StillSmart

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T22:26:18+00:00

I find it extremely useful for determining how much water to add to a specific volume to get to 40% when used with the online calculator[/quote]...

My hydrometer does pretty much the same thing?

Let's quit the point scoring here and accept that there are different ways of doing stuff?

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sun Jul 30, 2017 10:26 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T19:17:40+00:00

ninja_geezer wrote:
H12rpo wrote:I can't see that anyone was suggesting their still was better than someone else's?

@phantom. You say "Actually, refractometers are best used for their intended purpose, to work out whether a batch is ready to ferment

But, Different refractometers have different purposes ......mine for example shows the abv of a clear spirit on a scale of 0 to 80%.......it certainly won't tell me when a wash is 'ready to ferment'. That would probably be a Brix scale version
Mine can be calibrated and is accurate to within + or - 1%
I find it extremely useful for determining how much water to add to a specific volume to get to 40% when used with the online calculator

Spot on could not have said it better myself...saved me a job ..

Statistics: Posted by H12rpo — Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:17 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T18:21:00+00:00

H12rpo wrote:
I can't see that anyone was suggesting their still was better than someone else's?

@phantom. You say "Actually, refractometers are best used for their intended purpose, to work out whether a batch is ready to ferment

But, Different refractometers have different purposes ......mine for example shows the abv of a clear spirit on a scale of 0 to 80%.......it certainly won't tell me when a wash is 'ready to ferment'. That would probably be a Brixton scale version
Mine can be calibrated and is accurate to within + or - 1%
I find it extremely useful for determining how much water to add to a specific volume to get to 40% when used with the online calculator

Spot on could not have said it better myself...saved me a job ..

Statistics: Posted by ninja_geezer — Sun Jul 30, 2017 6:21 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T15:35:55+00:00

Yup! single product analysis. So just to measure available sugars. As soon as some of that sugar is converted, you have a second product skewing the reading.

A reasonable analogy with a hydrometer might be measuring sugars available for ferment, but still trying to take a reading when there's a fair bit of fruit/pull in the must, which also skews a hydrometer reading (potentially).

Both do a similar job, but the way they measure using different techniques is why both will do the job in different ways etc.

It's using the right tool for the job at the appropriate time.

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Jul 30, 2017 3:35 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T13:56:29+00:00

I can't see that anyone was suggesting their still was better than someone else's?

@phantom. You say "Actually, refractometers are best used for their intended purpose, to work out whether a batch is ready to ferment

But, Different refractometers have different purposes ......mine for example shows the abv of a clear spirit on a scale of 0 to 80%.......it certainly won't tell me when a wash is 'ready to ferment'. That would probably be a Brixton scale version
Mine can be calibrated and is accurate to within + or - 1%
I find it extremely useful for determining how much water to add to a specific volume to get to 40% when used with the online calculator

Statistics: Posted by H12rpo — Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:56 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T12:38:17+00:00

Mash wrote:
Phantom I absolutely agree with your previous post. No pissin 'ere (or certainly none intended)

I have a refractometer in Brix scale for vineyard usage, as you describe and another in spirit scale too.

I haven't got round to getting one yet, but I found them callibrated in oeschle, which is the scale used in the Austrian/German industry as it's vvv similar to gravity as close as damn it.......

Equally, it seems you get what you pay for as we can get one for £20-£30 but also a good/well known make for a couple of hundred, with better lenses, prism etc.

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:38 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T10:33:35+00:00

Phantom I absolutely agree with your previous post. No pissin 'ere (or certainly none intended)

I have a refractometer in Brix scale for vineyard usage, as you describe and another in spirit scale too.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sun Jul 30, 2017 10:33 am

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T09:24:14+00:00

Oh and while it's nice to quote figures etc, this is a hobby activity so is there really any needs for pissing contests of "my still is better than your still" etc.......

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:24 am

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T09:22:26+00:00

Actually, refractometers are best used for their intended purpose, to work out whether a batch is ready to ferment.

They are meant to be used in the vineyard because it saves the effort of crushing, pressing and measuring with a hydrometer i.e. so you can squish one grape for enough juice to see if the grapes are harvest ready.

Using a refractometer to test a batch once it's fermented, requires correction because once alcohol is present, it throws the reading out giving an incorrect result.

There are correction tables available, but confirmation requires hydrometer or more technical lab machinery to confirm.

Of course, we're making at home, so we don't need to worry about professional level testing and accuracy (they need good accuracy, as inaccurate/imprecise measuring could cost them more in excise duty etc).

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:22 am

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-30T09:08:09+00:00

Ok so i seem to have got a refractometer that is spot on with my hydrometer readings at last.
its so much easier as mash said ,just hold it under take a few drips and read ,no messing filling a trial jar to use hydrometer,Its just really useful to get instant readings direct from the still.thanks to mash and H12rpo for the heads up..

Statistics: Posted by ninja_geezer — Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:08 am

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-14T22:32:38+00:00

Not personally doing wines or beers where you may want to kill off your yeasties while still active, for me "done" is when the yeasties expire and activity stops.....
That seems to suit distilling well?

Suit you sir? Oh, suit you sir!

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:32 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-14T16:54:11+00:00

Yeah. I suppose it depends how to define done.

Sometimes 'done' is not necessarily fermentatered to bone dry but where you want it to get to.

So yes.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:54 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-13T23:34:05+00:00

I'm still not objecting to being the forum idiot, I have broad shoulders.

Mash wrote:
The point is a refractometer can't help at that stage.

A hydrometer will also not tell you that a brew has finished. Only where it is.

I'm sticking with the assertion that neither will inform you that it is "done".

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Thu Jul 13, 2017 11:34 pm

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-13T06:16:38+00:00

+1.
No quibble 'ere.
Depends how done you want it.
The point is a refractometer can't help at that stage.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Thu Jul 13, 2017 6:16 am

Re: Am i wrong ?

2017-07-12T22:12:57+00:00

You boys are in a corner, quibbling.
Your mash is in a bucket, when it stops bubbling, it is done.
Doesn't matter Re-fracto or Hydro, when the yeasties call it a day and die, your wash is finished,(unless you throw in more yeasties).
I don't rate one item over the other, but neither of them will tell you that your wash has finished, any better than lack of fizzing activity.
I await to be enlightened that I am missing something here.
Always prepared to look like an idjut for the common good.
I act like one a lot of the time anyway.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Wed Jul 12, 2017 10:12 pm