Re: A discussion on Brix Readings: Reliable or not Reliable?

Hi Mike.
Great thread.

Honestly, I think that I would begin by making some clarifications.

Firstly, what is a Brix?

"Brix is the sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution..." [wiki]

So, the reading from the refractometer is the amount of sugar that is present per 100 grams of solution sample.

Brix is NOT a density, which if you remember in physics is the total mass divided by volume. Instead Brix is a percentage of the sugar mass in comparison to the total mass of the solution sample.

Again, when reading the Brix, the number represents a measurement of the number of grams of sugar as compared to the total mass in a 100-gram solution sample. So yes, Brix is a measure of sugar!

Secondly, how are you measuring? You first have to decide what will constitute a 100 grams of solution sample. If you are measuring a smoothie, then you just use the 100 grams of this solution to make the measurement. Simple enough. What happens when you measure an orange? Do you include the rind or not? If you crush the orange with the rind, you are surely to make the Brix number lower owing to the acidity of the rind. In other words, in order for your methodology to have uniformity, you need to decide on some rules. For example, you could choose only to use materials for the solution sample that are derived from what you actually consume. In the case of the orange, you don't eat the rind, so you don't use the rind to make your 100-gram solution sample. Right?

Thirdly, what actually constitutes an 100-gram solution sample generally? This sample is a combination of vitamins, minerals, water, etc. As "moreless" explained, you can simply define any solution sample as minerals and non-minerals. The total mass in the 100-gram solution falls somewhere on the pH scale either being acidic, alkaline or neutral.

Therefore, a high Brix reading means either the mineral mass and/or the non-mineral mass have high sugar content. This sample is alkaline.

If the Brix reading is low, the solution sample has low sugar content. This sample is either neutral or acidic.

Now, the core question that is worth posing: does a measure of sugar correlate to the solution sample's actual nutritional value?

ANSWER: Maybe.


I hope this helps.
Gideon. Tweet