I've been using one since december... and the only reason i would guess to use it is so you dont need to pull out 3-4 oz. of beer each time you want to take a Gravity Reading? only a coulple drops.
Is it worth the hassle?
You have to take the sample and get it to ambient temp of the refractometer, then you have wait 30 secs once you place the drop on the glass to equalize the temps, Then you have record your brix reading lets say its 12.3 like my last beer, then you have to use some software to conver that into a figure you can actual use like 1.049...
Thats all before you ferment...
Then...
You have take a sample do all of the above except now your brix reading needs to be adjusted for Alcohol content before you can accurately get the FG or current gravity. Now you have to go download some excel sheet and or buy an appliation that calculates the alcohol and then gives you your gravity.
Am I bugging or is 3-4 oz's of beer worth not going through this?...
I'm a cool tool guy so i got one and i use it, but man what we do for beer.
Is it worth the hassle?
You have to take the sample and get it to ambient temp of the refractometer, then you have wait 30 secs once you place the drop on the glass to equalize the temps, Then you have record your brix reading lets say its 12.3 like my last beer, then you have to use some software to conver that into a figure you can actual use like 1.049...
Thats all before you ferment...
Then...
You have take a sample do all of the above except now your brix reading needs to be adjusted for Alcohol content before you can accurately get the FG or current gravity. Now you have to go download some excel sheet and or buy an appliation that calculates the alcohol and then gives you your gravity.
Am I bugging or is 3-4 oz's of beer worth not going through this?...
I'm a cool tool guy so i got one and i use it, but man what we do for beer.