It won't work as a .pdf, the formulas are eliminated. What I could do is to rename it to an "accepted" format and upload it with the instructions to rename it to Excel.
Yes, with finished gravity, it is accurate to 1 point (.001) SG. That's better accuracy than I can measure with my normal hydrometer, as accurate as I can get with my finishing hydrometer.
And yes, it is! No more guessing when to start diacetyl rests, no more guessing when things are done or when to add late syrups.... And the sample sizes are tiny! I filter out the trub from a couple drops of beer, measure, and don't even notice the losses over the entire batch. I've chatted back and forth with Yooper and she says it's an interesting addition to BF, no indication of when....I got a refractometer specifically so I could track things on the pre-boil side but found it to be such a pain in the butt that I don't want to use it and have reverted to ignoring pre-boil and tracking efficiency, etc. by adjusting numbers to match the more reliable post-boil gravity readings.
It would be nice to have an easy way to use the refractometer and be able to trust the readings.
Just for reference, the refractometer is accurate pre-boil. It's when fermentation starts that the readings become distorted because of alcohol's higher refractive index.I got a refractometer specifically so I could track things on the pre-boil side but found it to be such a pain in the butt that I don't want to use it and have reverted to ignoring pre-boil and tracking efficiency, etc. by adjusting numbers to match the more reliable post-boil gravity readings.
It would be nice to have an easy way to use the refractometer and be able to trust the readings.
I don't find that to be the case. The last brew I tested with the refractometer read 1.045 pre-boil with all the runnings in the pot - 7.5 gallons. Dilution/Boil-off calculator shows that my post boil volume of 5.375 should be 1.063. It was 1.049. By using the efficiency percentage that makes the OG match the reading (86%), the calculator says that the pre-boil gravity should be 1.038
I'd check the refractometer - mine always agrees with the hydrometer. Given the small sample size, you may have had a drop or two of water in your dropper or whatever you used to transfer the sample to the refractometer's stage. You're right, your readings don't make sense. I'm not sure why - my readings agree initially and using the correction, throughout fermentation.
Did...I'll try mixing some sugar water to similar gravity and see what it does. Wort color and particulate can throw it off, so by using a wort correction factor (still not certain how to nail that down) I can get to a proper reading. I may be able to adjust to it one way or another.
The particulates give you a "fuzzy" line, make it harder to read. I filter my samples through coffee filter material to get the worst of the particles out of it. As far as the wort correction factor goes, if your refractometer reads in SG, you won't need it - it's already been applied. If you read Brix or Plato, you will need the correction factor, generally about 1.04.
I've checked out that page...it's useful info. Thanks. Even when I've used a hydrometer, I've consistently gotten higher pre-boil readings than what would make sense. I've tried a lot of things, but initial readings (in real time when it's helpful information to have) are always wonky. I may be missing something, but I manage to make good beer despite not having access to accurate pre-boil readings so I don't stress too much about it.
Great Tool.
I didn't set it up that way - but you can modify it to take out the Brix conversion in column E and enter the data directly there. You'll have to know your refractometer's wort conversion factor - measure a few worts with both a refractometer and a hydrometer before pitching, the ratio is the correction factor.
