Refractometer Ebay Seller Recommendations?

[mattjmac]

My wife called me this morning screaming that I left my thermometer "inside the tube" on the counter. She went on to say (scream actually) I left the tube open on one end and when she picked it up the thermometer fell out of the tube, broke open, and spilled mercury all over her kitchen.

She wasn't too happy when I calmly told her that a) it isn't a thermometer, it's a hydrometer and that b) that tube is supposed to be open on one end and is known as a wine thief and that c) it isn't mercury inside the hydrometer. Long story short, I get to buy a refractometer now!!! :rockin:

Bobby M's video mentions you can buy these things on Ebay for about $30 which is way less than my LHBS sells them for. Can anybody recommend a reputable AMERICAN seller and/or model. I appreciate anybody's comments/experiences/suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Arkador]

dun remember the seller, but i got mine from EBAY.
0-32brix, ATC Hydrometer for $29. calibrated it, and compared it to my hydrometer for a couple batches, and love it.

You do need a calculator to convert. I am at work, or I would post the link.

 

[mattjmac]

Arkador - I have Beersmith which I think will do the calc. Bobby M also pointed out Morebeer.com posts an excel spreadsheet that will do the calc so I'm covered there, thanks. Any chance you could go back in your ebay history to find the seller over the weekend? I'd really appreciate it. I've gotten burned by a lot of cheap junk from overseas sellers lately on Ebay.

 

[raceskier]

This would appear to be the same one I bought. Works great, agreeing well when checked against a hydrometer, using the referenced More Beer spreadsheet. It is easily calibrated with DI water. It does not have temp compensation, but the spreadsheet has that built in.

http://cgi.ebay.com/0-32-ATC-Portab...aultDomain_2?hash=item35a07662d3#ht_825wt_732

 

[Arkador]

This would appear to be the same one I bought. Works great, agreeing well when checked against a hydrometer, using the referenced More Beer spreadsheet. It is easily calibrated with DI water. It does not have temp compensation, but the spreadsheet has that built in.

http://cgi.ebay.com/0-32-ATC-Portab...aultDomain_2?hash=item35a07662d3#ht_825wt_732

that's the one i bought also, same vendor. the ATC stands for Automatic Temprature Compensation, but you should still let the temp equalize, ie. if you put 200deg liquid on it, wait 30sec before checking the reading

 

[elmetal]

the calculation is pretty simple. you can pretty much just multiply the brix by 9 and you're fairly close to the real number

example: 9 brix = 1.036

 

[raceskier]

that's the one i bought also, same vendor. the ATC stands for Automatic Temprature Compensation, but you should still let the temp equalize, ie. if you put 200deg liquid on it, wait 30sec before checking the reading

Ooops, then that's not the one I bought. Mine is Model RHB-32, definitely not ATC.

 

[smokinghole]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380176287942&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I got mine here.

 

[TripleHopped]

I was looking for one late last year and did a search. I ended up buying one from "National Industrial Supply". The OP of the thread had nothing but good to say about them. I found them easy to work with too.

Mine is the 0-32% ATC Brix Refractometer cost me 29.99 plus shipping.

Works great.

You're going to love your new toy.

 

[erikrocks]

I bought a $30 refractometer off ebay and love it. I also use THIS CALCULATOR so that I can use the refractometer to take readings during/after fermentation.

 

[smokinghole]

I use the morebeer excel sheet to track my fermentation. You can save the progress to see how it's coming along. It has been helpful with my RIS that's been fermenting for three weeks now. It's coming down but every so slowly.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...Vt1o6AE9YhezUWaxQ&sig2=0zlmsnj5U7I7FJukReuoBg

If you click the link it will prompt you for a download of the excell sheet.

 

[Walker]

If you are patient, Austin Homebrew periodically has refractometers on sale for $29.99. That's where I got mine.

edit: my only complaint about the one from AHS is the case... it's a soft nylon zipper case and not a hard case.

 

[cam]

MISCO has digital models that can be custom-programmed. Call 800-358-1100 or www.misco.com.

 

[smokinghole]

Who's spending $300 on a digital when a non digi one is 10 times less? That's a spendy little gadget.

 

[HSM]

This would appear to be the same one I bought. Works great, agreeing well when checked against a hydrometer, using the referenced More Beer spreadsheet. It is easily calibrated with DI water. It does not have temp compensation, but the spreadsheet has that built in.

http://cgi.ebay.com/0-32-ATC-Portab...aultDomain_2?hash=item35a07662d3#ht_825wt_732

Bought the same one from the same seller, works great. Looks like he's trying different selling styles. The one below is actually cheaper when you consider (free) shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230362485632

 

[Adam78K]

easy quick math take the brix number and times by 4. Gets you a quick answer and it's only like .01 off.

 

[Arkador]

easy quick math take the brix number and times by 4. Gets you a quick answer and it's only like .01 off.

Brix x4 is great for calculating in the field, while brewing. I do the proper calculations when I am done so I know the more exact number. if you just multiply by 4, the variance goes up, the higher the brix.

 

[Munsoned]

I got mine from ebay. The lid flips up from the bottom, rather than down from the top. I think I like the top-hinge design better. The bottom hinge constantly gets sticky from the wort dripping downwards...