminds me of a quote my 8th grade science teacher had on his wall:

"A man with one watch always knows what time it is. A man with two is never sure."

A man with one watch always knows what time that watch says it is. A man with two doesn't know which is right if they tell different times. If the two watches tell the same time he is in the same boat as the man with one watch.