http://www.amazon.fr/R%C3%A9fractom%C3% ... ractometreIPA wrote: Just made up my mind to buy this and guess what. THIS ITEM IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR DELIVERY TO FRANCE what's up with them? Don't they know that a probe has just landed on a comet 300 million miles away from earth? We are at the nearest point only 22 miles from the Un-United Kingdom
Refractometers - worth having?
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
I brew therefore I ... I .... forget
- Aleman
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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
No idea why they can't ship to the UK, but I will iterate my earlier posts that the SG scale may not be the most accurate because the relationship between SG and Brix is not linear. . . .OK some of these refractometers appear to be reasonably close but depending on the Chinese supplier at the time they may not all be.IPA wrote:Just made up my mind to buy this and guess what. THIS ITEM IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR DELIVERY TO FRANCE what's up with them? Don't they know that a probe has just landed on a comet 300 million miles away from earth? We are at the nearest point only 22 miles from the Un-United Kingdom6470zzy wrote:Many refractometers intended for the homebrew market now come with the specific gravity graduations already so that there is no need for any calculations on the brewers part. I only wish that I had been able to control my urge to purchase a refractometer until I had seen one of these.![]()
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A ... MXSBXMW3W7
Cheers
Also consider how easy it is to read, with a dual scale one the divisions are twice as close together, as in a single scale one odd divisions are on one side and even on the other - Compare


The Bay of E
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Thanks for the link. I did in fact look on Amazon France but as always they are more expensive than the UK in as much as they say free postage but it works out at about the same the UK price plus postage. Internet selling and buying are still in their infancy here. In the end I ordered the same model from Wun Hung Lo for £16 including postage.vacant wrote:http://www.amazon.fr/R%C3%A9fractom%C3% ... ractometreIPA wrote: Just made up my mind to buy this and guess what. THIS ITEM IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR DELIVERY TO FRANCE what's up with them? Don't they know that a probe has just landed on a comet 300 million miles away from earth? We are at the nearest point only 22 miles from the Un-United Kingdom
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
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Be who you are
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1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Be who you are
Because those that mind don't matter
And those that matter don't mind
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
I've just ordered a cheap and cheerful one direct from China,
I'll let you guys know how I get on..
Apparently they can be temperamental if used outside of a certain temperature range?
I'll let you guys know how I get on..
Apparently they can be temperamental if used outside of a certain temperature range?
- jmc
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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Sorry, late to this one.
I've had an eBay Chinese one for a few years and I wouldn't be without it.
Its really useful on AG brew days for testing wort SG, but I also use mine for the whole brewing cycle.
As other's have mentioned the SG scale (if accurate) is only valid before fermentation as alcohol distorts the figures, but there are tables to compensate for this
I use a printout of an Excel calc sheet that's a modified version of one that originally came from the More Beer site
Even if you don't trust the tables, the brix reading on the refractometer does go down as sugars are fermented, so you can always use it as a rough guide to fermentation progress, and more importently when fermentation has stopped and SG/Brix remains constant.
I don't add SG samples back to a brew so I'm very happy I just take about 5cc each time from a tap in the FV into a sample vial.
Much better than losing 100-200cc each SG measurement.
The only gotcha that took me a while to find out was that the 'ATC' doesn't always work. I think it assumes the refractometer will be the same temp and the sample will be adjusted by the greater thermal mass of the refractometer.
My kit is in a garage which varies in temp significantly day to day. I always calibrate mine (with tap water) every day I take a measurement. 2-3c difference will give a different zero point on mine.
Enjoy your Christmas present Jim
I've had an eBay Chinese one for a few years and I wouldn't be without it.
Its really useful on AG brew days for testing wort SG, but I also use mine for the whole brewing cycle.
As other's have mentioned the SG scale (if accurate) is only valid before fermentation as alcohol distorts the figures, but there are tables to compensate for this
I use a printout of an Excel calc sheet that's a modified version of one that originally came from the More Beer site
Even if you don't trust the tables, the brix reading on the refractometer does go down as sugars are fermented, so you can always use it as a rough guide to fermentation progress, and more importently when fermentation has stopped and SG/Brix remains constant.
I don't add SG samples back to a brew so I'm very happy I just take about 5cc each time from a tap in the FV into a sample vial.
Much better than losing 100-200cc each SG measurement.
The only gotcha that took me a while to find out was that the 'ATC' doesn't always work. I think it assumes the refractometer will be the same temp and the sample will be adjusted by the greater thermal mass of the refractometer.
My kit is in a garage which varies in temp significantly day to day. I always calibrate mine (with tap water) every day I take a measurement. 2-3c difference will give a different zero point on mine.
Enjoy your Christmas present Jim

Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Do you all tend to just blob the sample drop onto the plate at mash temperature and trust it to cool enough instantly, or leave it in the dropper for a few minutes...force cool...or what?
Are they really that much easier to read? It looks like you've still got 32 Brix spread over the same distance in the viewfinder. There are more Brix divisions marked on, though the overall resolution looks the same, if you see what I mean...it's not like its a narrower Brix range across the field of view, or a wider viewfinder...(?)Aleman wrote:Also consider how easy it is to read, with a dual scale one the divisions are twice as close together, as in a single scale one odd divisions are on one side and even on the other - Compare
Busy in the Summer House Brewery
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
I read it instantly when I'm measuring during sparging. When I'm taking the pre-boil OG and post boil OG I leave it for a minute.
Let's all go home, pull on our gimp suits and enjoy life
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- jmc
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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
I always calibrate each day before doing any measurements, as change in ambient temp affects mine.MTW wrote:Do you all tend to just blob the sample drop onto the plate at mash temperature and trust it to cool enough instantly, or leave it in the dropper for a few minutes...force cool...or what?
Are they really that much easier to read? It looks like you've still got 32 Brix spread over the same distance in the viewfinder. There are more Brix divisions marked on, though the overall resolution looks the same, if you see what I mean...it's not like its a narrower Brix range across the field of view, or a wider viewfinder...(?)Aleman wrote:Also consider how easy it is to read, with a dual scale one the divisions are twice as close together, as in a single scale one odd divisions are on one side and even on the other - Compare
I take a sample into a plastic shot glass, leave it to cool for a couple of mins and then take a measurement.
- Aleman
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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
I put a drop in the sample well and push the 'measure' button every 10 seconds, or so, until Iget three readings the same. Yes I does tale time to stabilise. The same is true of an optical instrument. . . Normally 30 to 45 seconds before the reading is stable.
My optical refractometer is a 20 brix one and considerably easier to read
My optical refractometer is a 20 brix one and considerably easier to read
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Wun Hung Lo came up trumps this time it arrived in 17 days and I must say it is delightfully easy to use
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Be who you are
Because those that mind don't matter
And those that matter don't mind
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Be who you are
Because those that mind don't matter
And those that matter don't mind
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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Thanks--I think!jmc wrote:As other's have mentioned the SG scale (if accurate) is only valid before fermentation as alcohol distorts the figures, but there are tables to compensate for this
I use a printout of an Excel calc sheet that's a modified version of one that originally came from the More Beer site
So how do I use this table to work out SG as the fermentation progresses, please? The idea of only using a few ml of brew rather than running 100ml out into a test jar really appeals.
As an example. If I have a brew which starts at 1.050 and I want to know when it's reached 1.012ish, how would I use the table?
Thanks.
Guy
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
CBA to look now, but there's a few calculators around on the net. Most work in Brix, but there's a few out there that work with SG. I usually just sanitize my hydrometer and leave it in the fv at that point. The refractometer really pays for itself on brew day. Though I'll never buy another hyrdometer so I'll need those calcs one dayguypettigrew wrote:Thanks--I think!jmc wrote:As other's have mentioned the SG scale (if accurate) is only valid before fermentation as alcohol distorts the figures, but there are tables to compensate for this
I use a printout of an Excel calc sheet that's a modified version of one that originally came from the More Beer site
So how do I use this table to work out SG as the fermentation progresses, please? The idea of only using a few ml of brew rather than running 100ml out into a test jar really appeals.
As an example. If I have a brew which starts at 1.050 and I want to know when it's reached 1.012ish, how would I use the table?
Thanks.
Guy

Let's all go home, pull on our gimp suits and enjoy life
Brewing chat on slack - http://thelocal.stamplayapp.com
Brewing chat on slack - http://thelocal.stamplayapp.com
Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Really happy with mine. I use it for all stages of the brew and ferment.
- jmc
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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
If OG is 1050, then chart assumes OG in Brix was 12.5.guypettigrew wrote:Thanks--I think!jmc wrote:As other's have mentioned the SG scale (if accurate) is only valid before fermentation as alcohol distorts the figures, but there are tables to compensate for this
I use a printout of an Excel calc sheet that's a modified version of one that originally came from the More Beer site
So how do I use this table to work out SG as the fermentation progresses, please? The idea of only using a few ml of brew rather than running 100ml out into a test jar really appeals.
As an example. If I have a brew which starts at 1.050 and I want to know when it's reached 1.012ish, how would I use the table?
Thanks.
Guy
Look at 12.5 row, go to right untill SG target (1012)
Go to top; 6.5brix
So with this chart you'd expect a brew with OG 1050/12.5Brix to be at 6.5Brix when SG is 1012
Simples

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Re: Refractometers - worth having?
Ah yes. Thanks. Embarrassingly simple when you know how!
I'll print out the PDF, laminate it and stick it on my brew room wall.
Thanks again.
Guy
I'll print out the PDF, laminate it and stick it on my brew room wall.
Thanks again.
Guy