Reference liquid for refractometer

[Outlander]

OK refractometer has turned up and the instruction say to calibrate it with distilled water. The Brix does not go down far enough to do so. The company is useless and could not help, stated that I could always have a refund.

So tell me, what do you guys use to calibrate with that is readily available?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Olive oil.

 

[Outlander]

I do so love it when your so cryptic Pete. So 71.5. Would that be good.

 

[BeeJayBee]

http://vk1od.net/recipe/misc/RefractometerCal.htm

 

[theeggman]

Outlander,

You may find the following sticky thread a help.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18701

Tim

 

[itma]

OK refractometer has turned up and the instruction say to calibrate it with distilled water. The Brix does not go down far enough to do so. ...
So tell me, what do you guys use to calibrate with that is readily available?

I went the extra £4 for my ebay (gxproducts) refractometer to include some calibration oil and glass block.

As delivered, it was very very close to being spot on.

Olive oil is actually quite variable - by all means use it as a 'sanity check', but DON'T adjust anything on the basis of olive oil!
Use a stored sample of your chosen oil to check that your instrument is giving the same reading, year after year.

If you want to check the calibration *accuracy* (rather than constancy) the best bet is to take a couple of different honeys and go and visit someone with a known-accurately calibrated refractometer - and check that both instruments are reading about the same. I'm sure trading standards would have a very accurate instrument! Go visit?


/// Incidentally some refractometers *DO* use distilled water for calibration. Maybe you have been sent instructions for a different model?

 

[psafloyd]

I went the extra £4 for my ebay (gxproducts) refractometer to include some calibration oil and glass block.

As delivered, it was very very close to being spot on.

Olive oil is actually quite variable - by all means use it as a 'sanity check', but DON'T adjust anything on the basis of olive oil!
Use a stored sample of your chosen oil to check that your instrument is giving the same reading, year after year.

If you want to check the calibration *accuracy* (rather than constancy) the best bet is to take a couple of different honeys and go and visit someone with a known-accurately calibrated refractometer - and check that both instruments are reading about the same. I'm sure trading standards would have a very accurate instrument! Go visit?


/// Incidentally some refractometers *DO* use distilled water for calibration. Maybe you have been sent instructions for a different model?

I couldn't work out the oil and block calibration (USELESS instructions as ever these days), so used the olive oil method. Would like to check it, mind, so can you talk a novice through the process?

 

[itma]

I couldn't work out the oil and block calibration (USELESS instructions as ever these days), so used the olive oil method. Would like to check it, mind, so can you talk a novice through the process?

Umm. You may have a different instrument, so beware!

Place a small drop of oil on the sample glass (where the honey goes), put the glass block on the oil - non-frosted side against the oil and sample glass. Flip the honey-cover over the block and try to hold everything in place (the tricky bit - oil is a lubricant!) while you look at the reading.
If its on the calibration mark, just clean up and put the calibration kit away.
If not, then you need to twiddle a stiff little screw (hidden by a rubber grommet cover) until the reading with the block & oil IS at the calibration mark.
On mine the calibration mark is an extra little line on the centre scale.

Hope that helps ...

 

[enrico]

The real secret, as I found, is NOT to touch the little screw at all! It comes ready calibrated! As you say distiller water does not work. Having already tried water and turned the screw I followed the u tube video and with olive oil returned it to about the right mark! It works well with honey now and I wouldn't be without it, not sure if the reading s 100 percent accurate but ..... Hey, nothing has fermented yet!

 

[psafloyd]

Umm. You may have a different instrument, so beware!

Place a small drop of oil on the sample glass (where the honey goes), put the glass block on the oil - non-frosted side against the oil and sample glass. Flip the honey-cover over the block and try to hold everything in place (the tricky bit - oil is a lubricant!) while you look at the reading.
If its on the calibration mark, just clean up and put the calibration kit away.
If not, then you need to twiddle a stiff little screw (hidden by a rubber grommet cover) until the reading with the block & oil IS at the calibration mark.
On mine the calibration mark is an extra little line on the centre scale.

Hope that helps ...

THanks for that. Tried it, but couldn't get it to work. Reading indistinct and couldn't see a calibration mark on the scale.