honey bucket dead on 20

[Cuckmere couple]

via refractometer - not always sure accuracy of calibration

hmm....suggestions

re calibrate and check again
wait until some clearly under 20 and mix
wait until we see if it ferments
buy a dehumidifier

any experience welcome?

 

[enrico]

If you are worried then I hear freezing overcomes the problem.

E

 

[Millet]

If you know someone else with bees...maybe someone in your association ???..ask them to check your refractometer on the honey that they have which has passed the test..20% is border line for me..i had some 21% last year and it creeped to 23% after a couple of weeks and got binned.

 

[Newbeeneil]

If you know someone else with bees...maybe someone in your association ???..ask them to check your refractometer on the honey that they have which has passed the test..20% is border line for me..i had some 21% last year and it creeped to 23% after a couple of weeks and got binned.

Why not just recalibrate the refractometer?

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/refractometercalibration.html

 

[enrico]

If you know someone else with bees...maybe someone in your association ???..ask them to check your refractometer on the honey that they have which has passed the test..20% is border line for me..i had some 21% last year and it creeped to 23% after a couple of weeks and got binned.

Seems a pity to bin honey. The reason it changes is the less dense honey with more water in rises to the surface. The honey at the bottom would probably have been fine!
E

 

[Fritillary]

i had some 21% last year and it creeped to 23% after a couple of weeks and got binned.

"Binned" - ?

 

[Millet]

"Binned" - ?

Yes down the plug hole..it was only around 25lb's worth i was going to try and make mead with it but it smelt like vinegar so i did not fancy risking it and in the process wasting my time.

 

[Millet]

Why not just recalibrate the refractometer?

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/refractometercalibration.html

I would check it first with a one that is guaranteed to be accurate..if you start faffing about with the calibration screw you can cause yourself a world of head damage..

 

[Beefriendly]

any experience welcome?

Not sure what the problem is here, 20% water content is legal honey. Not ideal but you won't go to jail for selling it...

 

[Anduril]

If you are worried about the accuracy of the refractometer, buy some medicinal liquid paraffin, which will give you a reading of 24.5% water.

 

[Hachi]

If you are worried about the accuracy of the refractometer, buy some medicinal liquid paraffin, which will give you a reading of 24.5% water.

I can't seem to find anywhere that sells Medicinal liquid paraffin, any pointers please or will plain liquid paraffin be ok to use?

 

[Anduril]

I can't seem to find anywhere that sells Medicinal liquid paraffin, any pointers please or will plain liquid paraffin be ok to use?

Pharmacies sell it, you may be asked if you have used it before, used for constipation, I just tell them it's used to calibrate scientific equipment and look at their bemused faces.

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

 

[Newbeeneil]

If you have some olive oil in you kitchen you can recalibrate the refractometer as accurately as the adjustment screw allows using it.

Olive oil regular (Sainsbury's) 27.2%

Olive oil regular (Bertolli) 27.2%

Olive oil, Spanish extra virgin (Sainsbury's) 27.0%

Olive oil, Italian extra virgin (Filippo Berio) 27.0%

 

[Cuckmere couple]

so

just re calibrated with olive oil

so

our bucket of honey (from a drop at the top) records 20.5

what to do?

 

[Anduril]

Is it for your own consumption? Options available, a defumidifier in a small room. Or warming cabinet with a PC fan set at 35°C until it reduces down to your desired level. Other options, others use, but on a smaller scale for show purposes, would be a heat pad and your show jar resting on it. Demo I saw reduced down to 16%.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

well...hoping to sell some in the pub

my wife has a dehydrator she thinks may work....?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

just checked it out

it has a herb setting at 30 degrees and a bread rising setting at 40-45 etc so am going to test a bowl....

 

[Anduril]

A slight variation to what Hivemaker suggested once. https://youtu.be/AB5jMe6v4Os
There were a number of articles in the BeeCraft magazine, over the years, a former chair of the Scottish beekeepers and I believe Wally Shaw. A dehumidifier and conservatory. Also other results on the forum, good luck.

 

[Welshboyarchrr]

If you can get half of it down to 16%, mixing that back in would give you 18% as an average.

 

[Anduril]

Try a small amount first.