precision refractometer vs hydrometer - noob help?

[Ajes]

Hey.
I put together an ispindel, and now I'd like to calibrate it as precisely as I can.
I got it weighted down to 25 degrees in clean water - so far so good.
I got a hydrometer from Brouwland - but I'm a bit unsure about how precise it is.
So I borrowed a high quality refractometer from the school I work at (it's a KERN ora 20ba).

I brewed a Marzen yesterday, and before pitching the yeast, I used the refractometer and measured 14 brix. I found some online calculators which tells me that that is 1.057 SG.

I have set up BrewPiLess to control the temp of my freezer, and calibrate the ispindel at the same time. (using wyeast 2206, temp at 11 degrees celcius).
So today I wanted to make a first SG reading to put in. I used the refractometer again, and it still read 14 brix. I'm thinking that's ok - it's a lager, and it might be a slow starter.
But for testing, I also did a measuring using the hydrometer - this read 1.052.

Now I'm confused:
I don't think there's that much alcohol in there just yet (it's just been around 8 hours, and there's no bubling in the airlock yet) - so I'd suppose it should still be about OG.

I know that the refractometer's readings will be off, when there's alcohol in there - but I thought that since I knew the OG, there should be calculators that would help me get fairly accurate SG readings from the brix refractometer readings?

 

[NeoBrew]

Assuming your hydrometer is accurate. The hydrometer is correct.

8 hours is a long time. There is no way to know the yeast has NOT started fermenting, so given your other info, the hydrometer is what you should believe.

You might consider making a small amount of starter wort using DME. That would give you a baseline to compare the hydrometer, refractometer, and iSpindle in.