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Poll

How many hydrometers do you break, before buying a refractometer?

1
8 (38.1%)
2
8 (38.1%)
3
2 (9.5%)
4
1 (4.8%)
5
2 (9.5%)

Total Members Voted: 21

Voting closed: February 06, 2012, 12:02:05 pm

Author Topic: Refractometer vs. hydrometer  (Read 13555 times)

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #30 on: February 07, 2012, 01:55:59 pm »
It's not complicated for you Mic, all you need to do is plug in your OG and SG and see what the calculator says.  It's the same with a hydrometer to get the ABV, you need the OG and SG.  Easy.

I think you made it sound more confusing than it really is Tom.

...but I agree that it is easy.

Plug in the numbers and voila.  :)
Well, I was explaining how it works, not what he needs to do :)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline bluesman

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #31 on: February 07, 2012, 02:33:23 pm »
It's not complicated for you Mic, all you need to do is plug in your OG and SG and see what the calculator says.  It's the same with a hydrometer to get the ABV, you need the OG and SG.  Easy.

I think you made it sound more confusing than it really is Tom.

...but I agree that it is easy.

Plug in the numbers and voila.  :)
Well, I was explaining how it works, not what he needs to do :)

True... :)
Ron Price

Offline a10t2

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #32 on: February 07, 2012, 02:43:48 pm »
any comments? so if i got ir right in this one, do i have to make compensations in a chart depending the temperature of the sample?

That's the one, although you should use the Brix scale since the manufacturer did the SG conversion incorrectly.

As far as temperature compensation, it has ATC (automatic temperature compensation), so it will give accurate readings from 10-30°C. That's the temperature of the refractometer, not the sample. *But* the ATC tables are calibrated for grape must (i.e. sucrose solutions), so they won't be totally accurate when used for beer. Ideally you should always use the refractometer at 20°C.

It's not complicated for you Mic, all you need to do is plug in your OG and SG and see what the calculator says.

Yeah, I did the hard part! ;)
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #33 on: February 07, 2012, 03:11:09 pm »
It's not complicated for you Mic, all you need to do is plug in your OG and SG and see what the calculator says.

Yeah, I did the hard part! ;)
Exactly :)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline Al Equihua

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #34 on: February 07, 2012, 04:39:24 pm »
any comments? so if i got ir right in this one, do i have to make compensations in a chart depending the temperature of the sample?

That's the one, although you should use the Brix scale since the manufacturer did the SG conversion incorrectly.

As far as temperature compensation, it has ATC (automatic temperature compensation), so it will give accurate readings from 10-30°C. That's the temperature of the refractometer, not the sample. *But* the ATC tables are calibrated for grape must (i.e. sucrose solutions), so they won't be totally accurate when used for beer. Ideally you should always use the refractometer at 20°

ggeee, is more dificult that it think, so, how a im supposed to know the refractometer temperature?
Al Equihua

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #35 on: February 07, 2012, 04:45:32 pm »
ggeee, is more dificult that it think, so, how a im supposed to know the refractometer temperature?
It will be close enough to the temperature of the room it is stored in, so you probably don't need to worry about it.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline a10t2

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #36 on: February 07, 2012, 05:01:57 pm »
ggeee, is more dificult that it think, so, how a im supposed to know the refractometer temperature?

On brew days I just keep mine in my fermentation chamber, which if I'm fermenting an ale is going to be around 17-22°C anyway.
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Offline Al Equihua

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Re: Refractometer vs. hydrometer
« Reply #37 on: February 07, 2012, 05:07:27 pm »
thats what i was thinking, usually my fermentors reads aroun 59-62 F so i think the aproximate room temp is around 65-68 ,maybe some days are max 70, so i think is good temp average and stored in the case...
Al Equihua