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Electronic Proof Meter For Testing ABV

edited January 2020 in General

Hey,

Just a quick question:

I use my refractometer but I was wondering if there is a cheap alternative for digital tester for ABV. I have found some of the lab level hand held testers but they are over $2k and that's a lot of coin.

Any suggestions?

Comments

  • edited January 2020

    Try find someone whom has an EDROMETER for sale...maybe Ebay.

    The company I understand to have closed down, but the Edrometer is the poor man's solution to what you are looking for.

    image

    image.jpg
    800 x 452 - 35K
  • EasyDens is as cheap as it gets.

  • edited January 2020

    Thanks @richard. I found an electronic optical refractometer for a couple of hundred bucks. The beer guy swear by them but I don't know if that's a good option. I want the industrial one but they are soo expensive.

  • Floaty thing ftw.

  • edited January 2020

    Hey @Grim or Moonshine. I just got this message when trying to access your shop.

    Acceso bloqueado 
    No se puede dar acceso a la dirección URL solicitada
    URL del objeto:
    https://stilldragon.com/index.php/?SID=7gk7li3ldf2t37kkv7i29nobsl 
    Motivo: el objeto está infectado con HEUR:Trojan-PSW.Script.Generic
    Mensaje generado el: 1/21/2020 11:38:28 PM
    

    It looks like you might have a trojan. I picked up one a couple of weeks ago and didn't know where. You might want to check.

  • edited January 2020

    I just pass the time here while drinking, don’t blame this on me.

  • edited January 2020

    @grim said: Floaty thing ftw.

    +1 if you add thermometer to do temp compensation

  • edited January 2020

    @DonMateo said: It looks like you might have a trojan. I picked up one a couple of weeks ago and didn't know where. You might want to check.

    Computer, ping @Smaug!

    FYI @DonMateo, that's not related to our forum, but the StillDragon North America website. Neither @grim nor @Moonshine are involved there. :-B

    Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum

  • @Moonshine said: FYI DonMateo, that's not related to our forum, but the StillDragon North America website. Neither grim nor Moonshine are involved there. :-B

    Kk thanks for the heads up.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • edited January 2020

    For mash - refractometers are challenging with final gravities - you need to use compensation tables and have very accurate starting gravities to have even a remote chance at getting an accurate alcohol potential %.

    For ABV of spirit, they are very inaccurate compared to even cheap hydrometers.

    Other than only needing a small sample, they are pretty shitty tools.

  • I was going to add my experiences here and decided to wait to see other comments. I agree @Grim. I have tried using them with say mash and got absolute bullshit. With spirit I don’t know why you would bother compared to a good hydrometer.

  • I use a refractometer to get O.G. of hot mash tun output, and I think that's a good application. For just about everything else, they're not only shitty, but just the wrong tools. As always, YMMV.

    Zymurgy Bob, a simple potstiller

    my book, Making Fine Spirits

  • Refractometer for wash liquid, Tilt Hydrometer to monitor fermentation, glass homebrew hydrometer for FG verification, Dragonfire hydrometer for parrot, DMA35 for 99% of spirit readings, $150 11-proof range (79-90, 89-100, or 99-110) glass hydrometer for proofing before bottling, $150 glass hydrometer with $300 NIST calibration to have on hand if I doubt or break the other glass hydrometer).

  • EasyDens for wash liquid, EasyDens to periodically monitor fermentation, EasyDens for FG verification, homebrew hydrometer for parrot, Snap40 for 99% of spirit readings, $150 11-proof range (79-90, 89-100, or 99-110) glass hydrometer for proofing before bottling, method of choice for calibrating the previous.

  • Edit: DonMateo was looking for digital. The above won't break the bank.

  • You still can not beat the Edrometer ….. best value for money and accurate too.

  • edited January 2020

    Buy a good digital thermometer and a glass floaty thing - that gets you half way to digital ;)

    Anton Paar is the name in densiometry, so if low cost is the requirement, probably Easydens.

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