Brix

Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is a measure of the dissolved solids in a liquid. It is used to measure how much dissolved sugar there is in an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as percentage by mass. If the solution contains dissolved solids other than pure sucrose, then the °Bx only approximately measures the dissolved solid content. For example, when one adds equal amounts of salt and sugar to equal amounts of water, the degrees of refraction (BRIX) of the salt solution rises faster than the sugar solution. The °Bx is traditionally used in the wine, sugar, carbonated beverage, fruit juice, fresh produce, maple syrup and honey industries. The °Bx is also used for measuring the concentration of a cutting fluid mixed in water for metalworking processes.

Other scales for indicating sucrose content are: the Plato scale (°P), which is widely used by the brewing industry; the Oechsle scale used in German and Swiss wine making industries, amongst others; and the Balling scale, which is the oldest of the three systems and therefore mostly found in older textbooks, but is still in use in some parts of the world.Hough, J.S., D. E. Briggs, R. Stevens and T. W. Young, Malting and Brewing Science, Vol 2 Hopped Wort and Beer, Chapman & Hall, London,1971

References

Category:Beer
Category:Wine