Refractometer?

Interesting timing…just talked with guy I sometimes brew with…recently we brewed a 15 gallon batch of jalapeño cream ale and split it into 3 carboys…three different yeasts …mine with 029 kölsch …his two were 1450 & wlp 001.

I have always used the Brewers Friend Calculator for Brix conversion for both OG and FG and had very close correlation to a hydrometer (within .001 or .002…basically reading error depending who is reading the hydrometer).

He used both Beersmith’s and Northern Brewers calculator and got drastically different values post fermentation compared to his hydrometer… .006 and .008 different. When he entered his original Brix and final Brix readings into the Brewers Friend calculator he got the same as what his hydrometer was reading.

I have good confidence/correlation with the above calculator link…I see problem with at least two others.

That is the goods peeps need to know, there are variables out there. Not to rip one apart for being wrong, yet, just as you proved, peeps need to really look into what is what out there. Verify for yerself. I keep it simple, so I don’t finish with a refractometer… Thank you SunfishBrew!

Now I’m nervous. Is the beer I just made 6.8% ABV or 7%. I just toss my sanitized hydrometer in the fermenter and take a reading.

I’ve had great success & correlation with a refractometer.

…I just wonder if the problems people are reporting are 1. Improper use (not using Brix and a conversion tool for OG) …2. Using wrong conversion tool when there is alcohol present…And now 3. Not all conversion tools are created equal.

I always read Brix % (ignor the SG scale when reading a sample like instructions spell out) and I have always used the conversion tool at Brewers Friend.

2 Likes

Great, now fer the BIG delema, big glass, or, even bigger? Which will it be? Sneezles61

This article suggests #3 may be a common cause:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/64y6ql/refractometer_calculators_whom_to_believe/

I KNOW the first two causes are happening because I see people saying that on this forum ( 1. trying to use the SG scale in the sight glass rather than reading Brix & using a calculator to get a SG value and 2. Not using the second conversion tool after fermentation has started (alcohol present).

I also know not all conversion tools are using a good equation. I have a notepad full of Initial Brix %…calculated OG (NB/BeerSmith/Brewers Friend)…hydrometer OG readings…final Brix %…calculated FG (NB/BeerSmith/Brewers Friend)…hydrometer FG readings. And I have extreme confidence in my refractometer (And my refractometer specific correction factor) derived readings to .001 using the set of calculators on only Brewers Friend.

I have a hydrometer - it just has a lot of dust on it.