Hydrometers & Refractometers

A precision hydrometer is a brew day essential. Measuring the Original Gravity of your wort and the Final Gravity of your beer with a hydrometer will not only help determine the ABV, but also give you valuable insight into the health of your brewing yeast and the effectiveness of your overall beer fermentation process.

A Refractometer can provide similar results but requires a smaller sample of liquid than a hydrometer. All Grain brewers will find that especially helpful as a refractometer can be used to sample the mash runoff into your brew kettle in order to measure mash efficiency and sugar extraction. However, for measuring Final Gravity with a refractometer, a special calculator is required once alcohol is present in the beer. We offer a Refractometer Calculator here.

For helpful tips on how to boost the ABV of your homebrew, watch our video Boosting Gravity: How to Increase the ABV of Homebrew (AND Maintain Balance).