Pictured: Portable-Beer-Wort-and-Wine-Refractometer-Dual-Scale-Specific-Gravity-and-Brix

It’s my opinion that most of the economy, non lab grade refractometers are probably manufactured by a handful of makers.  Or at the very least, the manufacturers are producing units of similar quality.  You could easily pay $60 at one retailer and $20 for the same unit via another retailer.

For under $30, do not expect a lab or commercial grade unit.  However, I have purchased three different economy model refractometers and have been happy with each of them.

This is also a nice find for our international readers as it seems that many offerings include free or reasonable shipping to non-US addresses.

For me, getting a refractometer 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! 🙂

With the aid of calculators – get a Free Non-Expiring Brewfather Trial Account –  Refractometers can be used to measure gravity throughout the brewing process.

eBay is, generally speaking, a good source for low cost refractometers.

Look for… Dual Scale (both brix and gravity), ATC (automatic temperature correction) and a good seller rating.  Carrying cases are also nice, but not 100% necessary.

This search – searches for buy it now, dual scale refractometer that ship for free.  If you find a specific model/seller that works well for you, leave a comment on this post or submit a tip

If you’re looking for a higher quality unit, check out Vee Gee, Milwaukee Instruments, Atago and Misco – those links are all Amazon searches to get you started.  Verify specs and features.

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