Refractometer

[Brewme]

I'm just about to buy a Refractometer.

I was looking at buying one locally but noticed similar ones from China on Ebay. Piccies look identical.

Local price is $46 plus postage. The others range from $21.90 - $29.90 plus $11.50 postage to Aust.

Have any of you guys bought one of the cheaper import models?

Cheers

 

[mika]

Haven't bought one of the Chinese ebay items, but do know that there's a fair bit of difference in the quality of the picture/scale when you're looking at it.
Either way, your prices sound cheap, I thought I paid about $70 for mine ~3yrs ago or so.

 

[smilinggilroy]

Hi,
Bought one of these on evilbay and found the quality to be quite good.
Got the one that has the knurled knob for adjustment and read to 32 brix.

Note:- Found out the hard way that a refractometer doesn't read the same as a hydrometer,
wort has different values to say juice etc. and a calculation adjustment needs to be taken onto account.
Was reading a thread on this the other week, wish I knew of this before I went crazy wondering why the readings between the
refract. and the hydro. didn't balance.
Hope this helps and you understand the waffle.

 

[gjhansford]

Make sure the one you're looking at is a "32 Brix". Apparently there's more than one 'model' and they are suitable for different liquids.

 

[Hatchy]

I got one from ebay for $30 & wasn't certain about whether the quality was likely to be any good but had a mate here the other day saying that it's the exact same one that LHBS sells for $60. OG readings using my refractometer match up with OG readings using my hydrometer.

Edit: like ghhb said, get one that's 32 brix.

 

[smilinggilroy]

I got one from ebay for $30 & wasn't certain about whether the quality was likely to be any good but had a mate here the other day saying that it's the exact same one that LHBS sells for $60. OG readings using my refractometer match up with OG readings using my hydrometer.

Edit: like ghhb said, get one that's 32 brix.

Not wishing to hijack a thread,but......I am either not using the refractometer correctly
The refractometer is a piece of shite
Have the wrong type
All the above
Can someone help or point me in the right direction to sort this out
TIA

 

[gjhansford]

Not wishing to hijack a thread,but......I am either not using the refractometer correctly
The refractometer is a piece of shite
Have the wrong type
All the above
Can someone help or point me in the right direction to sort this out
TIA

Not sure what your problem is ... might it be this?

A refractometer reads "Brix", a hydrometer reads "SG". Two completely different measures. You need a converter to line them up. A simple formula won't work because the formula changes with SG. I now use the calculator in my brewing software, or you can get a conversion table from somewhere on the web ... I used one until I forked out the $30 for Promash.

 

[MaltyHops]

Not wishing to hijack a thread,but......I am either not using the refractometer correctly
The refractometer is a piece of shite
Have the wrong type
All the above
Can someone help or point me in the right direction to sort this out
TIA

Have a look at Refractometer Sg-alcohol Correction Chart

The thing to be aware of is that once alcohol is present in your wort/beer,
the specific gravity readings need to be corrected.

T.

Ed-2: Also just realised that hopefully you have the refractometer that
also has SG display values (i.e. 1000 ... 1010 ... etc) as well as the brix
values (else you would need to translate brix to SG values - just multiply
by 4?)

 

[Hatchy]

Not wishing to hijack a thread,but......I am either not using the refractometer correctly
The refractometer is a piece of shite
Have the wrong type
All the above
Can someone help or point me in the right direction to sort this out
TIA

I only use my refractometer for OG readings. As pointed out it won't give you an accurate reading once fermentation starts without a calculator. Next time you pitch yeast get an OG & brix reading, multiply the brix reading by 4 & stick 1.0 in front of it, it should be pretty close to the OG reading. Eg: the batch I've got fermenting currently was 15 brix into the fermenter with an OG of 1.060.

I'm happy to be corrected if I've missed something, I'm pretty new to this.

 

[gjhansford]

Just a correction to my post ... it's the alcohol that throws the multipy by 4 formula out ... not the SG. Thanks MH.

 

[smilinggilroy]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies...
The refractometer displays brix only.
Was using Doc's conversion chart for the readings and the results were way wrong.
Then I found the thread on the correction calculations.....
Then I read that Hatchys' readings matched up.....
Then I got more frustrated and confoozed. :unsure:
In hindsight I should've asked Hatchy what calculations and/or corrections he used

 

[juzz1981]

I got an ebay special from HK, works good for me, matches what my hydrometer says

 

[DU99]

remember multiple by 4

 

[[email protected]]

Smilinggilroy,

Have you done a calibration check on the refractometer using distilled water to make sure it is zeroed?

 

[alkos]

I bought this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/0-140-Oe-Oechsle-27-...e-/260696631868

I have SG (Oeshle - middle scale - divided by 1000) and Brix (left one) with no need to calculate. Very happy with it - except it has proven both my hydros were off by couple points :-/ (tested on boiled water at 20C)

 

[smilinggilroy]

Smilinggilroy,

Have you done a calibration check on the refractometer using distilled water to make sure it is zeroed?

Yep! Did all that.
Thanks

 

[Bretto77]

Have a look at Refractometer Sg-alcohol Correction Chart

The thing to be aware of is that once alcohol is present in your wort/beer,
the specific gravity readings need to be corrected.

T.

Ed-2: Also just realised that hopefully you have the refractometer that
also has SG display values (i.e. 1000 ... 1010 ... etc) as well as the brix
values (else you would need to translate brix to SG values - just multiply
by 4?)
[/quote


Or check out this site for an excel spreadsheet. I use this all the time for readings after pitching the yeast.

http://morebeer.com/learn_vids/vids_refract

Cheers
Bretto

 

[raven19]

Avoid the one with the built in light. It seems like an nice feature at the time, but the bloody thing allows liquid through it, cuasing all kinds of issues!

I got mine off ebay and apart from the light issue above, have had no problems with the unit.

A must have in the brewery.

 

[fraser_john]

Buy the 18 Brix model if you plan on brewing beers below 1.070 starting gravity, the scale is going to be a lot easier to read than the 32 Brix model.

 

[Yob]

dang these are cheap EVILBAY CN HYDROMETER

anyone got one from this seller? Results?