Customer Reviews

Don't judge by the pics Review by Lee

Rating

As it's been mentioned before, the scales are not accurate in the pictures. However, the actual refractometer's scales are correct (mine reads 1.084 at 20, not 1.078). As with all refractometers, the ATC doesn't do anything - I get very different readings at 60, 70 & 80 degrees. I find it's very accurate if you get it with 3 or 4 degrees of the calibration temp, but no more than that. (Posted on 4/1/13)

Good for the money Review by Daniel

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As a poster below noted you can find this much cheaper . .try $35 cheaper elsewhere on the web though be patient with shipping =)

To get it calibrated use distilled water and bring adjustment screw to 0 brix/ 1.000 sg . . . simple as that. Use the chart included to temp correct but check more than once to be sure. This is the best way to avoid losing precious wort and beer. (Posted on 8/9/12)

Better prices elsewhere Review by Matthew

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Bought this and then found out you can find this exact same refractometer for a good $15 less (incl. shipping) if you shop elsewhere online... (Posted on 7/22/12)

inaccurate conversion? Review by Anonymousbrew

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i'm a little confused by the conversion from Brix/SG. I cant however find a calculator that gives me the same conversion at higher gravities as this tool. (ie - 20 = 1083 vs 1078).

I''m worried that i'm getting inaccurate readings through some ranges. I'm sure maybe one side is accurate - but which one? the whole reason i bought it was so i wouldnt have to do the calculations between Brix and SG - but with all the calculators i'm using, i'm geting 1-2 off in the low range up to 6 off at 20 brix.

thoughts?
(Posted on 2/10/12)

Wrong scale Review by Dane

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I've been having odd results in my brews for months after buying this refractometer, and relying on the SG scale. The SG scale on this device is completely wrong. Looking at the pictures above, the device shows that 20% Brix is equal to 1.077 SG. Using the calculator at the link provided in the product details states that it should be 1.083 SG, which follows every equation I've been able to find. Why is this so far off the mark!? (Posted on 12/11/11)

unique refractometer Review by Nina Zhang

This is an unique refractometer,with both brix and Specific Gravity,it use very convenient. (Posted on 5/4/11)

Fantastic Review by Eric

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Works great for taking readings during the boil to help hit your target gravity. Just be sure to take a couple of readings and stir between them - I've seen a lot of difference between two samples taken within seconds of each other. (Posted on 4/29/11)

Cool toy! Review by Matthew

Rating

I like the minimal amount of wort sampling needed for this. Saves on beer and the possibility of contaminant exposure.

I also found this great link if you also want to try to use this for F.G. readings:

http://seanterrill.com/2010/07/20/toward-a-better-refractometer-correlation/

(Posted on 11/11/10)

Awesome for wort sampling Review by Hooch

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Great for knowing when you should stop boiling, by checking your OG before shutting the burners off. And when to stop sparging too, by following the stop at 1.012 rule. Love my new toy! Thanks guys for carrying this in SG scale. (Posted on 9/10/10)

A great product Review by Jeff

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For general homebrewing use this product works great. Having the Brix scale as well as SG units is handy. It is quality made and should hold up to regular use. I wouldn't stuff this in my pocket or throw it around, but for brewing every weekend or so, it is accurate and worth the price. Tired of breaking hydrometers? This is a great solution. Only needing a couple of drops is a great advantage over hydrometers as well. (Posted on 7/8/10)

Awesome! Review by The Power

I used this for the first time today. It makes a huge difference. It's incredibly easy to read. Just read off the scale. I always had problems with the hydrometer due to foam, meniscus and plus it always seemed that the hydrometer would "stick" to the side of the test container. With this, I just put a couple of drops on it and read the number off the scale. Very simple and clear. Plus I could take a few drops today while I was boiling and test. When I hit my target gravity, I just turned off the burner. The past several brews, I've boiled too long and overshot gravity and had to top off with water. Which wastes, propane, time and introduces the potential for contamination from the top off water.

I thought this would only be useful on brew say since introducing alcohol during the ferment can throw off the reading. But More Beer has a spreadsheet available at http://morebeer.com/learn_vids/vids_refract that takes that into account.

(Posted on 5/2/10)