Refractometer

[MrB]

Without appearing to be thick, what does the device do?!

Cheers

Nick

it is for measuring the water content in honey (or jams, depending on which range it covers)
if the water content is above 20% then the honey is likely to ferment and of course could explode like home brew!
it wont taste very nice also,

 

[OXFORDBEE]

I've got one of these (but it was made in 1988).
http://www.labsource.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_3&products_id=190
&products_id=190

 

[johnnythefridge]

I've got one of these (but it was made in 1988).
http://www.labsource.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_3&products_id=190
&products_id=190

If I'm not mistaken, 1988 was a rather good year for labsource honey refractometers.... lol..

So far as how they work, the ammount that a liquid bends light is closely linked to how much stuff is dissolved in it. Some clever bods have used this idea to make a tiny telescope with a transparent cat flap at the end, where you can put a gob of honey before peeping through the telescope eyepiece. The view shows up looking similar to a horizon on a scale (often blue and white, against a black scale) this scale has often been calibrated for percentage water, or depending on the refractometer, other interesing units. There are refractometers available for all sorts of handy measurements, including (but by no means limited to) Freezing point of antifreeze, screen wash, battery acid, jam sugar content and also just refractive index.

Like all instruments, there are cheap and expensive ones, but somewhat supprisingly, even the cheap ones can give very accurate results and have a usefull life span provided that they are looked after and not treated too roughly.

I'd reccomend laying your hands on one just so that you can put your mind at rest quickly if you ever find yourself thinking, eh up ... that looks a tad on the runny side, cause heaven forbid that you should find yourself missing out on the opertunity to make up some mead.

Regards,

John.

 

[keith pierce]

£25 from bee basic

i checked the web site,,£38.40

 

[VEG]

About £18 off ebay works a treat

 

[MuswellMetro]

About £18 off ebay works a treat

under £18 is what to look for as no import VAT is payable under £18


so £19 plus free postage is worse than £18 plus £5 postage because you pay £19+20% plus £3 collection charge or if under £18 just £18 plus £5 postage

Customs duty does not come in until £135


compared my £15 ATC one comapred to a £150 one and 0.2% difference

 

[VEG]

this is what I bought

ebay item 330594354119

 

[MuswellMetro]

this is what I bought

ebay item 330594354119

yes, i have same and have just purchased one iof the same for a friend

the ATC means you dont have to re calibrate for temperature which was a pain for the £150 one is used to check it agsainst

it was pre set and works straight out of the box

 

[eric]

this is what I bought

ebay item 330594354119

Craig
I like it please let me know how it is when you get it

cheers bud

 

[Hivemaker.]

Craig
I like it please let me know how it is when you get it

cheers bud

He already has it,he uses it,read post 25.

 

[eric]

He already has it,he uses it,read post 25.

opps lol

feed back craig please lol

 

[keith pierce]

is this the correct one to buy.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Honey-Refractometer-Beekeeping-Bees-58-90-ATC-
/330594354119?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item4cf8f583c7

 

[Alabamaeee]

Probably a daft question...

I take you guys that have a refractometer use them at the hive before deciding to remove supers full of honey?

By that I mean do you remove a sample of the honey and test it in the refractometer at the apiary, or do you bring a sample of the honey home to test?

I can see me struggling with a refractometer and gloves on while lots of bees investigate the new reflective and shiny object near their hive

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

By that I mean do you remove a sample of the honey and test it in the refractometer at the apiary, or do you bring a sample of the honey home to test?
)

I do a shake test of uncapped at the hive - if honey drops then its not ready, but a refractometer test in the kitchen to be certain.

 

[Mike a]

do you remove a sample of the honey and test it in the refractometer at the apiary, or do you bring a sample of the honey home to test?

Check the cells are capped at the apiary. If a cell isn't capped they are worth testing, a simple flick test will give you a rough idea if the contents is nearly ready to be capped over without the need for a refractometer.

Then once I'm home I test the odd frame during the process of extraction.

 

[dclewis]

Just a warning on the cheap ones from HK (ebay), they are cheap for a reason, mine the hinge for the plastic light defuser screen over the prism was very weak and the plastic split at the hinge almost on the first cleaning, maybe I'm hamfisted, but there was no strength there at all. Its still useable though, and seems to give a reasonable indication of water content. I think the more exensive ones would be better made around this weak point and elsewhere too I hope, for those that pay the money.

 

[Busybee123]

I just bought one like this (item number 290585435431)

A little more expensive but comes with oil and reference block. Also I liked the fact that it had a single scale reading 10% to 30% water content.

 

[oliver90owner]

I take you guys that have a refractometer use them at the hive before deciding to remove supers full of honey?

I rarely use mine. It is there should I need it. For the minimal cost (mine was thirty five quid several years a go (and VM's was likely even moor, at least in real terms, back in 1988!).

If there is doubt, it can be removed. If the honey needs a little moisure removal, it is there to monitor progress. If the honey was capped, there was never a problem.

But there again, I would not be using my pH meter either if there is no possibility of sugar syrup contamination. I wouldn't need a warming cabinet if I simply spun the honey and bottled it. And so it goes on...

RAB