Strange Refractometer Readings

[starkesbier]

Hi,

When brewing yesterday I took a refractometer reading at flameout after whirlpooling and came up with a reading of 13.8. After having emptied by boil pot I took a reading from in the trub and got a reading of 14.6. Has anyone else experienced this and can suggest a possible cause?

I should point out that I used some chocolate in the boil and maybe there was some stratification in the boil pot but I would have thought that the whirlpool would cause homogenisation.

Anyway, any thoughts on the subject would be welcome.

Starkesbier

Doh!, wrong location for post. Can someone tell me how to move the post to a more appropriate location like 'All grain and partials'. Ta Starkesbier

 

[QldKev]

Hi,

When brewing yesterday I took a refractometer reading at flameout after whirlpooling and came up with a reading of 13.8. After having emptied by boil pot I took a reading from in the trub and got a reading of 14.6. Has anyone else experienced this and can suggest a possible cause?

I should point out that I used some chocolate in the boil and maybe there was some stratification in the boil pot but I would have thought that the whirlpool would cause homogenisation.

Anyway, any thoughts on the subject would be welcome.

Starkesbier

Doh!, wrong location for post. Can someone tell me how to move the post to a more appropriate location like 'All grain and partials'. Ta Starkesbier

Have a search on here, there was a big discussion a few months back. In it explained the exact issue that you have come across and how to correctly take a reading. But basically the liquid needs to be clarified / filtered properly for it to work


QldKev

 

[chappo1970]

Hi,

When brewing yesterday I took a refractometer reading at flameout after whirlpooling and came up with a reading of 13.8. After having emptied by boil pot I took a reading from in the trub and got a reading of 14.6. Has anyone else experienced this and can suggest a possible cause?

I should point out that I used some chocolate in the boil and maybe there was some stratification in the boil pot but I would have thought that the whirlpool would cause homogenisation.

Starkes,

You're only talking 0.8 brix or 1.057 vs 1.054 at total of 3 gravs. I think that maybe temp has skewed your readings. Also there may have been some solids in the trub from the chocolate like lactose that could skew the readings.

Cheers

Chappo