Brix
From Freepedia
- For the commune in France, see Brix, Manche, for the computer game, see Brix (game).
Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is a measurement of the ratio of dissolved solids to water in a liquid.
A 25 °Bx solution has 25 grams of dry solids in 100 grams of liquid. Or, to put it another way, there are 25 grams of solids and 75 grams of water.
As such, it is used in the food industry for measuring the approximate amount of sugars in fruit juices, wine and soft drinks.
For fruit juices, one degree Brix is about 1-2% sugar by weight. This usually correlates well with perceived sweetness.
Brix is a measurement of the specific gravity of the liquid. Because the specific gravity of sucrose solutions is well known, it can also be measured by a refractometer. For ease of use, refractometers are preferred over hydrometer spindles marked for the Brix scale.
When a refractometer is used, it is correct to talk about "refractometric dried substance" (RDS). One might speak of a liquid as being 20 °Bx RDS.
