Refractometer

[Mikeb123]

Took delivery of my refractometer today only to find the calibration oil bottle has split and spilt!!
The bottle seems very small so I'm sure there would not have been a great deal in there anyway.
What oil do you use?
Thanks

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I use olive oil.

I was advised to keep just a small bottle to check that the reading is consistent from one check to another.

If you have just a little left in the bottle, check the initial base line, then check the olive oil; it doesn't matter what the reading is - as long as it's the same over time.

I'm sure someone will come along and contradict that pretty soon!

Dusty

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just ordered half a litre of medicinal grade liquid paraffin off fleabay (on the recommendation of some on here) cost me about eight quid and will last years with plenty spare for the odd stubborn motion

Of course you could save loads by just using distilled water but remember that the stuff from the tap is no good as the water content is different.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Of course you could save loads by just using distilled water

Good one!!!

 

[Mikeb123]

If using olive oil does it give you the brix rating on the label so you know what to calibrate to?

 

[oliver90owner]

Have you ever seen a bottle of olive oil with a degrees Brix reading? I haven't.

 

[Jaytee]

I use Olive Oil and calibrate to 71.5 on the Brix scale. Have a look at this.
http://www.montybees.org.uk/content/calibrating-your-refractometer

 

[itma]

I use Olive Oil and calibrate to 71.5 on the Brix scale. Have a look at this.
http://www.montybees.org.uk/content/calibrating-your-refractometer

Due to the remarkably consistent properties of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, one drop of it on the slide will always read between 71 and 72 on the ‘Brix’ scale – the middle one in most refractometers. If you set the lock-nut to show any such oil at 71.5, you will have correctly calibrated the neighbouring scale at the same time.

Sorry, utter tosh.

You can, as Dusty said above, use a specifically stored bottle of oil to check that your instrument is reading the same as it was before.
That oil in that bottle will be fairly "consistent" over time (stored in a cool dark place, well-sealed bottle, etc).

HOWEVER, different bottles of "extra virgin olive oil" can be relied upon to give VERY different readings. (Spanish, Italian, Greek, different olive varieties, different presses, etc.) You might be lucky, but probably not.
Olive oil is NOT consistent across different suppliers, vintages, etc.


It is simply wrong to suggest that any random bottle of "extra virgin olive oil" is going to definitely be more accurate than the factory calibration.


Generally, when people buy a measuring instrument (whether kitchen measuring jug, greenhouse thermometer or blood pressure meter - or whatever) they don't feel the urge to immediately bu**er up the factory setting of that instrument by "recalibrating" it.
WTF does everyone think they MUST do this with a refractometer?

 

[jd101k2000]

I received my refractometer today. (Justification: I wanted to check that my 'shake-test' honey was not too watery.)

Checked honey - 18.5% (Hurrah!)
Got some olive oil. It read 27%
Stored the olive oil in a little bottle and labelled it: Reference oil, 27%.

Now when I need to check something with my refractometer, I can use some of MY olive oil (yours may be different). If it reads 27%, I can go ahead and test the honey (or whatever) knowing that my refractometer is still calibrated.

If it reads something other than 27% for MY olive oil, I know that I need to calibrate it so it reads 27%.

Chances are, if I don't bang my refractometer around by playing shove ha'penny, it will remain calibrated without any further action.

It is that easy.

Why it has required three threads in the past fortnight, with people debating the merits of using prune juice, liquid kryptonite, the venom sac of the lesser spotted cobra, or anything else I don't know.

Hrumph!

 

[enrico]

Generally, when people buy a measuring instrument (whether kitchen measuring jug, greenhouse thermometer or blood pressure meter - or whatever) they don't feel the urge to immediately bu**er up the factory setting of that instrument by "recalibrating" it.
WTF does everyone think they MUST do this with a refractometer? [/I]

Because when mine arrived the instructions were in such poor English that when I read them they suggested to me that I HAD TO CALIBRATE IT BEFORE USE.
I now know different.
E

 

[Tom Bick]

Assuming we are only looking for an approx accuracy and the capped honey in the comb is not heather then capped honey should give a reading say 17-20%

 

[Jeff Buzz]

Assuming we are only looking for an approx accuracy and the capped honey in the comb is not heather then capped honey should give a reading say 17-20%

This was the point of my thread from a few days ago.

If you are happy to take capped honey as being below 20% then if in doubt check your refractometer against some of your capped honey.

I had frames with capped and uncapped honey the capped was 17% and uncapped was 16%.

 

[jd101k2000]

If you are happy with an accuracy of +/- 3%, why are you bothering to use a refractometer?

The shake test is more accurate than that and is free.

It is just nonsensical.