Hoping to get a little insight on a problem I had with a recent batch I brewed from a Brewer's Best Kit. I was making their oatmeal stout. Have had success with an IPA and Pilsner. I will be making an extract recipe from this forum next weekend but wanted to brew another batch while I'm...

I'm steeping dried cherries in the recipe below and have guessed at the ppg contribution added by this step. Anyone have any experience here to evaluate my guess? I thought about taking a hydrometer reading of the steeped liquid before adding it. If SG=1.005 then my guess is correct, I think...

I gather from what I've read that a refractometer is essentially a replacement for a hydrometer, right? Just an alternate method of measuring specific gravity? What would be the benefits/downsides of going refracto vs. a hydro (other than the obviously higher cost of the former)?