VAR-02No data
The Inventory
Material baselines
Reading material baseline
Reading material baseline
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Instrument Panel · v1.0
CALCULATORS
Deterministic tools for the working kitchen. Baker's math, thermal conversions, and scaled formulations — computed live, no rounding sleight of hand.
Input · Solution ratios
Brine & Additive Matrix
Tenth-gram resolution on liquid brines, equilibrium cures, and functional additives. Solvent is the reference mass in brine mode; total system mass in equilibrium mode.
Additives (% of solvent mass)
Output · Weigh sheet
Solution charge
Referenced against solvent mass
- Solvent
- 1000 g100%
- Salt
- 50 g5%
- Sugar / osmotic agent
- 20 g2%
- Sodium citrate · emulsifying salt
- 8 g0.8%
- Xanthan gum · viscosity
- 1.5 g0.2%
- Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) · curing
- 2.5 g0.3%
Solution mass
1082 g
Salinity
4.62%
Additive load
12 g
Total charge1082 g
Scale resolution 0.1 g · weigh cures on 0.01 g balance
Instrumentation · Soluble solids
Brix Metric Bench
Refractometer readings, temperature compensation (referenced to 20 °C) and scale conversion for syrups, brines and frozen bases — kept alongside the solution matrix so every deterministic calculation shares one workspace.
What is Brix?
[ Temperature correction ]
[ readings normalised to the calibration temperature — default 20°C ]
[ Enter a reading above to see live °BX / °P / SG equivalents ]
Technical definition
Brix (°Bx) is a mass/mass scale expressing the concentration of dissolved sucrose and other soluble solids in an aqueous sample. One degree Brix equals one gram of soluble solids per 100 g of solution. A refractometer reads refractive index and reports it as °Bx, giving a fast, non-destructive proxy for total dissolved solids.
Operational utility
- › Fermentation controlHigher °Bx means more fermentable substrate, accelerating yeast activity and gas production. Adjust hydration downward or shorten bulk time to avoid over-proofing.
- › Thermal dynamicsDissolved solids depress freezing point and raise boiling point. Brix readings predict how sorbets set, custards thicken, and syrups caramelise under heat.
- › Ingredient normalisationSeasonal fruit, yeast slurries, and liquid starters vary in solids content. Logging °Bx normalises hydration, sweetness, and fermentation time across batches.
Measurement protocol
- Calibrate the refractometer with distilled water at the reference temperature (usually 20 °C). The boundary line should read 0.0 °Bx.
- Mix or homogenise the sample so it is representative. Strain out large particles if necessary.
- Place one to two drops on the prism, close the daylight plate, and wait 10–15 seconds for thermal equilibrium.
- Read the value at the light/dark boundary. Record the instrument, sample temperature, and °Bx scale used.
- If the sample temperature differs from the reference, apply temperature compensation before logging.
- Rinse the prism with distilled water and dry with a lint-free cloth before the next reading.
Use the converter below to translate °Bx / °Plato / SG and log readings to your account.
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