plato or SG

being a homebrewer i never used plato always used SG, why do commercial brewers use plato vs SG? what is the difference and how do you measure plato on a homebrew level?

Most hydrometers and refractometers will measure it.  It never seemed relevant to me, so i use SG.

Most homebrew recipes give OG and FG in Specific Gravity. However, if you are using a refractometer, some of the software to calculate the FG of the flat beer use Plato. That’s the only reason i can see for Plato over SG.

so the balling scale on the hydrometer is in plato?

Balling, Brix and Plato are simply to different levels of accuracy SG.  Balling went to 3 decimals, Brix to 5? and Plato to 6 - or so I read somewhere

I use SG.  Its easiest for me.  My hydrometer and refracometer both read SG.

i agree with all of you on using SG, i was just wondering why pro brewers go by plato and homebrewers go by SG

I have often wondered that myself.  Maybe it’s a way for pro brewers to distinguish themselves from homebrewers. 
It’s less precise unless it goes to a decimal point.  A pro brewer may say, “it’s about 12 Plato” which we would think 1.048, but without more accuracy could mean 1.046 (11.5) to 1.050 (12.5).  To us this seems like a big difference.

Plato or Brix is just easier to work with.  Only 2 or 3 digits without the dang 1.0 in front, and it’s just 1/4 of the gravity points.  I use both, I’m becoming proficient at Brix now after using my refractometer for a while, but always converting back and forth in my head like oh 13 Brix that’s like 1.052, etc.

The only reason I use SG is because beer recipes, books, forums etc. use it, and I only use it for beer.
I make a lot of mead and for that I am pretty much not referencing anyone else so I use the Potential Alcohol scale on the hydrometer. It’s really the only one that makes any sense to use apart from having to reference other people’s work. PA tells you the percentage of sugar in a liquid and therefore the potential alcohol. Start at 12% PA and if you end up at 1% you have an 11% dry mead. No charts, calculators etc., very intuitive.

My brewing calculations are in metric and Plato is the logical way to get extract doing it that way.

I also converted to measuring in degrees Plato a few years ago.  The numbers are easier to work with, at least for my pea brain.  I have a set of three hydrometers (1-8, 8-16, and16-24) that are accurately calibrated by the manufacturer, documented, and shipped with the hyudrometer.  I get more accurate gravity measurments with them than with a typical SG hydrometer (I have compared them). The built in temperature correction thermometer seems more accurae on mine than the SG ones you buy at your LHBS.  It is also a throw back from my pro-brewer days.  But I guess it is a matter of choice.  If you are comfortable with SG, use it.  I am more comfortable in degrees Plato.

I had always used SG. Then I started working at a brewery and the head honcho insisted on Plato. Big deal, I can do that. But the longer I used them the more I liked them. They are supremely accurate, and the built in thermometer and correction chart help immensely.

I refrigerate my samples prior to taking a reading, but I don’t rely on the correction chart. Instead, I let the temp rise until I can take the reading at exactly zero correction factor. And I have seen a huge improvement in the accuracy of my results.

I still convert to SG to compare results with other brewers, but I’m sold on Plato saccharometers.

Charlie

Ironically, many of the brewers in FL use SG rather than Plato.  I can convert between both but it is a bit puzzling.  But it is what it is.

I’m not 100% sure but I think it was a historical thing from professionals of yore. Or just the other side of the pond. They used Brix so Brix came here. But available tools guided our way of brewing. Now everything is so accessible but so used to SG.

The Germans use Plato, the British use SG. Not sure about the others in Euroland.

English speaking [emoji28] maybe it’s a matter of proximity for others?

The Plato scale has a genuine practical meaning which for original wort is % sugar, aka % extract w/v.
It is also used in classification and taxation.