Brix measurement determines pure sucrose content in samples and is not only a well-known application in the food and beverage industry, but also in the chemical segment. The degree Brix is represented by the following equation:
1 degree Brix (°Bx) = 1g of sucrose / 100g of solution
But does it apply to any kind of sample? Is 12 °Bx in orange juice equal to 12 g of sugar?
In practice, not necessarily. The Brix scale is used to measure sugar content in substances such as soft drinks, fruit juices and tomato concentrates, as well as products such as cutting oil, which are very often far away from pure sucrose/water solutions. This has led to some confusion especially when comparing results obtained with different measuring techniques (hydrometer, pycnometer, refractometer, digital density meter).
On this page you will gain essential knowledge about Brix and other related scales used in sugar content determination.