My DiFluid 2 journey

dfk41

Well, they say one is born every minute……several weeks ago I decided that in order to try to solve the brewed coffee conundrum I would benefit from a refractometer. I really could not justify splashing out on a VST so was quite surprised at the cost of the scales plus unit from BB. I charged them up several weeks later but they have sat ever since. Today I made a decision to start using them tomorrow!

Now, my simplistic view is that having a poor palate, if I do not have any data to consider then how can I improve my offerings? So, tomorrow it is then! I have downloaded the ap but gone no further. I understand the absolute basics of what I am to do and will follow Dave’s write up, starting with espresso before I venture on to brewed. Tomorrow might have to become friday as I do not have any suitable syringes so invested in a packet from Amazon.

If anyone has any advice for me and wants to chip in, then feel free to, but remember……you are dealing with an idiot!

MWJB

Get a glass dropper bottle to hold your distilled water for calibration. Get a bunch of 3ml plastic pipettes for dropping brewed coffee samples onto the refractometer, these can be flushed, dried with distilled water and reused.

Score every brew you measure with an overall liking score.

I found the app a real PITA, too many fields to enter before seeing your result, so I’d keep a separate record in XL or Google sheets, so you can sort by liking score, grind setting etc. (I can post a google sheet for you to download save & use if needed).

dfk41

MWJB Will water from my RO system suffice Mark?

MWJB

dfk41 Technically no (I say technically because I suspect you will go ahead & use it anyway), as the refractive index of distilled water is known, if you have stuff in the water (as you will with most RO water unless DI filtered) you won’t be calibrating properly. You can get distilled/DI water at Halfords/similar, or use a Zero Water jug.

dfk41

Well, the big day arrived. I have all the bits and pieces. So, I turned on the scales and meter and they immediately paired to my phone. I then cleaned the unit and tried to zero it. It came with a sticker saying press once then hold down. I pressed once and it said reading then said no liquid, so I have no idea. Then I went over to the Evo, put a cup on the scales and could find nothing to press to record the weight, but I did manage to tare and put 16 gms of beans in that immediately appeared in the ap, but I could see no way to enter it……..so, I ground the beans and made a cappuccino and it was very tasty

MWJB

dfk41 So you had distilled water on the refractometer, pretty much filling the well, when you zeroed it after leaving it for 30-60s?

dfk41

MWJB Excellent advice! I did not do that Mark. I used RO water (I will pick up some distilled though), filled the well and wiped it off! I will follow that advice next time. Next question is about the scales. Turn them on with the ap open and they connect. Put a cup on the scales and the weight appears in the ap, but then what?

DavecUK

dfk41 I used RO water (I will pick up some distilled though), filled the well and wiped it off!

Did you wipe it off before trying to zero it?

dfk41

DavecUK Probably! I have not touched it since. I think I understand the right proceedure to zero ie you are putting in distilled water, leaving it for 30 to 60 seconds then pressing the button to ‘calibrate’ or zero it. Then wipe it dry with tissue…..but the next step is how to put a cup on the scales and get the ap to save it!

dfk41

If I just wanted to keep the thing really simple, if I zero it correctly then ask it to analyse a sample assuming I follow procedure, then that will give me a figure which is what I need?

MWJB

dfk41 Yes. Leave the coffee sample adequate time to cool on the refractometer, if too warm you’ll get high readings that gradually drop until it stabilises.

You’ll also need the coffee dose weight and beverage weight.