very true, but i thought this was a feeler thread. maybe i was mistaken dunno... (and honestly i think it was a good one!
)
Well $h!t ...
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very true, but i thought this was a feeler thread. maybe i was mistaken dunno... (and honestly i think it was a good one!
)
Really?! The graduations are 0.2Bx, no?
maybe i should learn to focus it? the meniscus is like .5...but i just use my MA871....
OP
OP
bellhp
Well-Known Member
I appreciate ALL the discussion and everyone's input I tallied responses above and I've decided to repurchase a hydrometer and will get a Fermtech Thief for pulling samples . Haven't ordered it yet because I had to walk away from computer after filling my cart with more junk to try to get to the free shipping threshold 
. I'm heading to sea tomorrow anyway so I won't need it till I get back from offshore .
I may get a refractometer as well for pre boil/fermentation but it will likely be a cheap one , I've got one that measures salinity for my reef tank and It's not fancy and has worked well .
Thanks
. I'm heading to sea tomorrow anyway so I won't need it till I get back from offshore .I may get a refractometer as well for pre boil/fermentation but it will likely be a cheap one , I've got one that measures salinity for my reef tank and It's not fancy and has worked well .
Thanks
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
My cheapo Chinese refractometer is a special "homebrewing-dedicated" one and it has two scales: Brix and Standard Gravity. It's a miracle, but the SG scale is very precise, often it reads exactly what my hydrometer reads for the same wort, no need in Brix convertion, even.
I guess, it's not because of the high quality of the tool but just by chance, a coincidence, a play of nature, a fault-turned-lucky. Because sometimes the readings differ wildly with no apparent reason. Statistically, the refractometer readings are true more often than not, but as long as the swings are unpredictable, there's no point in using it when I have to re-check the reading with a hydrometer every time.
I guess, it's not because of the high quality of the tool but just by chance, a coincidence, a play of nature, a fault-turned-lucky. Because sometimes the readings differ wildly with no apparent reason. Statistically, the refractometer readings are true more often than not, but as long as the swings are unpredictable, there's no point in using it when I have to re-check the reading with a hydrometer every time.
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I always measure with refractometer, std hydrometer and one of two expanded scale (one for OG one for FG) hydrometers. I can't help it.
Now excuse me because I see there's some carpet fringe that's not quite lined up North/South in the living room.
Now excuse me because I see there's some carpet fringe that's not quite lined up North/South in the living room.
You can use a 2-3' piece of skinny vinyl hose, snaked through the airlock hole. Keep the end of the hose that's outside the fermenter near the bottom level of your fermenter, to prevent beer from flowing back. Then suck-siphon out your sample into a large cup.
When you have collected enough, pull the hose out of the fermenter, quickly, so nothing flows back.
Use good sanitation practices, and maybe train with a bucket of water.
The big advantage is, you don't need to remove the fermenter's lid, so the headspace only gets minimally disturbed.
If you use a refractometer, you'd only need to retrieve one drop, by just dipping in that same hose.
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bellhp
Well-Known Member
Well $h*t again ... you don't like the Thief idea Now I'm 10 bucks farther away from the free shipping ... guess I'm heading back to Amazon .
Now I'm 10 bucks farther away from the free shipping ... guess I'm heading back to Amazon .
No need to spend $40-60 on a refractometer from MoreBeer either. A $20-25 from Amazon is probably the same or just as good. Although... I don't know about the current ones.Well $h*t again ... you don't like the Thief idea
Maybe someone can point you to a verified good one.
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I've had good and bad luck with the $20 AMZ ones. My first was awesome. My second wouldn't behave unless I was within an ambient temp range of about 66F-71F. My third one is much better, but the first one was way better.
It just did not care for, nor recover from, my fumbling hand induced gravitational event with subsequent boiling wort bath immersion.
[Edit: the beer was not harmed in the event. I know everyone was wondering.]
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
If you do get a refractometer, look for one with a LED light. I've thought about getting one of those for myself, but don't know which ones are the good ones. I think you can even buy the light by itself to add to a current one. That would come in handy in low light.
