Improve brewing consistency with a refractometer.

Consistency between batches is one of the most difficult things for a home brewer using an all-grain system to achieve. A hydrometer will accurately measure specific gravity in the raw wort or unfermented beer. A hydrometer is a simple and inexpensive piece of equipment, but it has two drawbacks. First, a sample large enough to float the hydrometer, usually about 500 milliliters, must be taken from the batch and discarded after testing. The second issue is that the sample must be cooled to 68 degrees Fahrenheit for an accurate reading. A refractometer can reduce waste and save time.

Instructions

1Raise the plastic cover over the refractometer's glass window. Clean the surface of the glass with a soft, lint-free cloth. Close the cover.

2Take a sample of your wort. Dip the end of a drinking straw no more than 1/2 inch under the surface of the wort, hold your thumb over the upper end of the straw to form a vacuum, and remove the sample from the brewing vessel.

3Hold the end of the straw over the notch at the end of the plastic cover over the refractometer's glass window. Pinch the sides of the straw until the space between the cover and the window are filled with liquid.

4Aim the glass window toward a light source, and look through the refractometer's eyepiece. Your reading will be the number on the line dividing the blue and clear segments.

5Change the reading from Brix scale to specific gravity in hundredths by multiplying your reading by four. If your reading is 15, multiply 15 by four, and your specific gravity is 1.060. The Brix scale is used on all off-the-shelf refractometers sold by brewer's supply houses.