Pocket Refractors, any good?

[jodrell]

Brew UK sells a Pocket Refractor http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/refractor.html (or would if they were in stock) to replace hydrometers.

I've got a couple of questions.
1) does anyone else sell these? (a search I've done comes up empty)
2) does anyone on here use them and are they any good?

 

[Muddydisco]

Yes and Yes.
Index Instruments sell them, Yes they are good, easy quick samples whilst brewing no need for 200ml samples to do a Hydro reading just a drip or two. Look for a range of 0-18 Brix for normal ales, 0-32 brix for larger OG's Or even Better Both :)
There's plenty of convertors on line from Brix to Og points. About time the Forum had one I think :whistle:

 

[Sean_Mc]

Wouldn't be without mine when sparging, I bought a 0-32 brix off Ebay for under £20 delivered

 

[jodrell]

Oh wow...eBay is packed with them isn't it...well that's that sorted. Thanks guys :-)

 

[mr_spin]

another fan here - really helps make things simpler with the constant readings needed.

 

[dennisking]

Could never go back to a hydro now, like Sean mine was
around £20 from flea-bay. First few beers I double checked
with the hydro and it was spot on.

 

[Aleman]

just remember that you can't use a refractometer directly on fermenting wort . . .you need to use a calculator to get fermenting wort gravity . . .fine for unfermented wort though . . .I have a 0-20% Brix one and it is indispensible

 

[jodrell]

OK, so I can use it before and after fermentation but not during (is that first and secondary?) . . . is there somewhere you can point me towards to find a decent calculator for use during?

 

[Muddydisco]

Do you use any brewing software? Beersmith has one built in?

 

[mr_spin]

alternatively if you have an android or Iphone/ipod then there are some great apps that have refractometer calcs

I use Brewzor Pro on my android phone.

 

[jodrell]

nope, no software (I'm still fairly new at this)...I run a Mac so Beersmith won't work as it seems to be Windows only. Any other recommendations?

 

[dan_loves_beer]

Beer alchemy is MAC software. It has some nice features, but it doesn't have all the calculators, unless I just haunt found them yet...

 

[Muddydisco]

Took some finding but found this, http://brew.stderr.net/refractometer.html Aleman posted it a while back in another thread about Refractometers :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

You can only use a refractometer directly on unfermented wort . . .once it has alcohol in it there are complex formulae to use to 'correct' the reading to take into account the fact that Alcohol is also optically active.

 

[dennisking]

Took some finding but found this, http://brew.stderr.net/refractometer.html Aleman posted it a while back in another thread about Refractometers :thumb:

This is the same one I use, it has facilities for fermenting and unfermented wort

 

[Grumpy Hobbit]

Beer alchemy is MAC software. It has some nice features, but it doesn't have all the calculators, unless I just haunt found them yet...

I have this but use it on an iphone, its a great app.

Great for using when no computer around and when I want to check something quickly during a brew day.

Could never go back to a hydrometer now, refractometer is so quick and easy and less hassle.

 

[kebabman]

I have just had a look at the link that Muddy Disco posted and when I enter a figure of 13.9 Brix it gives a reading of 1056 OG. Since I bought my refractometer recently, I have been using the refractometer calculator included in The Beer Engine software which gives a reading of 1054.
Which software is correct please?

The section for converting Brix during fermentation, assuming that I have entered the neccessary figures correctly, gives a FG of 1005 from a brix of 6.2 which seems way too low whilst The Beer Engine gives a more likely 1016 for my strong beer.

 

[hairybiker]

Reading this got me thinking about them, I didn't fancy the manually changing of units and found this one (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260735806761&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT) that has OG on the scale alone with brix.
What do you guys think about it?

 

[jodrell]

My refractometer arrived ready for when I got home last night. Simple to calibrate, and much easier to use then a hydrometer...why didn't I get one of these ages ago?!?

 

[screamlead]

Heres a couple of pics that may be useful to peeps who dont have the Brix-SG conversion on their refractometers - i just printed them out and laminated them for reference.

This one is a little clearer -

Cheers Scream :thumb: