• If you have bought, sold or gained information from our Classifieds, please donate to Aussie Home Brewer and give back.

    You can become a Supporting Member or click here to donate.

WTB : Magnetic Stir Plate / Refractometer / pH meter : Malvern East ar

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Grogler

Member
Joined
23/5/16
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Hello hombres

After a Magnetic Stir Plate / Refractometer / pH meter and I'm situated in the Malvern East area. Name a price and a time and I'll see about getting to you. Getting technical with the brewing ( even though I still can't hit my OG :p )

Cheers beers
 
Thanks for the advice nosco. I will check them all out
 
Hey Nosco, certainly entitled to your own opinion & all, but I reckon you are dissing the humble refractometer a tad too much.

If you mash... I find (my opinion!) it's very handy to check pre- & post-boil SG's in case I'm under or over gravity... can adjust sugaz or hop additions accordingly, also checking gravity of the last runnings if you want to stop by a certain value. You don't have to wait (long) for a sample to cool like you do with a hydrometer to get an accurate result.

But would I use it during ferment? Nah, hydro all the way.

Ed: Spelunk
 
I have to agree with Mofox1, I regularly use my refractometer during the brew day, I don't use a hydrometer at all on the day, then hydro only through the ferment. They also really aren't that expensive, especially considering I'm still using my original one I bought years ago compared to many many hydrometers.

I also personally think that a pH meter is worthwhile.

My 2c.
 
I should point out that I have a cheap ebay refractometer and a pH meter :lol: I dont use the pH meter because of having to buy the calibration solutions and Im happy using Brun Water. Id love to use my refractometer for all the above reasons but it reads 4 or 5 gravity points lower than both my hydrometers. I have calibrated it many times with distilled water. I could add 4 or 5 to the reading but I havnt had a chance to see if its a consistent result with different wort. Other fish to fry atm.

I have thought of buying a better quality one but all the ones I have seen look exactly the same as the one I have already.

I should read the refractometer thread but between reading the herms thread, the various Matho's controller threads and various brewing books it just aint gonna happen (I havnt read any of these properly yet). I am open to suggestions though ;)
 
You have to calibrate it every brew day. I use mine from mash all the way to the end of the boil and then compare it with a hydro reading as well once the wort is chilled. I just recently replaced my hydrometer because it was reading 6 points low.

But yeah, i would also hold off on the pH meter until you 100% think you need one. Bru'n water is usually pretty bang on if everything is entered correctly.
 
Thanks for the input everyone

I was originally thinking that I just wanted to have all tools on hand so I could quickly and conveniently keep tabs on all my variables while doing a brew. I've had issues hitting OGs and I think it's had to do with my mashing. It's still early days and there's plenty of time to refine my process and a refractometer will probs help with that.

Although that digital stir plate looks ace (and it's Aussie made) and if I can't find a deal on a stir plate nearby I might just grab the analog one from Keg King

I've just started using the Beersmith water profile tool for my additions and I'm sure I'll soon make use of the other mash pH and mash Adjust tools soon as well.

Will probs take your advice huez and hold off on the pH meter until it is required.

Cheers beers!
 
Id go for a Thermapen any day over a pH meter and/or a refractometer. I got mine, a reco one, for $60 all up from the UK. It comes in the box and is basically new. If you keep an eye on eBay they pop up from time to time. I dropped mine in mash once, rinsed it of and it didnt skip a beat.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ETI-SuperFast-Thermapen-Thermometers-49-9-to-299-9-C-0-1-C-1-C-selectable-/271428575244?hash=item3f3267600c:g:xAEAAOxy039TKGmu

Edit: the quick temp read gives me the ability to do really easy temp adjusts on hydrometer readings.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top