Hydrometer vs Refractometer. This thread is archived. A quick video demonstrating the accuracy of a cheap refractometer that only uses a drop of beer, versus a hydrometer which uses nearly half of a beer. More items to explore. To get the actual percent, you must multiply the refractometer reading by your coolant's refractive index (on product data sheet). With most soluble oils the index is 1, so a refractometer reading of 5 multiplied by an index of 1 = 5% concentration. In the battle for engine coolant/ antifreeze concentration and freeze point protection level testers, the hydrometer accounts for roughly 75 percent of all units sold. Affilliate Disclosure: This site is owned and operated by EatnLunch Adventures, a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I'll help you pick what's best for you. I just got a refractometer and I'm testing it on a brew currently fermenting. Archived. Accuracy - the refractometer has to be recalibrated, using a hydrometer or by making a known solution with a scale. Well, I’ve said a lot, and there’s probably more I could say. ), Refractometers vs Hydrometers for Homebrewers, hydrometer temperature correction calculator. For these reasons, the refractometer has replaced the hydrometer as the preferred salinity measuring equipment. Log in. Sampling techniques is critical to hydrometer use. Or at least on their website. Close. Suck in coolant from the header tank; if there is a float, take a reading where the float breaks the liquid surface and convert to antifreeze strength on the hydrometer chart. Close. It only takes a couple drops to take a reading, which makes it fast and efficient. This is a hydrometer with a thermometer built right in. Inside the bottom of the wider portion is a small amount of metal which functions as a ballast (… But this is negated somewhat by the need to frequently recalibrate it. save . New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Understanding how a hydrometer and refractometer measure differently is critical when determining the right tool for each circumstance. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 4.8 out of 5 stars 157. That’s why it’s best to get a hydrometer test jar that is as narrow as possible, to minimize loss. Help you understand the balance of your beer and how it can be improved if necessary. Propylene Glycol cannot be read with a hydrometer due to the fact that up to 70% concentration specific gravity increases, but above 70% specific gravity decreases. 7 7. These readings can be quite far apart and we should be aware of that and the reasons behind it. ABN Deluxe Antifreeze and Coolant Tester Hydrometer Tester – Automotive Antifreeze Tester for Ethylene Glycol Coolant. You may want to use a, Takes only a drop or two for each reading – this minimizes wort loss per-sample, Temperature correction is not usually required due to the almost immediate cooling of a single drop of wort. Certain hydrometers work only on ethylene glycol-based antifreeze (which is green in color). Using this site means you are cool with this! Posted by 6 years ago. 8. *Check your coolant's technical data sheet to determine where your coolant will read on the Brix Scale. Or have found that one works better than the other? Of course, there are exceptions, and many hydrometers and refractometers display more than one scale. What you want to learn more about me? Previous page. Does anyone have pluses or minuses for either one? On the other hand, a hydrometer is used to measure the Specific Gravity of your wine or beer. Your coolant should have a refractometer "ratio" right on the sticker. Hydrometers are calibrated to be accurate when measuring a solution at a specific temperature. I’ve also got my hands on their latest product, a thermo-hydrometer. What is a Hydrometer (and how does it work? Makes you feel like a super-cool scientist using one. hide. While I do recommend that a beginning brewer would probably be better off starting with a hydrometer, I think it’s pretty common to eventually end up using both. Read the review if you want to know what a good hydrometer looks like. share. Each of these readings can (and should) be recorded in your brewing log or smartphone app, if it has that capability. A refractometer is another tool used to measure sugar content of your beer, but in a different way than the hydrometer. Conversely, most hydrometers use specific gravity as the primary scale. Use an antifreeze hydrometer. The only real downside for me regarding hydrometers is the sample size. Calculate the alcohol content of your brew. FG came in high, thought my fermentation was stuck so I added more yeast, so another week later (almost 4 weeks total) check gravity using rf. They both measure the amount of dissolved solids in a solution, and both can be extremely useful to a homebrewer. Been … However, many semi-synthetics, synthetics, grinding fluids, and some soluble oils can have a refractive index from 1.5 to 3. Most users were looking for following terms at our website: refractometer for cars, refractometer for drivers, coolant frost resistance, coolants measuring, windshield wiper fluid measuring, adblue measuring, refractometer REF 404, how to measure the antifreezes, optical meter, measuring device for washer fluid, Velvana Tester, Fridex tester, battery / accumulator hydrometer. Does a hydrometer ever go out of calibration? I hope this information was helpful to you, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to get notified every time I post a new article, recipe, or review! report. From time to time Clients contact us with a question relating to the different readings obtained when using both a Refractometer and a floating SG Hydrometer in the same liquid. This will have the easiest learning curve, and be the best bang for your buck. Refractometer vs Hydrometer - How to Choose (and Use). Jul 31, 2011 #1 Whats up all? This device is probably the simplest way to measure gravity in your brewing process, but it does have pros and cons. The time came on that first batch to check FG, which I was convinced wouldn’t be accurate at all. Hydrometer vs Refractometer. You might think these are tools used for the same purpose, and because of that, that one is more accurate than the other. As I mentioned, the reason to use any of these devices is to determine the gravity of your wort or beer. Can be fragile – make sure to pick a high quality kit (like the. Hydrometers only work for the ethylene glycol based antifreeze coolant. Hey everyone, relative newbie here to the reefing world. Your email address will not be published. The most basic tool for measuring the specific gravity of wort is the Hydrometer. Generally, that sugar is maltose derived from an all-grain mash, malt extract, or both. Reliable sugar bush performance and maple production can be easily accomplished with a hydrometer or a refractometer. I still used my hydrometer to compare. Knowing your gravity at certain steps (like pre- or post-boil) can also help you decide whether you need to take corrective action to meet your target gravity. Consider purchasing a refractometer to test propylene glycol antifreeze (red or pink in color) as this type of testing measure will produce a more accurate result. Its sole purpose in life is to accurately measure the Specific Gravity (SG) of your wort or beer. A 100% solution reads identical to a 40% solution. Know with certainty when fermentation has stopped or is finished. And that’s mostly true. 7 1 17. comments. save. This will give you more insight into both future and past batches, and help you become a more consistent brewer. Typically measures in Brix or Plato – requires conversion to get SG (standard Gravity), Once fermentation has begun, the alcohol present in the beer will skew the results. Brix can be easily converted to specific gravity, but it is an extra step. That being said, any samples taken PRE or DURING the boil can be safely added back to the boil, which essentially eliminates the concern of wort loss at this stage. A refractometer measures the amount of sugar in solution by measuring the amount of refraction (or bending) of light as it passes through the wort sample. Cool! Here is my take on refractometer vs hydrometer which was posted on the Mead topic. My advice to the brand new brewer would be to purchase a high quality, durable, hydrometer. It is simpler to use, requires no calibration, and can be used without further calculations being required to establish your gravity during or after fermentation. Refractometer vs Hydrometer - MAJOR ISSUES! Refractometer vs. hydrometer. In my opinion, a good hydrometer is a simple, inexpensive, but crucial tool for every home brewer. 4.7 out of 5 stars 104. Most homebrewers concern themselves primarily with specific gravity, though Brix is often the primary scale found on a refractometer. report. Sort by. Question. 4.5 out of 5 stars 381. Trying to decide which one I should get. There is a printed scale inside the hydrometer. I’ve been an avid Homebrewer for a number of years now, have won numerous awards, and have even had one of my recipes brewed commercially. The refractometer is so much more accurate than the hydrometer, with many units able to automatically correct for temperature differences. Simply put, a refractometer does the same job as a hydrometer. The printed scale tells you the reading where the top of the liquid meets the hydrometer. Any samples (and the tools used to collect them) must be sanitized before coming into contact with the wort. Having a good refractometer is especially helpful during your actual brew day. As I mentioned, the reason to use any of these devices is to I highly recommend the hydrometer kits from Brewing America, as noted in my recent review. Antifreeze Refractometer - 3-in-1 coolant Tester for Checking Freezing Point, Concentration of Ethylene Glycol or Propylene Glycol Based Automobile Antifreeze Coolant and Battery Acid Condition. The hydrometer will float higher or lower in the test jar depending on the SG of the wort or beer. A refractometer is a little more expensive than a hydrometer but it still won’t break the bank. Essentially the correlation of SG: RI is dependent on the calibrating sugar. A hydrometer functions by displacing liquid based on its own density and measuring the amount of liquid it displaces. In fact, they are very different instruments. Refractometers and test strips round out the field. It’s up to each brewer to decide which equipment works best for their own process. Throughout my homebrewing ‘career’, I’ve done TONS of research, which I’m now happy to share with you! I brewed a winter lager, used a refractometer, OG was close to target, although felt like should of been higher given I added 1lb brewers crystals not in recipe. ), What is a Refractometer (and how does it work? The amount of dissolved sugars in your wort can be expressed as degrees Plato, Brix, or as Specific Gravity. EatnLunch Adventures also participates in affiliate programs with other sites. take hydrometer readings and RI readings to create a scale as the fermentation proceeds. $23.99 Next page. My hydrometer is telling me the gravity is 1.046, but the refractometer is reading 12.4brix (which translates to 1.050). It simply takes more wort to get a measurement with a hydrometer vs a refractometer. There are a few times during and after a brew day you might want to check your gravity: About Specific Gravity: Pure water has a gravity of 1.000. And really, buy a cheapie, make up a "sample" in a gatorade bottle and use that as your baseline, who cares what the units are. $24.95 ITEQ Brake Fluid Liquid Tester Pen with 5 LED Indicators, Calibrated For DOT3 DOT4 Brake Fluid. Which one do I trust? Thread starter Mpavlik22; Start date Jul 31, 2011; Help Support Homebrew Talk: Mpavlik22 Well-Known Member. EatnLunch Adventures is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. This is done by taking a reading using plain water, and using the calibration knob to reset the visual reading to zero. It's my duty to inform you that I use cookies on this site to ensure the best possible user experience. In this video I talk about a coolant refractometer I recently picked up after realizing it's the only real way to keep the coolant mix right . Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 . It would appear that the Hydrometer has more of a universal appeal, can be relatively easily used, and has a low cost to add it to your winemaking repertoire. Is there one or the other that anyone would suggest getting first? Which do you prefer or recommend? Gauge whether you are hitting the targets set for your recipe. By ReefDoc22, April 9, 2017 in Beginners Discussion. Using an automotive antifreeze hydrometer to check your vehicle’s coolant level is a relatively simple task. Refractometers use the refraction of light to determine the amount of sugar. Precision - as long as temp is about 70f the hydrometer will be more reliable since it is based on a large sample and uses density. For accuracy then it would be necessary to create a scale based upon the wort being processed i.e. Hydrometer vs Refractometer. A hydrometer is basically a tall, skinny tube with a weighted bulb at the bottom. Archived. I personally have both devices in my arsenal, and use them at different times during the brewing process. I measured SG using both tools and, sure enough, they were remarkably different. 91% Upvoted. Some have a "Refractometer Factor" which you multiply the scale reading by to obtain the value in percent. I love the refractometer’s need for only a couple of drops to get a reading. share. And I do NOT recommend returning hydrometer samples to the fermenter. Also, a wort correction factor should be used. $8.19 Century Chemical TF-1 Heat Transfer Fluid. While both the Hydrometer and Refractometer can tell winemakers much the same information, there are some practical considerations to be made in employing their use. On the surface, one might be forgiven for thinking that a refractometer does the same job as a hydrometer. This is true whether you use a refractometer OR a hydrometer. Don’t go the cheap-o route. I recently updated my. I have a Brix scale refractometer, my coolant ratio is … I’ve been there, and had numerous bad experiences. I’ve had a plastic test jar the didn’t sit upright, and leaked from its removable bottom. As far as using a refractometer pre-fermentation, I was sold, it was so easy and accurate. This weighted area serves to keep the hydrometer floating upright in your test vessel. Posted by 4 years ago. Refractometer vs. hydrometer. I just got done brewing a Pale Ale (all grain). Difference between hydrometers and refractometers. This is accomplished by floating the hydrometer inside a narrow cylinder filled with your wort. Requires a relatively large sample size – choose a hydrometer kit with a narrow test jar to minimize wort loss. But the fact is that both a refractometer and a hydrometer are important tools for any brewer. I’ve had cheap glass hydros that broke with the tiniest bump. 32 Related Question Answers Found How does a hydrometer work? • Sampling technique is critical in hydrometer use. 11 comments. Hydrometer reading vs Refractometer reading. hide. The general “truth” that more dense liquids have greater Refractive Indexes (i.e. If there are balls, the numbers and colours floating show the strength;check the instructions. If you look at the bottom of a hydrometer, there is typically a wide portion of the body at the bottom and a tapered portion of the body at the top. Click Here to View the Thermometer & Hydrometer Test Kit, http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/, Beers from Around the World: Imported Beers Worth Trying, Your 2020 Gift Guide for the Avid Homebrewer, Polaris: Germany’s High Alpha Special Flavor Hop. I just got a refractometer and decided to try it out. Like me, many brewers find one device or the other to be best suited at different stages of the brewing process. Refractometer vs Hydrometer. A 100% solution reads identical to a 40%. A common OG for a beer might be 1.050, which would be 5% more dense than water. The major benefit of the refractometer over the hydrometer is accuracy. • Hydrometers only work for Ethylene Glycol based coolant/antifreeze. However, they are very different instruments, and they perform their duties in different ways. Refractometer: Much more accurate vs. a Hydrometer hands down. In homebrewing, the dissolved substance that contributes to gravity is sugar. Joined Apr 5, 2011 Messages 311 Reaction score 2 Location Pittsburgh. Reply to this topic; Start new topic; Recommended Posts. Refractometer vs Hydrometer - MAJOR ISSUES! Propylene glycol cannot be read with a hydrometer due to the fact that up to 70% concentration specific gravity increases, but above 70% specific gravity decrease. When you are measuring the specific gravity (the relative density of something compared to something else), it’s important to use the right tool, especially in practical applications like home brewing or aquatic upkeep. By holding the device’s eyepiece up to your eye and facing a light source, you can see a blue and white display that indicates (usually in Brix) the gravity of your wort. Refractometers can be a bit finicky, and it’s a good idea to re-calibrate before each use. ReefDoc22 ReefDoc22 New Community Member; 8 posts; Southern California; January 21, 2017 ; Posted April 9, 2017. And why? Once fermentation has begun, however, you must take care to use proper sanitization when drawing samples. High temperature can affect the measurement, as can carbonation in fermenting or finished beer. I mentioned previously that I use both a hydrometer and a refractometer in my current process. If I had to make a recommendation to a starting brewer, I would suggest starting off with a high quality hydrometer kit. Engine Coolant Testing Posted 2/7/2001 By Michael Reimer Why use a refractometer? Select a scale that will read your target value, but … In many cases, you actually have two tools to choose from: a refractometer and a hydrometer. A refractometer measures the amount of sugar in your solution via “refraction” of light, when it passes through the wort sample. Hydrometer vs Refractometer.