Don't Use and ALCOHOL REFRACTOMETER for Homebrew!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- The Alcohol Refractometer is supposed to read ABV from 0 to 80%. Let's test that. Many people have asked us to check these out. These are NOT to be confused with a brix or specific gravity refractometer!
Want to Learn ANYTHING online? skillshare.eqc...
Black Briar Mead: • Skyrim Black Briar Mea...
Leftover Step Feed Mead: • Leftover HONEY? MAKE ...
Acermethecyserglin: • Acermethecyserglin - M...
Refractometer + Hydrometer = ABV?: • Refractometer + Hydrom...
_____________________________________
Hydrometer Kit: amzn.to/48FdI1E
Specific Gravity Refractometer: amzn.to/3V4upAp
Fun T-shirts: city-steading....
You may notice we do not have a lot of sponsored products or sponsored ads in our videos! That's intentional. We have found most offered sponsorships are completely not appropriate to you, our audience, so we don't want to waste your time. What we actually do is offer you links to products we USE and BELIEVE in. We use the Amazon Affiliate Program for these links and we DO receive a small commission if you purchase using our links and all this comes at no additional cost to you!
_____________________________________
Become a City Steading VIP - Click to learn more
www.city-steadi...
_____________________________________
Want more City Steading?
Website: www.city-steadi...
Instagram: / citysteading
![[[OFFICIAL MV]] เอิ้นขวัญให้อ้าย- อ๊ะอาย สกุณาพร | ค่ายเพลงเป็นหนึ่ง](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/83x6L3X3qh0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for being the lighthouse to guard us from the rocky cliffs. I like the KISS principle... Keep It Simple Stupid. A floating glass tube is as simple as it gets.
As stated before it's for spirits. Whoever wrote the description dropped the ball. I have sg refractometer and high density ones for getting the actual sg/brix of honey and syrups. The reason it goes down to 0 is when you're running distillate many distillers test the above as they get into the "tails" where they are balancing the abv drop versus the flavor versus the funk. Depending on how low the funk level is you may collect distillate into very low abv👍🏾
Yup. We made the video because people were using it for wine and mead.
😂 Just as I expected; all over the place.
From my chemistry studies I can tell you anything dissolved will affect density, and therefore the refractive index, to some degree. Some, like sugar, will increase it. Others, like alcohol, will decrease.
As soon as multiple components are present in an unpredictable ratio all bets are off.
Great you took the time to test it. 👍🍻
Yeah, I pretty much expected that result.
Well said. This is 100% what I expected.
Great Video, gotta buy one of those Refractometers. thats like free alcohol in my brews ;)
LOL.
What you have is a tool for distillers. It's only accurate if you're measuring pure ethanol in pure water, anything else being in the solution will throw off the reading. There are other refractometers made for other purposes (like oil in water, used by machinists) but it would be impossible to make one for wine, mead, cider, or beer because they can contain have such a wide range of possible compounds.
Yes, was showing that, as MANY PEOPLE told us they use this to check the ABV of mead and wine.
This explanation explains a little more like this thank you
@@CitySteadingBrewsThanks for the response, I like your channel. I know when editing videos you have to cut a lot, so maybe this was originally clearer, but the message I got from this video was that refractometers are useless, not that they're wrongly being used for a purpose different from what they were designed for.
Very interesting. I just want to say thank you for this video. Instead of linking it anyway and just saying nothing, it shows that you care and really want to help people and cant with good conscience recommend it to your viewers. That says a lot, its very appreciated
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm using one to get the start sugar content and the end sugar content, and then using a formula to translate it to AbV. Checked it afterwards with the hydrometer and it was a match. Works well for me, a guy with a wineyard taught me a lot. But your videos started the whole journey through alcoholism 😂❤ kilju no. 2 is in the making 🎉
You're using a regular refractometer, not an alcohol one, I would bet. A regular refractometer may read brix or specific gravity, this one reads alcohol %.
I've used those while making beer with not issue compared with the hydrometer (I used both), the thing is, this measure the refraction of light proportional with the sugars and alcohol present in the wort, then measure again after fermentation but before adding anything else. Just like with a hydrometer.
Trying to calculate the ABV just like that won't work on mead, actually, I'm impressed in how near of the right reading were those measurements.
Ive been doing the method from your other video, cause im too much of a mad scientist who doesnt write anything down. Its just how my mind works. I didnt write the recipe down for my 2nd mead i did a couple months ago (a triple berry maple one..) but i did for the 2 batches trying to recreate it.
But anyways you guys are by far my favorite to learn from.
Glad we could help!
I love your channel and Videos!! Binge watched for along time from the first few. I took your banana wine recipe that is awesome!!! And I mixed it up and put blueberries in the next one it's amazing.. keep up the fun and awesome channel
Cool! Thanks for watching!
Those are made for spirits I just bought a normal alcohol abv hydrometer for my spirits. They don't work once there is sugar present. Keep up the great job and as always great video
If it's only for spirits, why does it read 0-80%? I mean, I know it should only be used with spirits, but that's not what it says.
I don't know lol you would think it would work but it doesn't
I have a brix ver. I only use it on my from scratch beer wort. From memory they are ment for finding out the sugary potential. Not alcohol content.
Yes, as I said, different types of refractometers. This one is made to read ABV. The one you have reads density.
I used a refractometer to test the foam concentration in 2 aircraft firefighting trucks. You ALWAYS tested and zeroed it before using it. On my annual inspections by a certified fire equipment company I was within a quarter percent on my concentrations. The foam was alcohol based but I'd strongly recommend against drinking it. Wonder what the difference is? I don't think our refractometer cost much either. Been over a decade so the brand had faded from memory.
Another great video 👍.
I don't use the refractometers. The hydrometers don't have to be "calibrated", so they're kinda foolproof (I say that clenching my teeth😅). I kinda wonder if your meter is reading "proof" instead of percentage because if you double your ABV, it works out pretty close. Do refractometers read proof instead of percentage? Again, I don't use refractometers and don't know squat about them.
BTW, eleven days and the plum/apple cider went from 1.10 SG to 0.990, I did use Red star premiere clasique, so 14.8 abv is not outrageous. I'm gonna pasteurize and add more plums to lower the alcohol. I racked it to a pitcher and have three quarters of a gallon cold crashing 😊.
Thanks to your videos I'm having fun 😁👍❤️🙏.
It's supposed to be %, and it wasn't even really that consistently double.
I very recently made a batch of date mead with 6 gallons of water, 9 pounds "regular" honey, 9 pounds dates. Do you reckon the honey characteristics will come through? Did I overdo with the dates?
I was also thinking of adding some allspice, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in secondary. Reckon this could work?
I will also add some black tea, lime zest, adjust acidity and will backsweeten probably with honey. Taking inspiration from your previous recipes.
As of writing this, the mead has gone from an OG of 1.105 all the way down to 1.000 in just 5 days. Yeast seems to really dig dates...
Forgive me for the unrelated comment.
Oh, one more thing I wanted to ask... I don't really know what I should use to add acidity. I was thinking of lemon or lime juice, or just straight up citric acid. Any hunch on what could work with dates?
Thanks guys. Been binging your videos recently and shared with my family too, my dad watches your stuff every day now lol.
I honestly couldn't tell you. I've never made it that way. Lime probably wouldn't be something we would add. Spices? Sure. Again, without tasting your result, this is all just a guess.
@@CitySteadingBrews Thanks for the edit, even that little bit of wisdom from you guys really does help me out.
I'll go with my gut instinct. If it turns out amazing, I'll share the recipe. 😊
Ps. My rating scale is harsher than yours. If it doesn't completely knock me out of the park, then it's a 9 at best. Basically, my rating scale is just condensed down. It doesn't have an 11.
Yep those are for after distillation
Mhm, I only did this due to so many telling us they use them for homemade meads and wines. I mean, it does read 0-80%. That's quite misleading on their part.
I believe ATC is not a brand but stands for Automatic Temperature Control
That's entirely possible!
These type of refractometer are pretty accurate with clear distilled spirits. Basically just alcohol and water. Mine is the same brand and works well compared to a proof and trale hydrometer. As soon as sugars or colors are added it is no longer useable. Even with basic fermented washes I cant use it as there will be residual sugars which give the same wildly inaccurate results as you have found. But for proofing down a distilled spirit it is very handy.
Yes, but people have told me they measure wine and mead with them.
I find it. It works fine before the fermentation for the OG but it doesn’t work very well for the FG.
That's a different kind of refractometer.
Very good and useful information. Thank you as always for the good advice.
Wish I seen this video before I bought one then used it for the first time. I just finished my first mead and used this exact one and got 28% 😂
Sorry... yeah... not 28%.
I looked at that same one a week or two ago and decided I didn't need it. I'll just stick to my hydrometer, ain't broke don't fix I guess.
Thanks for confirming I didn't need one.
Yup. The Hydropeter is the reigning king of measurement.
Consistent with my experience as well. Can't use it to measure a mash, as it reads high from the non-converted sugars.
Correct it is meant for distilling not brewing
No you need a sugar refractometer, for wine, to work with vinometer ph and hydrometer, keep the distinction :-) I really hate trusting digital ph meter but with dark red wines it’s impossible to tell with limtus tests . Just experimenting with probably dodgy bought online ph tester gadget. Trying early days to make wine from allotment and appreciate your experience x
We did this because people told us they are using this alcohol reader to test wine and mead.
I fall into this boat I think. I just started distilling. I 100% messed up my first batch of Moonshine last night or I misread my refractometer. I took readings before and after, yet for some reason my final product says its at 1.075. My starting grav was 1.080. The finished product smells great after I ran it through a carbon filter and it didn't freeze overnight, so there has to at least be 50% alcohol in it right?
My concern is, did I make rubbing alcohol or drinkable alcohol?
We don't distill, and I'm not sure what your readings were really. I don't know that sg means much after a product is distilled as far as abv goes.
@@CitySteadingBrews I told you my readings, but thanks for the quick response. I just found out that freezing point for 10% ABV is 32F. and it drastically goes down as the ABV goes up. So I have to be somewhere between 10% and 20% ABV.. according to ChatGPT.
What I mean is, those readings don't really mean anything on a distilled product afaik. Specific gravity readings are used for fermented products to determine ABV. When you freeze distill, you are concentrating the alcohol, so what you have now is dependent on what you started with, not really the freezing temp so much.
@@CitySteadingBrews oh gotcha. Thanks!
I need one of these❗️Think of the labels on my wines and meads❗️😂
Question?...How does it read when you retest? I mean, if you did the tests again, does it have the same results?
Just curious.
I would think so. It's horribly inaccurate.
It looks like its specifically designed to work on distilled liquids, things without any contaminates to throw off the reading.
Might be useful when distilling your own alcohol, but only to double check what you read on the hydrometer!
Yes, but people have told me they measure wine and mead with them.
You have to clean it with fresh water each time and a new piper each time for this to be an accurate test of the Instrument
We.... did. The point was that it's not an effective method for getting an ABV reading in wine or mead.
I'm curious if you could dilute a spirit with water and read it down to zero.
I don't think so. They get very inaccurate below 30% or so.
Hey, maybe you could try a Vinometer next. to check how accurate they are.
We actually did a long time ago! th-cam.com/video/osmlXS9MpsU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BxYqeTD6nEyBKxt_
TL:DW They aren't...
Refractometers work fine if used properly. That one is accurate for water/ethanol mixtures from 0-80%…..WITH MINIMAL OTHER SOLUTES. It will not work with beer, wine, or mead because of the dissolved sugars, etc…
The problem isn’t the range; it’s the liquid being measured.
Yes and we were showing that it won't work for homebrew... many people have said they use these to calculate abv!
@@CitySteadingBrews , Yeah, I saw the 2nd video on the right way to use a refractometer after I posted. Oops, sorry!
No worries!
I’m confused refractometers
are sugar not alcohol percentages
Not this one.
the one i have to read gravity is actually accurate
i dont have one that reads alc% and i also didnt buy cheap one on amazon.
Thanks for the warning. I would have bought one without it.
Spirit refractometers are not intended for anything other than ethanol and water. Even with just ethanol and water, it’s not accurate. The TTB are very strict with strength standards because of how they tax. I’m talking fractions of a percent. Use a spirit hydrometer and a graduated cylinder. And apply temperature correction.
Yup. Except they don't apply to anything not distilled.
@@CitySteadingBrews Zactly.
It still can be used to predict end product alcohol levels when measuring unfermentet wort sugar levels right? I would find it usefull for that as sugar level can vary a lot between honey batches?
No, the only graph is alcohol %. This isn't that kind of refractometer.
I'll stick with the hydropeter until I can afford to splurge on the fancy $500 refractometer you reviewed. Assuming you had to send that back considering we haven't seen it since?
Well... long story. I used it more and found it... less than satisfactory for my needs so I did send it back. The video has been removed as well.
@CitySteadingBrews Video as to why? Tbh, it seemed pretty amazing. Would really like to know what the failure point was.
I'd rather not publicly trash a company's product, especially one we had a contractual obligation with. Suffice to say it was finicky and overly delicate. This led to inconsistent results and made using it much more complex than a simple hydrometer. For the money, it was not worth the trouble in my opinion. So, I couldn't in good conscience "push" that product to our audience.
@CitySteadingBrews Absolutely fair enough from someone that brews a LOT. It has been stricken from the wish list. More money for a force-carb/kegging system and an AIO beer brewer. lol
@MrAcuta73 O really wanted it to be awesome, but the more times I used it, the more flaws we saw and often we spent a long time just trying to get a simple reading. At that price, it should just work.
Ok my question has nothing to do with the video, sorry. I’ve had two meads that taste kind of musty. What am I doing wrong? I follow the recipes step by step. Also, would the taste go away with time. I have a mead that tastes musty which I’m supposed to put strawberries in. Should I even bother?
When you say musty... do you mean like rotten? Rancid? Or is there an eggy smell?
@@CitySteadingBrews i can’t quite put a finger on it but it isn’t eggy or rotten, it almost tastes like black olive juice
@lisanellebatiz6955 try giving it time.
@@CitySteadingBrews ok I’ll give it a few months on the one I have already racked. What do you suggest for the one that’s supposed to get strawberries. Should I go ahead and add?
You didn’t test the Scorsby? 😉
I'm actually out of it!
That probably works like a proof and tralle hydrometer, that it only works with distilled alcohol.
Sort of, yes.
I love my frac meter, mine has never acted like the one you’re using so I’m curious about what’s going on? I compared mine to the hydrometer and was close every time
If you mean an alcohol refractometer like this... for spirits, they are pretty okay, but as we showed, for others... nope. Specific Gravity and Brix refractometers are great though.
@@CitySteadingBrews very true lol
I use a Refractometer for measure salt content in my salt water fish tank
That's the other type of refractometer. This one only measures alcohol percentage.
My instructions tell me to let ot sit for few seconds or so before reading
It's not going to work anyway. I have never had an issue taking a reading right away with a refractometer. Never seen it change over time either. The wait is so the liquid gets to the same temperature as the unit.
Can you make mead from hardy kiwi?
You could add it to a mead, sure.
Would you do it in second fermentation or primary? What's the benefit of either?
@@albertjodoin5864 I've not tested it at all, nor have I worked with kiwi in any way, but you can likely do both.
Brian, I must be missing something… A month ago you didn’t recommend refractometer readings. What am I missing. (I watch other channels but y’all’s is the only channel where I stop whatever I’m doing to watch newly uploaded videos.) THANKS for great content.
Did you watch the video?
I don't have any problem with refractometers. They just require an extra step. This is not a specific gravity reading however. Different types of things.
Thanks, Brian.
I'm 21 days into a grape juice wine fermentation, I had a sip of it today, but theres something about it that makes me want to retch, quite bitter as well. In my previous batches, I realised I used too much bread yeast, I was using 5g for 2L, and no wonder I kept on getting real unwell. This time, I've started using the 71B, with the recommended 0.2-0.4g/L and hopefully this is all that was wrong with my previous batches? It was just too much yeast making the taste go off, and making me sick I presume? Anything I can do to also save that batch though?
Too much yeast generally doesn’t make you sick and just tastes like bread. If it’s tasting bitter it’s likely going bad somehow. Is it going brown too?
Maybe a maroon color I'd say? It's starting to smell a bit more like red wine though. Than what is making me sick when drinking it? In most previous attempts, I just pour the bag of yeast in the grape juice bottle, and put an airlock over it. It doesn't seem it could be contaminated which such a simple process is what I thought, so I assume it's the yeast.@@chemistryofquestionablequa6252
Sounds like an infection. Shouldn't make you retch.
I wanna know how to make me some of that 40 percent mead! lol
Heh.
IT doesn't read well with distilled spirets. It is just the same as you found.
I only checked a vodka and the WT101, it was within a couple points on both.
Let the fluid SETTLE for 30 SECONDS for CALIBRATION and TESTING.
It didn't make a difference. Those are not accurate for most fermented brews.
Here's an interesting experiment idea: What happens to mead over time if you reuse the yeast to the next batch? Does everyone know that, we need to find out 🤔🤔🤔
Sometimes it will ferment it just fine.
That, boyo, is a phaser. Say goodbye to your next batch if you set it too high. ;)
lol
NGL I still love my refractometer I got after your refractometer vs hydrometer video - it made things much simpler for my use case. That said, I can't help but wonder if there isn't an equation to be applied to this the way that there is for the refractometer to get the proper gravity. Either way, good video.
This refractometer doesn't read sg. It reads alcohol. A typical sg or brix hydrometer is just fine.
I bought this because i work as a chemist who works with urine and serum based products, and it was a methodology that I'm used to. This model of refrac is cheap and very bad quality. It loses cal a lot, gives poor reading, and seems to deviate if there is anything in the liquid. I have wondered about the more expensive ~200$ model that I use at my work but was abit pricy for my budding hobby. That said, from what I've seen and read/watched most starting brews will be outside the read range for refractometers either way, so even with a good model, they may only be good for a final reading.
I wouldn't advise an alcohol refractometer for homebrewing at all. One that reads brix or specific gravity is a good thing to have though. A simple hydrometer is more effective really.
Yeah, don't measure anything that's not destilled. And if its sweetened, don't bother Eather.
But you have an easy dens, why not test the accuracy of the refractometer with clear spirits against that and proof Meister app from Anton pars?
I had issues with the Anton Paar equipment and sent it back. Videos removed as well.
@@CitySteadingBrews sorry to hear it didn't work for you. But luckily other equipment exist and do work 😀
I have one of these, and it really is a disappointment. Total waste of money, even for measuring spirits. It never stays calibrated, and the lines are never all that clear on the scale.
I hate refractometers! I used them daily for years to check cnc coolant. Everything effects the pain in the ass right down to smoke in the air to something on your hands from lunch.
Yeah, I much prefer hydrometers. This specific type of refractometer though, for measing abv of fermented things? Useless.
What no starting gravity…
This is an ALCOHOL refractometer. It doesn't read gravity.
Weeeeell crap…. I just got mine…. Aaaaaand used that app from the other video…. Theeeeeeeen I was confused at the reading….. cuz it was nothing
Sorry! Would have put the video out sooner if we knew 😉
🤔🙄🙃
Out side of lad there no true way at home get a true ABV. There close that it
An alcohol refractometer is really only useful for moonshiners and distilleries.
Many people use it for wine and mead so we were attempting to address that.
@@CitySteadingBrews Yeah, I understand. It's simply not even remotely accurate for mead or wine so it's a good thing you made this video to show just how much off the readings are for these types of alcoholic beverages.
I have a wine refractometer, and it doesnt work too 😂
Does it measure brix? If so you can use it for gravity readings.
@@CitySteadingBrews yes it does but I like SG more
You can convert it using calculators online.
You are using the wrong tool for the job and saying it does not work. An alcohol refractometer does not work on beer, wine, mead, spritzers, etc. They are meant to be used on distilled spirits. You are using a hammer and saying it does not work to turn screws.
If it's only for spirits, why does it read 0-80%? I mean, I know it should only be used with spirits, but that's not what it says.
Also, I only did this do to SO MANY people saying they use it for ABV of homemade mead and wine. Yes, it's the wrong tool for that job.
@@CitySteadingBrews I just went "shopping" for a new one. It seems to be a sad rarity that the sellers say that alcohol refractometers do not work for beer and wine. Some even say they work with wine. That's nuts.
That's why we did the video 😎
Alcohol refractometers are only good for neutral clear spirits. 🤔
Yup.
Funny, I bought one similar it reads in BRIXs and after conversion Ive compared it to my hydrometer and its the same imagine that
Yeah... that's not the one we are talking about here.