Cheap refractometers

[BeerCat]

I just bought another refractometer. Probably less than half the cost of the first one i bought and it has both scales on it. For anyone that does not have one they are excellent to use on brewday and before fermentation. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112691793833

 

[foxbat]

I still use mine side by side with a good old hydrometer which kind of defeats the object really. In my limited experience of about 6 brews with it so far I've found that the refractometer matches the hydro perfectly on pale beers but on my dark beers it's off by miles. I zero it before each brewday with deionised water so I've no idea what the real reason is.

 

[BeerCat]

That's bizarre. I have to admit i don't check mine with the hydro any more after i found they matched. I also found mine read the same using RO and tap water.

 

[sdt7618]

just offered them 4.50 and they accepted!!

 

[BeerCat]

That's what i paid for mine. Handy to have a spare.

 

[sdt7618]

Have never used one but looks simple and when I move to the brew shed will be handy to not have a trial jar sloshing around.

 

[photek1000]

Never had one, but want to try one along side my hydrometer, so punted an offer, will see what they come back with, but even for a fiver I'll have a bash.

 

[BeerCat]

I tend to check the mash about halfway through and at the end. Then i check the 1st runnings and the sparge and take a reading preboil. I used to faff around with a hydrometer in jugs of water to cool it down.
If you press down on the plate you will find you get a better reading.

 

[strange-steve]

I wish people would stop posting things like this, my ebay account has taken a right pounding recently.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I was reading recently that a refractometer is very handy for checking whether the mash is finished.
The recent debates about 30 minute, 60 minute or 90 minute mashes are moot if the Conversion Efficiency of the mash is measured at regular intervals. The "spot check" nature of the refractometer makes it an invaluable tool for this.

 

[BeerCat]

I tend to mash for 90minutes then do a mashout as i am in no rush or at least until i get clear wort. I have noticed it goes up about 1 brix after 30 minutes. Never done the conversion test.

 

[Zakrabbit]

Deleted....

 

[Piperbrew]

Think might buy one, easier than taking a sample jar of wort for testing each time
.

Edit....Bought, They accepted £3.99

 

[stevey]

Has anyone received this yet? Only I just spotted another seller, also based in Hayes. Sounds a little too good to be true, especially as they're accepting any offer.

 

[foxbat]

Has anyone received this yet? Only I just spotted another seller, also based in Hayes. Sounds a little too good to be true, especially as they're accepting any offer.

He's a drop-shipper. A very common tactic on ebay that allows Chinese sellers to list products that ship from the UK while undercutting actual UK sellers with UK overheads. Look at the business seller information in the listing...

 

[stevey]

He's a drop-shipper. A very common tactic on ebay that allows Chinese sellers to list products that ship from the UK while undercutting actual UK sellers with UK overheads. Look at the business seller information in the listing...

I'll have a go as well then, just waiting for him to accept my offer of £4 :thumb:

 

[Leon103]

******* I paid full price

 

[stevey]

I'll have a go as well then, just waiting for him to accept my offer of �£4 :thumb:

Offer was accepted this morning. (at 2am, bloody phone woke me up)

 

[Leon103]

Offer was accepted this morning. (at 2am, bloody phone woke me up)

They messaged me on Christmas day because I forgot to pay

 

[yeastinfection]

Zero feed back