Refractometer Readings

A refractometer

Here is a refractometer. The drop of the wort is placed on the glass (top of the picture) and the eye piece is at the bottom of the picture. The reading is viewed through there.

In order to measure the density and conversion of fermentable sugars while brewing, a refractometer can be used to measure the original gravity of the wort.

You can use a hydrometer also but this would require taking around 10 oz. of the boiling wort, letting it cool down so an accurate reading can be taken.  If you take a reading as soon as you remove your boiling sample, your reading will not be correct. The sample requires some time to wait for it to cool so an accurate reading can be done.  And by that time, the wort that is still boiling in the pot will be at a different gravity.

refractometer

This is the view through the eye piece of a refractometer.

But by taking a small amount of the boiling wort (about a table-spoon which will cool quickly) you can get a fast reading and see if your wort is close to the original gravity.  If it is, you can shut off the burner and start cooling the wort.

Below, is the conversion list from the BRIX to the Specific Gravity.

 

BRIX Specific Gravity
1 1.004
2 1.008
3 1.012
4 1.016
5 1.020
6 1.024
7 1.028
8 1.032
9 1.036
10 1.040
11 1.044
12 1.049
13 1.053
14 1.057
15 1.061
16 1.065
17 1.070
18 1.074
19 1.079
20 1.083
21 1.088
22 1.092
23 1.097
24 1.101
25 1.106
26 1.111
27 1.115
28 1.120
29 1.125
30 1.129
31 1.134
32 1.139