Homebrew Finds: Refractometer with ATC

Friday, August 17, 2012

Refractometer with ATC - $31.39 Shipped

Refractometer with with automatic temperature correction, 0-32 Brix. At $31.39 Shipped, this is a great deal.

Great for the testing the amount of sugars and dissolved solids in Fruits, Vegetables and Grasses
Used in wine and Beer making to get just the right concentration of sugars
Built-in automatic temperature Compensation system from 0 to 30 degrees C
Gives accurate readings with as little as 2 drops of solution per test
Brix (sugar) range of 0 to 32 brix

For me, this was one of those upgrades that made a lot of difference. With a refractometer you need a sample size of two drops. I figured that this would pay for itself in beer savings alone. I also had just broken my hydrometer and came to the realization that hydrometers are made of breakable glass that can break! :)

Refractometers can be used to measure gravity throughout the brewing process. Check out Sean Terrill's Refractometer Calculator. He also has a spreadsheet version available on his excellent refractometer FG blog post. I've also included this formula (with permission) in my brewing spreadsheet.

You can also estimate the alcohol content of your beer if you forget to take an OG with the use of a refractometer and a hydrometer. Take a looks at the Tips Page for more on that.