TKOriginal
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2012
- Messages
- 101
- Reaction score
- 22
So it happened, your refractometer is off. I mean seriously off. Maybe you dropped it, found a loose piece, or like mine, it got too close to your brew kettle, the grease melted got on the lenses it had to be taken apart to clean.
Full disclosure, mine was a gift and has no labels. I suspect it is a Chicom Alibaba special. Regardless, it cost money and I need that money. Gadgets are cool.
First thing is first. Calibrate it. I mean really calibrate it. Nothing will frustrate you more then to realize two hours later that bottle of distilled Zypher Hills water is not 1.000. Rather it is .995. Utilize your hydrometer and compare to your refractometer. Still convinced it needs fixin? Gather your tools:
Hydrometer and test tube.
Glass or containers for solution
Rubbing Alcohol
Q-Tips
Rubber cement (superglue for the bold)
Camera
Toothpick
Sugar
Patience
Preparation: Create three solutions. 1x1.000, and two significantly higher.
Utilize your hydrometer to measure their BRIX, record.
1 Remove the rubber eye piece cover and pull back the rubber grip to expose the seams of the three sections
2. Untwist the three sections. On mine there was rubber cement holding the pieces together. It took force, but not Lennie force. For the purpose of this article Part 1 is the eye piece with telescoping focus control(actually two parts). Part two is the center piece with graduated scale connected to internal sliding ring. Part three is the daylight plate.
3. Take photos. 30 seconds for photos will save you 30 minutes. The focus on these photos should be part two and the relative position of the graduated scale. Note how far it sticks out from the end of part 2. (see photo which will be uploaded in 48 hours)
4. The first thing I noticed is grease, all over. If grease gets on any lense, you will need the alcohol and Q-Tips to clean. Clean what you need and limit touching the sides. Next you may notice that rubber cement is holding things into place, not glued, but providing friction to limit sliding. Rubber cement is holding the scale to the internal sliding ring, and the sliding ring into position in part 2. The cement may have deteriorated and now you need to reposition and re-glue the parts.
5. Clean what you need. If you get grease on the lenses, you will be sorry...
6. If needed add new layer of rubber cement to part two on the inside where it will contact the center ring. This is to provide friction, not glue the center ring to part two. I recommend glueing the scale to the sliding internal ring at this point. Let the glue dry then push the center ring into place. Use toothpicks to limit contact with the grease.
7. Now the fun begins. Assemble parts two and three. Start with your 1.000 solution to level your line horizontally and vertically at the 1.000. Go to your next solution, sir to ensure suspension, check your refractometer. The stiiring is important. If you draw from settled solution, it wont jive, turkey. If it is not close, remove part 1 and make MICRO adjustments to the scale by sliding towards you(bringing down the blue line) or out (moving the line up). At this point you are adjusting perspective, not calibrating. This is the part where you are adjusting the discrepancy between your hydrometer (.010 in my case). This is where you will lose your mind.
8. Apply the 1.000 solution, relevel the line and start the process over. 1.000 solution then Solution 2, adjust, 1.000 then 2 ect ect ect.
9. Once you are satisified with the reading of solution 2, check solution 3. Complete the steps again and again until you determine it is good enough. Dont be afraid to put it on a shelf and try again tomorrow.
10. Once solutions 1, 2, 3 match between hydrometer and refractometer, you can make combinations of solutions to verify reading. Once it is good enough, add a dollop of glue to hold everything in place
.
11. Congratulate yourself you can now say your refractometer parts were made in China but assembled in America. Apologize to S/HWMBO for ignoring her/him for two days and tinkering with that damn thing.
Full disclosure, mine was a gift and has no labels. I suspect it is a Chicom Alibaba special. Regardless, it cost money and I need that money. Gadgets are cool.
First thing is first. Calibrate it. I mean really calibrate it. Nothing will frustrate you more then to realize two hours later that bottle of distilled Zypher Hills water is not 1.000. Rather it is .995. Utilize your hydrometer and compare to your refractometer. Still convinced it needs fixin? Gather your tools:
Hydrometer and test tube.
Glass or containers for solution
Rubbing Alcohol
Q-Tips
Rubber cement (superglue for the bold)
Camera
Toothpick
Sugar
Patience
Preparation: Create three solutions. 1x1.000, and two significantly higher.
Utilize your hydrometer to measure their BRIX, record.
1 Remove the rubber eye piece cover and pull back the rubber grip to expose the seams of the three sections
2. Untwist the three sections. On mine there was rubber cement holding the pieces together. It took force, but not Lennie force. For the purpose of this article Part 1 is the eye piece with telescoping focus control(actually two parts). Part two is the center piece with graduated scale connected to internal sliding ring. Part three is the daylight plate.
3. Take photos. 30 seconds for photos will save you 30 minutes. The focus on these photos should be part two and the relative position of the graduated scale. Note how far it sticks out from the end of part 2. (see photo which will be uploaded in 48 hours)
4. The first thing I noticed is grease, all over. If grease gets on any lense, you will need the alcohol and Q-Tips to clean. Clean what you need and limit touching the sides. Next you may notice that rubber cement is holding things into place, not glued, but providing friction to limit sliding. Rubber cement is holding the scale to the internal sliding ring, and the sliding ring into position in part 2. The cement may have deteriorated and now you need to reposition and re-glue the parts.
5. Clean what you need. If you get grease on the lenses, you will be sorry...
6. If needed add new layer of rubber cement to part two on the inside where it will contact the center ring. This is to provide friction, not glue the center ring to part two. I recommend glueing the scale to the sliding internal ring at this point. Let the glue dry then push the center ring into place. Use toothpicks to limit contact with the grease.
7. Now the fun begins. Assemble parts two and three. Start with your 1.000 solution to level your line horizontally and vertically at the 1.000. Go to your next solution, sir to ensure suspension, check your refractometer. The stiiring is important. If you draw from settled solution, it wont jive, turkey. If it is not close, remove part 1 and make MICRO adjustments to the scale by sliding towards you(bringing down the blue line) or out (moving the line up). At this point you are adjusting perspective, not calibrating. This is the part where you are adjusting the discrepancy between your hydrometer (.010 in my case). This is where you will lose your mind.
8. Apply the 1.000 solution, relevel the line and start the process over. 1.000 solution then Solution 2, adjust, 1.000 then 2 ect ect ect.
9. Once you are satisified with the reading of solution 2, check solution 3. Complete the steps again and again until you determine it is good enough. Dont be afraid to put it on a shelf and try again tomorrow.
10. Once solutions 1, 2, 3 match between hydrometer and refractometer, you can make combinations of solutions to verify reading. Once it is good enough, add a dollop of glue to hold everything in place
.
11. Congratulate yourself you can now say your refractometer parts were made in China but assembled in America. Apologize to S/HWMBO for ignoring her/him for two days and tinkering with that damn thing.
