The Milwaukee Instruments MA871 is a handheld digital refractometer that reads sugar content from just two or three drops of wort. Instead of squinting at a scale through an eyepiece, you get a clear LCD reading in under 2 seconds, with 0.1% Brix resolution and plus or minus 0.2% Brix accuracy across a 0 to 85% Brix range. Automatic temperature compensation covers 50 to 104 degrees F, and the sample temperature is shown alongside the reading. The sealed flint glass prism and stainless steel well wipe clean easily, the IP65 case resists splashes, and calibration takes one drop of distilled water. As with any refractometer, readings taken after fermentation starts need an alcohol correction to find final gravity. It runs on a 9V battery and carries a 2 year warranty.
Digital readout removes guesswork from reading a scale
Reads gravity from two or three drops in under 2 seconds
Sealed prism and splash-resistant case are easy to clean
Costs several times more than optical refractometers
Final gravity readings still need an alcohol correction
Reads Brix only, with no built-in specific gravity scale
