Refractometer

[stowaway]

Am I using my refractometer correctly?

Original gravity is fine. its about 9 brix (from memory) so that converts to 1054 approx

but SG always seems to be around 6 or 5.5 Never goes lower which equals around 1024.

even when my hydrometer measures 1010.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Have a look at the chart I attached here

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=330379

Cheers

 

[KillerRx4]

Something is clearly not right with your measurements. Have you Zero'd your refractometer with water?

Your OG of 9 brix = 1.035

To get accurate gravity readings once fermentation has started you need to do some calcs to take into account the refraction of alcohol present.
Luckily theres a few easy ways to do this.

I have been using the morebeer spredsheet.

http://morebeer.com/public/beer/refractbeer.xls

 

[stowaway]

Something is clearly not right with your measurements. Have you Zero'd your refractometer with water?

Your OG of 9 brix = 1.035

Im at work and just remembering. I remembered my OG was equal to about 1055. so it must have been 14 or something.

i have put water on the refractormeter and it goes to exactly 0. so that seems to be right.

 

[Wrenny]

Yeah,

Final gravity is tricky. Because the alcahol distorts the light too, you need to use some fancy formula to work it out.

I use beersmith. I love beersmith.

First off, 9 brix gives og of 1.035, which sounds low, but assuming it's right
A reading of 5.5 brix on the fermented wort then gives a FG of 1.014, ABV 2.8%, Apparent Attenuation 60.6%. So it sounds like it's not finished.


If the OG was really 1.054 and a reading of the fermented wort is 5.5 brix then
the FG is 1.002, ABV 6.7%, Apparent Attenuation 95.6 which also definately looks wrong

 

[stowaway]

thanks Ive got beer smith now. it make things alot easier