"Wayne Harris" > wrote in message
...
> Being a Newbie, I have thousands of questions.
>
> Right now my question is about measuring sugar.
>
> I understand SG, how to use a Hydrometer, and how to calculate ABV.
>
> I also understand the BRIX to SG relationships. Brix=261.3*(1 - 1/
> sg),
>
> But degrees Brix and SG seem to accomplish much the same tasks. They
> both seem to be methods for measuring sugar in suspension in liquid.
> And from this, you can calculate several things, and you can time
> various winemaking steps.
>
> As a new winemaker, my instinct says to learn to both methods of
> measurement and both scales, but to be honest, i don't know why. While
> a hydrometer reads SG and a refractometer reads degrees Brix, to me,
> they are both indicators of the same thing.
>
> So, what method should i use?

Wayne

Hmmmm. First. Refractometers are the preferred tool of grape
growers and grape buyers when the_only_requirement is to
evaluate the sugar content of grapes. For everything else hydrometers
are used.

As to Brix vs SG, it's not a matter of one or the other but rather
a progression. SG is used to estimate sugars. This estimate of
sugar is then expressed using Brix as the unit of measure. Make
sense ?? Thereafter, _ALL_ calculations are based on this estimate
of sugar. Folks who work mostly with grapes usually prefer to do
their calculations using Brix as their unit of measure while others
often prefer to use SG. It's mostly a matter of choice.

Home winemakers and those who work with non grape wines
mostly prefer to work with mulit-scale hydrometers because most
of the calculations were done for us when they calibrated these
hydrometers. IOW - there is no need to calculate Brix because
there is already a Brix scale on the hydrometer. And there is no
need to calculate PA because there is already a scale for this on
the hydrometer. This makes it all very easy. And it makes it easy
to understand the relationships between these things by simply
cross referencing back and forth between the scales without
having to do all the calculations and then comparing the results.

HTMS

Frederick