11 Mar
2005
11 Mar
'05
12:43 p.m.
Andy:
Alcohol corrupts the reading of refractometers and they can't be used to
assess TG. (Visual properties of alcohol are different from those of
water/wort.) Sorry to disappoint you, but you'll have to use a good
old-fashioned hydrometer for that. (Either that or a pycnometer, but you
don't want to go there unless you have a scale that is precise to
hundredths of a gram.)
The refractomerter is still great for OGs and assessing yield from the
mash.
Cheers,
Ray Daniels
Director, Craft Beer Marketing
Brewers Association
ray(a)brewersassociation.org
773-665-1300 Chicago Office
303-447-0816 x125 Boulder Office
or 312-203-8383 cell
As of January 1, 2005 we are officially the "Brewers Association."
Please note the new name and email address.
-----Original Message-----
From: Chicago Beer Society Home Brewer List
[mailto:CBS-HB@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU] On Behalf Of Andrew R. Smith
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 10:50 AM
To: CBS-HB(a)LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
Subject: Plato / Brix
Question:
Are the Plato and Brix scales interchangeable? Everything
I've read so far says that they are, but I'm running into
contradictions.
Using my new, automatic temp compensation refractometer,
calibrated with distilled water, I get a reading of ~ 6 Brix
on a Paulaner Munich Lager (which should have a final gravity
~ 3 deg Plato). So, the obvious conclusions I'm coming up
with are that either the scales are not completely
interchangeable, my new refractometer is a dud, or I'm using
my new refractometer incorrectly.
I've got a Tripel that's been in the secondary for more than
a month and has been hovering at ~ 9 Brix for the last two
weeks (measured using the same technique as above). I've
been reluctant to bottle it because Promash tells me that it
should be ~ 3 deg Plato at FG. If the scales are
interchangeable, I've got a slow/stuck fermentation. If they
aren't, I might be able to get on with my brewing life and
package my beer.
Any help out there?
Thanks a ton,
Andy Smith