Refractometer and hydrometer different

[sivdrinks]

Calibrated my refractometer with room temp RO water before my brew day. At the end of brewing it was reading 7 points higher than my hydrometer. What is the proper way to pull a sample and from where? Can I do it from the boiling wort?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Calibrated my refractometer with room temp RO water before my brew day. At the end of brewing it was reading 7 points higher than my hydrometer. What is the proper way to pull a sample and from where? Can I do it from the boiling wort?

ATC Refractometers only correct for room temp variations within a referenced limit.

You still have to let the sample cool before reading it. Fortunately, the sample size is so small that it doesn't take long.

Still beats having to correct for temp and miscalibration with a hydrometer

 

[StanJohnson]

The directions that came with my refractometer said that if the temp of the refractometer changes by more than 5* from when you calibrated it, you must re-calibrate it. I keep my distilled water next to my refractometer on brew day and then I calibrate mine just before I take any reading. I've compared it to my hydrometer and it is within 2 or 3 points, so that makes me feel confident that it is reading correctly.

 

[Dan]

Calibrated my refractometer with room temp RO water before my brew day. At the end of brewing it was reading 7 points higher than my hydrometer. What is the proper way to pull a sample and from where? Can I do it from the boiling wort?

I usually just pull from the top of the wort. It's been boiling for an hour so shouldn't need to worry about different readings. I've used a turkey baster to pull from 5-6 inches below the surface with the same result.



OT... Stan, RDWIWBB? Relax Don't Worry It Will Brew Beer?

 

[sivdrinks]

Thanks guys, I'll try recalibrating prior to every reading. It's usually toward the end of the boil when I scratch my head at the reading, makes sense the temp is all messed up by then.

 

[sivdrinks]

I usually just pull from the top of the wort. It's been boiling for an hour so shouldn't need to worry about different readings. I've used a turkey baster to pull from 5-6 inches below the surface with the same result.

OT... Stan, RDWIWBB? Relax Don't Worry It Will Brew Beer?

I usually check at the end of the mash so that's when I need to recalibrate I guess.

 

[StanJohnson]

I usually just pull from the top of the wort. It's been boiling for an hour so shouldn't need to worry about different readings. I've used a turkey baster to pull from 5-6 inches below the surface with the same result.



OT... Stan, RDWIWBB? Relax Don't Worry It Will Brew Beer?

Close Dan. Relax Don't Worry It Will Be Beer

 

[Homercidal]

I usually take a sample with a pipette and shake it into the bulb, then I can immerse the bulb in some cool water to get the proper temp. Only takes a few seconds to drop the temp to reading range. The hardest part is keeping all of the hot break and hops stuff out of the sample. A fine mesh strainer helps.