Plato refractometer?

[Lachlan McLean]

Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a refractometer that measures in degrees Plato?

Thanks,

Lachlan

[GlacierBrewing]

Ebay is always a good source.

Also try Cynmar, Inc.

Prost!
Dave

[pennbrew2]

If you mean one that reads in Plato as opposed to Brix, I don't know that there is one. But the difference between Plato and Brix is minor, certainly within the margin of error for reading a refractometer. So don't worry about it.

Lots of the usual places sell refractometers, Crosby & Baker, GW Kent, morebeer.com, etc.

---Guy

[beertje46]

If you mean one that reads in Plato as opposed to Brix, I don't know that there is one. But the difference between Plato and Brix are minor, certainly within the margin of error for reading a refractometer. So don't worry about it.

Lots of the usual places sell refractometers, Crosby & Baker, GW Kent, morebeer.com, etc.

---Guy

I'm not familiar with a plato refractometer either. The difference IS minor as Guy states: 4 degree Brix = 3.846 degree plato, approximately or maybe I have it backward.

[grs]

The table says at the bottom that Brix * 1.04 = Plato. Is that right? My copy of Promash seems to be the other way around where Plato * 1.04 = Brix.

[beertje46]

The table says at the bottom that Brix * 1.04 = Plato. Is that right? My copy of Promash seems to be the other way around where Plato * 1.04 = Brix.

My ProMash says the same as yours. Refractometers are speedy field expediency not so much accuracy. As Guy (pennbrew2) said, the difference is minor, go with it. We;re talking .154 difference here. Everyone's eye is different. I may read 16 B and my partner will see 15.8. Always back-up your reading with a hydrometer when you have time to cool a sample.

[mic_mac]

related to this (the need to cool a sample to get an accurate reading) - one of the breweries I locum at has a couple of really handy hydrometers that work at 60C. They're made by Scots firm Stevenson Reeves - http://www.stevenson-reeves.co.uk/ (but I looked in their recent catalogue & couldn't see them).

Not having to wait for your copper or last runnings sample to cool is just great, if I can't get hold of them, I'll get a refractometer.

cheers,

Mike McGuigan

Betwixt Beer Co, Wirral, nr Livepool, UK
http://www.betwixtbeer.co.uk/

[Lachlan McLean]

Thanks for the replies. I know that Brix and Plato are similar. I don't want to "just go with it" because they are not exactly the same. (My bank account only differs from some other guy's account by one digit, so should I "just go with it" if he gets all my money? ) I already have several good handheld refractometers that measure in Brix. I was just hoping for something intended for brewing beer, not making fruit juice or wine. Oh, yeah... that table in the link is incorrect.

LM

[brewbong]

Zoinks,
seems to me folks used to make beer just fine by having someone sit on a bench w/wort on it, if they stuck it was good...
.04 difference means @ 25P you got a difference of 1 SG.

[beertje46]

Yep. I've always thought using a refractometer WAS a "just go with it", down & dirty, field expedient, I don't have time to chill a sample but where the hell does my sweet liquor stand now approach.

Fruit juice, sugar water, wine, beer, whatever. A hand-held refractometer, no matter what scale it reads, is for approximation. Because it uses refraction and the human eye it will never be more than that. My two cents worth, your mileage WILL vary.



(I always thought it would be cool to be the sticky pants guy.)

[Lachlan McLean]

Bong, some brewers brewed without pants, too. What do you you think got stuck to the bench?

David, I appreciate that everything is an approximation regarding refractometers. But 16.6* Brix is not 16.6* Plato, and I don't like to pretend that it is. Yeah, brewers used to do a lot of things that were approximations, but I like to have a high level of consistency from batch to batch, and we use degrees Plato. I don't like having to pull out a conversion table or go to the computer- I just want a refractometer that reads in degrees Plato. I guess no one makes one, or someone would know about it.

LM

[beertje46]

Bong, some brewers brewed without pants, too. What do you you think got stuck to the bench?

David, I appreciate that everything is an approximation regarding refractometers. But 16.6* Brix is not 16.6* Plato, and I don't like to pretend that it is. Yeah, brewers used to do a lot of things that were approximations, but I like to have a high level of consistency from batch to batch, and we use degrees Plato. I don't like having to pull out a conversion table or go to the computer- I just want a refractometer that reads in degrees Plato. I guess no one makes one, or someone would know about it.

LM

You are correct, Brix is not plato. And yes, I use Plato for all my recordings and we are all in this business to achieve a high level consistency else we are out of work.

You are missing my point which is; It is not the scale of an instrument that makes its use an approximation, it's the instrument (refractometer) that makes the reading an approximation. If you are using a refractometer to measure anything it doesn't matter what scale it is in, it is still an approximation and doesn't contribute anything to consistency.

[chantal]

Digital or hand-held Refractomers has accuracy of +/- 0.2% of reading.

[beertje46]

Digital or hand-held Refractomers has accuracy of +/- 0.2% of reading.

I'd buy that from a non-hand held unit.

[Lachlan McLean]

My apologies, Dave. I never saw anything in any of your posts regarding consistency before you actually told me I was missing your point! A handheld refractometer is great during wort collection to see what's still coming out of the grain, without having to grab a flask and hydrometer every couple of minutes. We're all on the same team here, right? Brewers need to make a great product, just like you said, or else we're sunk. I just want a refractometer that measures in degrees Plato. That's all. Beers are on me tonight.

LM