Review on Brix Refractometer with ATC - Dual Scale for Wine Making, Beer Brewing, and Homebrew Kit: Specific Gravity & Brix Hydrometer by Barbara Simmons

Good day to all readers of this review! Today my review will be about another acquisition from the Chinese Republic, in particular about a refractometer for measuring the alcohol content of a liquid. The device is highly specialized and performs the function of simply an alcoholometer. It is worth considering that this device is intended for alcohols that do not contain sugar and are transparent, so it uses, in principle of its action, the refraction of light in a liquid. In colored liquids, due to tinting, an error is possible. So let's get started with the device. The device was sent to me in a fairly durable plastic case. Opening the case, we see such a picture. The syringe was not included in the package - this is our improvement. Instead of a syringe, the kit included a plastic pipette. The kit also included a glass cleaning cloth and instructions. Unfortunately, the instruction is only in English, but even training video instructions can be easily found on the Internet. The device itself looks like this. The abbreviation ATC means that the device is equipped with automatic compensation for the temperature of the liquid, however, the liquid must be in the region of 20 degrees Celsius. Let's check the calibration of the device on distilled water, for which we open the cover of the device. And drop the liquid to be tested on the prism. Close the lid and look through the eyepiece. In it, we can see that the device is calibrated and shows strictly zero. Next, wipe the prism with a napkin and drop a liquid of 40 degrees on it, tested with an ordinary ASP-3 alcohol meter. We see that the refractometer shows exactly 40 degrees. Of course, I carried out these measurements with prepared liquids and in practice everything is not so smooth, but the device is really effective. It is recommended to measure liquid at approximately 20 degrees Celsius. For a correct result, it is recommended to carry out a triple measurement and there should be no air bubbles on the surface of the prism. Yes, and the calibration of the device must be carried out in a timely manner. Distilled water is used to calibrate the instrument. After applying it to the prism of the device, the protective cap is removed from the adjusting screw, which is located under the plastic cap. Looking into the eyepiece, it is necessary to turn the adjusting screw with a screwdriver, set the device to zero. This refractometer correctly measures liquids up to 55 degrees, what is above must be diluted from a ratio of one to one. The device was purchased in China in the region of 18 dollars. It is used by us in home brewing to quickly determine the degree of the outgoing liquid. The fact is that to measure with an ASP-3 alcoholmeter, you need at least 100 grams of the product, and this device allows you to get by with a few drops. This speeds up the liquid analysis process and makes it easier. Of course, the device is highly specialized and hardly suitable for wide application, but in its industry it is a useful assistant. For those who know what is at stake, it will be useful and I can recommend it for purchase. We have had him for about a year and have repeatedly helped in the rapid analysis of the liquid. Thank you for attention!