What did you learn today

[DieBaas Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close DieBaas]

What did you learn about beer/homebrew/homebrewing today?

Lets post the random day to day things you have learned today. Whether it is you just realized that a refractometer cannot read FG without a calculation or that bleach is a horrible santizer or that you need to turn off your boil kettle when using an immersion chiller.

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

TIL: 10 kgs of grain looks a lot less than what you expect.

[that guy al Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close that guy al]

i learned that beer tastes better on a friday afternoon.

[reece.stevensking Member Find all posts View Profile Close reece.stevensking]

I found it is not easy guessing the amount of hops to add when your scale is broken. Wanted 13 ibu got probably 30ibu hahah.

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

Start heating your water before you do anything else...

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

Maize Meal = Stuck Sparge

[DieBaas Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close DieBaas]

Craft beer in a restaurant is massively over priced and it ruins the entire experience.

[Guest Close AtronSeige]

Not sure if it is the wort or Anchor Yeast, but wow!! A very quick fermentation!

[DieBaas Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close DieBaas]

Not sure if it is the wort or Anchor Yeast, but wow!! A very quick fermentation!

Yup sprinkled Anchor Yeast in an ancient mead, took off after 3 hours

[pretorjn Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pretorjn]

How to read a refractometer... at least I think I understand how to read the SG. It does however read 5 points higher than my Coppers hydrometer (yes I did calibrate it with distilled water). I guess if the final gravity also differs the same, one of the two is not properly calibrated

- - - Updated - - -

Now I just need to figure out the Brix readings...

[ljm109 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ljm109]

if you're trying to read FG with refractometer you have to do the adjustment for the alcohol. As i understand it Refractometers don't read liquid with alcohol correctly.

[SimonB Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close SimonB]

if you're trying to read FG with refractometer you have to do the adjustment for the alcohol. As i understand it Refractometers don't read liquid with alcohol correctly.

If you know the OG, you can read the Brix value with a refractometer and then pop it into beersmith or any other online calculator to get FG. Without OG, you're stuffed and need to use the hydrometer. I never actually use a hydrometer any more

[VenomZA Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VenomZA]

if you're trying to read FG with refractometer you have to do the adjustment for the alcohol. As i understand it Refractometers don't read liquid with alcohol correctly.

Yeah, a Refractometer measures how light bends due to the solids in the liquid. Unfortunately alcohol also bends light. so you need your OG. the calculator then adjusts for the bending caused by the alcohol.
I sometimes use my hydrometer, it gives me a reason to sample the bit in the test tube

[pretorjn Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pretorjn]

Yeah, a Refractometer measures how light bends due to the solids in the liquid.

Surely you mean density of the fluid changing the light refraction?

[VenomZA Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VenomZA]

Surely you mean density of the fluid changing the light refraction?

Yes, more sugar or whatever particles in the fluid = a more dense fluid = more light refraction.
Solids was probably the incorrect term. Just wanted to keep it simple.