in a perfect world...

[tebriel]

in a perfect world i would:
. get a refractometer for christmas
. have it already be calibrated when i got it
. have the results come out exactly the same as my hydrometer (that came INSIDE the bucket of salt, unwrapped)
. wonder what I have done wrong

is it possible that my refractometer is crazy or is my hydrometer just that accurate? I got a refractometer because i heard how a hydrometer was just like guesswork. Did I just get lucky, did I do something wrong, or am I really living in a perfect world after all?

 

[jefft]

My refractometer gave the same results as my hydrometer.

 

[cameron]

Hydrometers can be accurate and some are. The problem is you don't know when they are usually and things like air bubbles can radically throw off the reading. I think your refractometer was just backing up your previous readings which is good.

 

[dakota9]

Hydrometers work well when they are new, after a few years, they become more inacurate due to build-up on the needle. Mine was 15 years old when i replaced it, but still it was only .003 off, which could still be problematic, but I'm happy with my refractometer, which came perfectly calibrated, (I think).

 

[reefjunkee]

I`ve found that iff You clean them after every use with RO they last much londer and stay faily accurate.I do now use a refractometer though.But the old swingarms still will do the job and pretty accurately in My experience.