Milwaukee MA882 User manual

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MA882, MA883, MA884, MA885
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Milwaukee RefractometerMilwaukee Refractometer
Milwaukee RefractometerMilwaukee Refractometer
Milwaukee Refractometer
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

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Instruction Manual MA882, MA883, MA884 & MA885 Refractometers
for Wine and Grape Product Measurements
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION ............................................................................. 3
GENERAL DESCRIPTION .................................................................................... 5
SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................................. 6
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION ................................................................................ 7
MEASUREMENT UNITS ....................................................................................... 8
MEASUREMENT GUIDELINES ............................................................................ 10
CALIBRATION PROCEDURE ............................................................................. 11
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE ........................................................................... 12
CHANGING MEASUREMENT UNIT (MA884 & MA885) ...................................... 14
CHANGING TEMPERATURE UNIT ..................................................................... 15
CHANGING POTENTIAL ALCOHOL CONVERSION FACTOR (MA884 only) ........ 15
MAKING A STANDARD %BRIX SOLUTION ......................................................... 16
ERROR MESSAGES ........................................................................................... 17
BATTERY REPLACEMENT ................................................................................... 18
WARRANTY ..................................................................................................... 19
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Remove the instrument from the packing materials and examine carefully to
ensure no damage has occurred during shipping. If any damage has
occurred, notify your Dealer.
Each instrument is supplied with:
• 9 V battery
• Instruction manual
Note: Save all packing material until you are sure that the instrument
functions correctly. A defective instrument must be returned in its
original packing.

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FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
A. BATTERY STATUS ICON (BLINKS WHEN LOW BATTERY CONDITION DETECTED)
B. MEASUREMENT IN PROGRESS TAG
C. SETUP: FACTORY CALIBRATION TAG
D. CAL: CALIBRATION TAG
E. AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
(BLINKS WHEN TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 10-40 °C / 50-104 °F RANGE)
F. PRIMARY DISPLAY (DISPLAYS MEASUREMENT AND ERROR MESSAGES)
G. TEMPERATURE UNITS
H. SECONDARY DISPLAY (DISPLAYS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS; WHEN BLINKING,
TEMPERATURE HAS EXCEEDED OPERATION RANGE: 0-80 °C / 32-176 °F)
I. RANGE INDICATOR (MA884 AND MA885)
DISPLAYDISPLAY
DISPLAYDISPLAY
DISPLAY

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Instruction Manual MA882, MA883, MA884 & MA885 Refractometers
for Wine and Grape Product Measurements
I. BATTERY COVER
J. BATTERY COMPARTMENT
BOTTOMBOTTOM
BOTTOMBOTTOM
BOTTOM
A. LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)
B. READ KEY (USER MEASUREMENT)
C. ZERO KEY (USER CALIBRATION)
D. RANGE KEY (MA884 AND MA885)
E. ON/OFF
F. STAINLESS STEEL SAMPLE WELL AND PRISM
G. SECONDARY DISPLAY
H. PRIMARY DISPLAY
FRONT PANELFRONT PANEL
FRONT PANELFRONT PANEL
FRONT PANEL

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
SIGNIFICANCE OF USE
Thank you for choosing Milwaukee. This instruction manual will provide you the
necessary information for correct use of the meter.
The MA882, MA883, MA884 and MA885 are optical instruments that are based on the
measurement of the refractive index of a solution. The measurement of refractive index is
simple and quick and provides the vintner an accepted method for sugar content analysis.
Samples are measured after a simple user calibration with deionized or distilled water.
Within seconds the instrument measures the refractive index of the grape. This digital
refractometers eliminate the uncertainty associated with mechanical refractometers and
are easily portable for measurements in the field.
The four instruments utilize internationally recognized references for unit conversion and
temperature compensation.
MA882 measures %Brix
MA883 measures °Baumé
MA884 measures %Brix
Potential Alcohol (% vol)
MA885 measures %Brix
°Oechsle (°Oe)
°KMW (°Babo)
Temperature (in °C or °F) is displayed simultaneously with the measurement on the large
dual level display along with icons for Low Power and other helpful message codes.
Key features include:
• Dual-level LCD
• Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC)
• Easy setup and storage
• Battery operation with Low Power indicator
• Automatically turns off after 3 minutes of non-use
• Single-point calibration with distilled or deionized water
• Waterproof models offers IP65 waterproof protection
• Quick, precise results readings are displayed in approximately 1.5 seconds
• Small sample size as small as 2 metric drops.

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Instruction Manual MA882, MA883, MA884 & MA885 Refractometers
for Wine and Grape Product Measurements
Common Specifications
Light Source Yellow LED
Measurement Time Approximately 1.5 seconds
Minimum Sample Volume 100 PL (cover prism totally)
Sample Cell Stainless Steel ring and flint glass prism
Temperature Compensation Automatic between 10 and 40 °C (50 to 104 °F)
Case Material ABS
Enclosure Rating IP 65
Battery Type/Life 1 x 9 volt AA batteries / 5000 readings
Auto-Shut off After 3 minutes of non-use
Dimensions 19.2 x 10.2 x 6.7 cm (7.5 x 4 x 2.6")
Weight 420 g (14.8 oz.).
SPECIFICATIONS
MA882
Range: 0 to 50 %Brix / 0 to 80°C (32 to 176°F)
Resolution: 0.1 %Brix / 0.1°C (0.1°F)
Accuracy: ±0.2 %Brix / ±0.3°C (±0.5°F)
MA883
Range: 0 to 28 °Baumé / 0 to 80°C (32 to 176°F)
Resolution: 0.1 °Baumé / 0.1°C (0.1°F)
Accuracy: ±0.1 °Baumé / ±0.3°C (±0.5°F)
MA884
Range: 0 to 50 %Brix / 0 to 25 % v/v Potential Alcohol / 0 to 80°C (32 to 176°F)
Resolution: 0.1 %Brix / 0.1 % v/v Potential Alcohol / 0.1°C (0.1°F)
Accuracy: ±0.2 %Brix / ±0.2 % v/v Potential Alcohol / ±0.3°C (±0.5°F)
MA885
Range: 0 to 50 %Brix / 0 to 230 °Oechsle/0 to 42 °KMW / 0 to 80°C (32 to 176°F)
Resolution: 0.1 %Brix / 1 °Oechsle/0.1 °KMW / 0.1°C (0.1°F)
Accuracy: ±0.2 %Brix / ±1 °Oechsle/±0.2 °KMW / ±0.3°C (±0.5°F)

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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
%Brix, °Baumé, °Oechsle, °KMW and % potential alcohol determinations are made by
measuring the refractive index of a solution. Refractive Index is an optical characteristic
of a substance and the number of dissolved particles in it. Refractive Index is defined as
the ratio of the speed of light in empty space to the speed of light in the substance. A result
of this property is that light will “bend”, or change direction, when it travels through a
substance of different refractive index. This is called refraction.
When passing from a material with a higher to lower refractive index, there is a critical
angle at which an incoming beam of light can no longer refract, but will instead be
reflected off the interface. The critical angle can be used to easily calculate the refractive
index according to the equation:
sin (Tcritical) = n2/ n1
Where n2is the refractive index of the lower-density medium; n1is the refractive index of
the higher-density medium.
In the MA882, MA883, MA884 and MA885 refractometers, light from an LED passes
through a prism in contact with the sample. An image sensor determines the critical angle
at which the light is no longer refracted through the sample.

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Instruction Manual MA882, MA883, MA884 & MA885 Refractometers
for Wine and Grape Product Measurements
Specialized algorithms then apply temperature compensation to the measurement and
convert this refractive index to the model specific measurement unit.
MA882, MA883, MA884 and MA885 measure sugar content in several units to meet
the differing requirements found in the wine industry.
MA882, MA884 and MA885 convert the refractive index of the sample to sucrose
concentration in units of percent by weight, %Brix (also referred to as °Brix). The conversion
used is based on the ICUMSA Methods Book (International Commission for Uniform
Methods of Sugar Analysis). Since the majority of sugar in grape juice is fructose and
glucose and not sucrose, the reading is sometimes referred to as “Apparent Brix”.
MA883 has units of °Baumé. The °Baumé scale is based on density and was originally
designed to measure the mass of sodium chloride in water. °Baumé is used in wine
making to measure the sugar in must. The MA883 converts the %Brix reading to °Baumé
based on the table found in the Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 18Th
Edition. 1 °Baumé is approximately equal to 1.8 %Brix, and 1 °Baumé is roughly equivalent
to 1 % alcohol when the wine is fully fermented.
In addition to %Brix, MA885 includes two other scales used in the wine industry: °Oechsle
and °KMW.
MEASUREMENT UNITS

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°Oechsle (°Oe) is mainly used in the German, Swiss and Luxenburgish winemaking
industry to measure the sugar content of must. The °Oe scale is based on specific gravity
at 20°C (SG20/20) and is the first 3 digits following the decimal point. 1 °Oe is roughly
equal to 0.2 %Brix.
°Oe = [(SG20/20) - 1] x 1000
°Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (°KMW) is used in Austria to measure the sugar content of
must. °KMW is related to °Oe by the following equation:
°Oe = °KMW x [(0.022 x °KMW) + 4.54]
1 °KMW is roughly equivalent to 1 %Brix or 5 °Oe. °KMW is also known as °Babo.
In addition to %Brix, MA884 also has a second scale that estimates the alcohol content
in the finished wine in (% vol/vol). This is known as “potential” or “probable“ alcohol
since the conversion between sugar and alcohol depends on many factors such as the
type of grapes, the grape maturity, the growing region and yeast fermentation efficiency
and temperature.
Since no fixed conversion factor is universally applicable, MA884 allows the user to
taylor the instrument to their specific needs based on their experience.
The first conversion is based on the %Brix value, with an adjustable conversion factor
anywhere between 0.50 and 0.70 (0.55 is a common value).
Potential alcohol (% v/v) = (0.50 to 0.70) x %Brix
One drawback of the above equation is that it does not take into account the
nonfermentable sugars and extract.
A second equation was also added that takes these factors into account and can give a
more accurate estimate of the alcohol content in the finished wine. This conversion is
named “C1” on the meter, and uses the following equation:
Potential Alcohol (% v/v) = 0.059 x [(2.66 x °Oe) - 30] (C1)

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Instruction Manual MA882, MA883, MA884 & MA885 Refractometers
for Wine and Grape Product Measurements
MEASUREMENT GUIDELINES
• Handle instrument carefully. Do not drop.
• Do not immerse instrument under water.
• Do not spray water to any part of instrument except the “sample well” located over the
prism.
• The instrument is intended to measure grape/wine solutions. Do not expose instrument
or prism to solvents that will damage it. This includes most organic solvents and
extremely hot or cold solutions.
• Particulate matter in a sample may scratch the prism. Absorb sample with a soft tissue
and rinse sample well with deionized or distilled water between samples.
• Use plastic pipettes to transfer all solutions. Do not use metallic tools such as needles,
spoons or tweezers as these will scratch the prism.
• Cover sample well with hand if measuring in direct sun.