brix hydrometers/ refractometers

Hey, do you all have a refractometer brand and where to purchase them tips?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kerry on July 2, 2010 at 10:18pm

I got my first one through the medical lab at the hospital where I used to work. Cost several hundred dollars. Have bought 2 more through e-bay and have been very happy with them. Look for a honey refractometer - brix around 58 to 90 - should do what you need it to for pates de fruit. Ordering one directly from Hong Kong was the best deal. I had one that was defective and they took it back and replaced it with no difficulty.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sarah Hart on July 4, 2010 at 11:52am

Kerry- are the ones you use digital? I must confess to never having used one. But we are making sorbets now and I want to make them w just fruit and simple syrup and need it for that. Not sure what to get.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kerry on July 4, 2010 at 12:18pm

Nope - they are the kind where you put a drop of liquid on the glass, flip the piece of plastic down on it and hold it up to the light to see where the line falls. A bit tricky - digital would certainly be easier.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jeff Stern on July 9, 2010 at 6:31pm

I got mine at JB Prince. This is the place to go for many hard-to-find items.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Lubertozzi on July 15, 2010 at 1:22pm

AFIK, sorbets should be around 25-30º Brix; a cheap floating glass winemaker's hydrometer will work fine for that; they run $10-$30, here's some: http://morewinemaking.com/search?search=hydrometer&=Search

Super easy to use; no calibration but you will need to multiply by a temperature correction factor if your sample is not at the same temp the bulb was factory-calibrated for (usually 60ºF).

A decent winemaker's refractometer goes for around $60 at the homebrew shops; I've seen them starting for half that on ebay but obviously there's no guarantee of quality there.