Plato scale
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The '''Plato scale''' is an empirically derived [[hydrometer]] scale to measure [[density]] of [[beer]] [[wort]] in terms of percentage of extract by weight. The scale expresses the density as the percentage of sucrose by weight, so a wort measured at 12° Plato has the same density as a water−sucrose solution containing 12% sucrose by weight, denoted as 12% [[Brix]]. It was developed in 1843 by Bohemian scientist Karl Balling, and improved by German Fritz Plato.
For the brewer, it has the advantage over [[Gravity (beer)|specific gravity]] that it expresses the measurement in terms of the amount of fermentable materials.
Degrees Plato are more popular in central European brewing, and occasionally feature in beer names—some [[Slovakia|Slovak]] or [[Czech Republic|Czech]] breweries feature 10° and 12° versions of their beers, for instance. Many Belgian breweries also do this, examples include [[Brasserie_de_Rochefort|Rochefort]] and [[Maredsous(beer)|Maredsous]].
==Conversion==
The relationship between degrees Plato and [[Gravity (beer)|specific gravity]] is not [[linear]], but a good approximation is that 1° Plato is worth 4 "brewers points" (the thousandths' part of the SG measurement), so 12° Plato corresponds to an original gravity of 1.048.
[[Category:Brewing]]
[[Category:Scales]]
[[nl:Plato (biersterkte)]]
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