Brix V S.g. Where Have I Stuffed Up Please.

[Miller1]

I am having trouble going from Brix to S.G.
Hydrometer calibrated in demineralised water at 20degrees reads 1.00
Refractometer calibrated in demineralised water set at Zero
Reading off the mead sitting in the cupboard with the Refractometer is 16Brix..... 1+(16x0.004) =1.064
Hydrometer is reading 1.018
Any help to point out where I am going wrong would be appreciated.
Cheers Ray

 

[hockadays]

Refractometer is only good with prefermented wort.

 

[Screwtop]

Refractometer is only good with prefermented wort.

What!!!!

Screwy

 

[hockadays]

Is this not correct? I was under the impression that once alcohol was in the sample the refractometer was no good unless you use a different formula to convert to S.G. Happy to be corrected though if I'm wrong. I thought I ran into this problem as well when I got my refractometer.

 

[Ross]

Hockadays,

I think Screwy's comment referred to your 1st statement where you stated it's only good on fermented wort.

The correct answer is, you can only read the gravity straight off the refractometer when unfermented, once fermentation starts you need to use additional calculations, but the refractometer can still be used.
Calculator tool here

Edit: Sorry, the tool above isn't the correct one - Programs like Beersmith have the calculator included, or maybe someone else has a link to an online one.


cheers Ross

 

[winkle]

There was a pretty detailed discussion on all things refractometer in this thread link
including calculators.
Gee that was a while ago. :blink:

 

[Miller1]

Thank you I have sort of got a handle on it now, its a lot clearer. Have to go away to work for two weeks so the bees and the fermenters will have to look after themselves for a while. I am a left over relic from the dark ages, I know my bees and honey but this fermenting mead is a foreign language from the ground up.
Thanks Ray

 

[GUB]

This helps convert all the 4 major scales which I found useful as I once upon a time we used a Baume hyrdometer for measurements.