Is a refractometer worth the money?

[day_trippr]

Funny, both Beersmith and Promash show 20 Brix = 1.080 for unfermented wort,[...]

fwiw, my BS2 installation (version 2.0.57) shows 20 Brix = 1.078 SG for unfermented wort...

Cheers!

 

[Special Hops]

Just ordered one from eBay for 25 bucks after I broke my third hydro in a year. I'm done with those things. They are nice and reliable but just too damn fragile.

It's got the wrong scale but I use software anyways that will convert to SG for me.

 

[HawkATP]

Funny, both Beersmith and Promash show 20 Brix = 1.080 for unfermented wort, but some of the on-line calculators show closer to 1.084.
If you check out https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Refractometer you will find that 20 brix = 1.078
I wonder which is right?
I'm not going to find out because I don't like beers with that high OG, but I'd be interested to know.

-a.

I'd be interested if anyone can explain this differnece.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

I'd be interested if anyone can explain this differnece.

me too!!!

 

[Tantalus]

Having broken two hydrometers having only recently started brewing I can say that one of these might be a good investment.

 

[marquette048]

fwiw, my BS2 installation (version 2.0.57) shows 20 Brix = 1.078 SG for unfermented wort...

Cheers!

Strange it is....FWIW... in unfermented wort:
Beer Tools Pro (v. 1.5.21) 20 Brix= 1.080 SG
Beer Smith 2 (v. 2.0.57) 20 Brix= 1.081 SG
Brew Mate (v. 1.22) 20 Brix= 1.083 SG

I assume we are doing the BS2 conversions the same. I wonder why the difference?

 

[ajf]

My guess is that the variations are caused by the Brix Correction factor used to account for the difference between a pure sucrose solution and wort (which contains mostly maltose).
If the correction is specified as 1.000, then 20 Brix would translate to 1.083 or 1.084.
If it is set to 1.04, then 20 Brix would translate to 1.080.
If it is set 1.02, then 20 Brix would translate to about 1.081 or 1.082.
In my case, I have it set to 1.04 which works well for the beers that I usually brew, but may not work for all brews.
Obviously Promash and Beersmith use slightly different algorithms, but they agree within one point.
As for TyTaniums comment that 20 Brix should convert to approximately 1.084, that would only be true if the wort contained only sucrose, but beer wort contains mostly maltose. I think that conversion should be good for wines and ciders, but not beers.
You cannot have a Brix to SG conversion that is going to work correctly for both wines and beers.

-a.

 

[marquette048]

Thanks ajf...that explains the difference that I was seeing. I had no idea you could set the correction. I was just using the default settings. I'll have to dig into the different programs and see how to change the settings.

 

[triangulum33]

aj,
Can you give us some examples of correction factors for common beer styles?

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I have seen refractometers available on amazon for wine, beer, fruit juice, sailine water, and a variety of other purposes. Guess I need to make sure I purchase one specifically for beer to ensure the correction factor is correct.

 

[snccoulter]

After using one at my buddies for a brew session I want one bad. Bobby M will be getting my business on payday.

 

[day_trippr]

Strange it is....FWIW... in unfermented wort:
Beer Tools Pro (v. 1.5.21) 20 Brix= 1.080 SG
Beer Smith 2 (v. 2.0.57) 20 Brix= 1.081 SG
Brew Mate (v. 1.22) 20 Brix= 1.083 SG

I assume we are doing the BS2 conversions the same. I wonder why the difference?

In my case, the refractometer utility had the correction factor set to something completely different from the numbers related in this thread. I'm nearly certain I never touched that setting. I jiggled the hydrometer vs refractometer correlation values to get the correction factor to 1.04 for now, and as a result 20 Brix now translates to 1.080SG...

Cheers!

 

[firebirdude]

I just bought this one for $25.46 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300614108662

Thanks for the link! There's a best offer button, so I offered $14 and they counter-offered with $15. I took it. $22.90 shipped to FL.

 

[TyTanium]

My guess is that the variations are caused by the Brix Correction factor used to account for the difference between a pure sucrose solution and wort (which contains mostly maltose).
...
As for TyTaniums comment that 20 Brix should convert to approximately 1.084, that would only be true if the wort contained only sucrose, but beer wort contains mostly maltose. I think that conversion should be good for wines and ciders, but not beers.

Excellent clarification, thank you.

 

[DrinkNoH2O]

Another thing to lookout for: A mass-producer in China got the Brix > SG conversion wrong for the dual-scale refracts, so the SG scale is incorrect on a lot of the cheap Chinese models.

20 Brix is roughly 1.084 SG...the incorrect models show 20 Brix is <1.080 SG.

Caveat emptor

My guess is that the variations are caused by the Brix Correction factor used to account for the difference between a pure sucrose solution and wort (which contains mostly maltose).
If the correction is specified as 1.000, then 20 Brix would translate to 1.083 or 1.084.
If it is set to 1.04, then 20 Brix would translate to 1.080.
If it is set 1.02, then 20 Brix would translate to about 1.081 or 1.082.
In my case, I have it set to 1.04 which works well for the beers that I usually brew, but may not work for all brews.
Obviously Promash and Beersmith use slightly different algorithms, but they agree within one point.
As for TyTaniums comment that 20 Brix should convert to approximately 1.084, that would only be true if the wort contained only sucrose, but beer wort contains mostly maltose. I think that conversion should be good for wines and ciders, but not beers.
You cannot have a Brix to SG conversion that is going to work correctly for both wines and beers.

-a.

Very interesting... I have the most common model of refractometer I believe (RSG-100ATC, has temp correction and a dual Brix/SG scale).

I found this conversion table which must be using a correction factor of 1.000:
http://www.fermsoft.com/gravbrix.php

Here are some sample readings from mine:
20 Brix = ~1.078 SG (website says 1.084)
15 Brix = ~1.058 SG (website says 1.061)
10 Brix = ~1.039 SG (website says 1.040)

The good news is that the difference (regardless of correction factor) gets smaller as the gravity goes down.

So overall I guess I should measure with both a hydro and refracto at first and adjust my correction factor in Beersmith.

EDIT: BTW, Beersmith v1_40 shows a correction factor of 1.0286 by default.

 

[Gear101]

Thanks for the link! There's a best offer button, so I offered $14 and they counter-offered with $15. I took it. $22.90 shipped to FL.

nice

 

[509inc]

I have seen refractometers available on amazon for wine, beer, fruit juice, sailine water, and a variety of other purposes. Guess I need to make sure I purchase one specifically for beer to ensure the correction factor is correct.

The two I was given as a gift were used for glycol or so I was told. I assume that works for beer as well??

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Best thing I can think of is to measure the SG of an unfermenter wort with a hydrometer and then measure it again with your refractometer and see where they read. I have not read anything here that leads me to believe a hydrometer reading with the appropriate temperature correction factor is inaccurate.

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

I am gonna say no lol. I have had one for about two years. It hasnt made it out on brew day in probably a year and 9 months.......... lol.

Once the novelty factor wore off i honestly just find the hydrometer easier and more accurate.

I only take two samples on brew day though. One pre boil and one post boil. If you like getting all crazy and checking each runnings s.g. then it would maybe be useful. But i would question what is really to gain by doing this lol.

 

[smarek82]

Can't beat the fact that I've broken 3 hydrometers in one year and now don't have to worry about it.

A little bit off the path of Brix -> SG conversion, but where do you go to figure out your FG?

I use the spreadsheet from the MoreBeer website. Since I don't do hydro measures anymore, does that spreadsheet seem to work?

If you seen discrepancies with the MoreBeer spreadsheet, what do you use?

Thanks all!

 

[Twofox]

Old thread, but it helped!

I've been researching refractometers and found that some are inaccurate. Was deciding whether to spend the $60+ at morebeer when I saw this thread. Bobby got my business as one homebrewer to another. Thanks brotha!