Refractometers

[thorn]

It's time I bought one. But it's several years since this forum discussed them, and the prices vary considerably, even between the reputable bee equipment suppliers. £21 from Simon the Beekeeper, around £45 from Thornes and and £65 and beyond from others. Is it a case of you get what you pay for? Advice would be welcome.

 

[enrico]

Cheap one from China off eBay works well. Don't fiddle with the settings when it arrives, just use a bit of good olive oil, take a reading and keep it in a bottle with the reading on it so you can use the same oil for any future calibration.
I think mine was about £25.
E

 

[Millet]

I ordered this last year and it is spot on.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honey-Ref...0ATC-NEW-UK-/141093567059?hash=item20d9d4fa53

 

[Anduril]

Gainexpress was an ebay name mentioned on this forum, they have gone up in price now. There is also this company that I have used for a replacement prism cover. http://www.refractometers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=6

 

[Heather]

I have bought 2 from Ebay , think both Chinese, and both crap! Bought the 2nd as thought the first faulty.
On chatting with my examiners last week one agreed he had same problem. Cheap Chinese rubbish (about £17)
Many people have tried to rectify, adjust, calibrate but Zilch. They show ok & correct reading with distilled water but v pale blue all over when assessing honey... I have to borrow a better one when needed till I get a decent one.

 

[masterBK]

Agree with Anduril. I also bought from Index and use it regularly when judging honey. Their refractometers are accurate and quality products (although still manufactured in China but to their specification and checked in UK before sale.

 

[drex]

They show ok & correct reading with distilled water but v pale blue all over when assessing honey...

My first cheap Chinese was ok, but I lost it. My second was like Heathers, with no definite blue line, sent it back and got replacement which has been fine for several years.

 

[oliver90owner]

Simon the beekeeper is handy should you buy a duff one from him and not so much more than buying from china where the after sales support may be nonexistent. He has a good reputation in the past.

BigT and others likely just mark theirs up by 100% or more. Reliable but pricey.

Mine cost me nearly 35 quid from china when big T were charging over double that. Long time ago and still going strong. They are all only good as a comparison - just don't expect them to give an accurate reading to 0.1%, or even half a percent for some.

Do buy one with automatic temperature compensation (ATC). Not much more than the cheap basic ones. They are not an absolutely required item. More a luxury toy or only really useful when the beekeeper is unable to assess the crop. Capped honey should not need to be tested.

 

[Heather]

Mine ATC and still not giving a range.
In this months BBKA news there is a snippet about refractometers and calibrating using extra virgin oil ( I have used distilled to get a zero).. but they talk of a read off of 71/72 to set the scale.... but our equipment shows max 40. What am I missing... do very expensive refracts go to a higher level?

 

[Anduril]

Mine ATC and still not giving a range.
In this months BBKA news there is a snippet about refractometers and calibrating using extra virgin oil ( I have used distilled to get a zero).. but they talk of a read off of 71/72 to set the scale.... but our equipment shows max 40. What am I missing... do very expensive refracts go to a higher level?

I think you have the wrong refractometer, I believe yours is for beer. You can use medicinal liquid paraffin to calibrate it as well. 24.5 on the water scale. Brix range of 58-90, water 12-27.

 

[Heather]

It did say for honey on the purchase site, and it has Brix written under scale on the refract..

 

[bodlamby]

Why don't you try this one.

Made to test honey. The user manual states that it doesn't need calibrating.

http://refractometershop.com/shop/shop.php?action=full&id=101

 

[Moggs]

Distilled water is no calibration medium for a honey refractometer. The intricate mechanism is built to operate in the expected range and the moisture content of bee-processed honey is typically around 18% (can be higher or lower of course).

Calibration is checked and adjusted using a sample of known moisture content, one that is repeatable, batch on batch (hence the reference to olive oil, which, as I recall gives 71- 72 Brix).

The mechanics and optics of these things are based on a simple design. Not much to go wrong, unless the thing is dropped or otherwise abused. I paid over the odds for one from a UK supplier. The import from China is perfectly serviceable and accurate (even being delivered with calibration block, oil, hard and soft storage cases and pipettes).

 

[Heather]

Instructions just suggested calibration with distilled water is zero and this showed accurately. will buy a third.. the suggestion above. Thanks

 

[Moggs]

Instructions just suggested calibration with distilled water is zero and this showed accurately. will buy a third.. the suggestion above. Thanks

That would make it a refractometer with quite a wide range to accommodate dw and honey. Making it quite a low resolution. Can't say that I have ever encountered such an instrument.

 

[Millet]

My refractometer has a moisture scale from 12% to 27% , would water not read 100% , i have tried water with mine and it did not register where as the honey moisture content registers just fine, i have some almost set honey on the edge of a old brood frame that registers 16% and some in a jar that registered 18% last year that is now 19% moisture now the jar has been opened many times and nearly empty, so my guess is my cheapo refractometer is working fine and dandy .

 

[Moggs]

My refractometer has a moisture scale from 12% to 27% , would water not read 100% , i have tried water with mine and it did not register where as the honey moisture content registers just fine, i have some almost set honey on the edge of a old brood frame that registers 16% and some in a jar that registered 18% last year that is now 19% moisture now the jar has been opened many times and nearly empty, so my guess is my cheapo refractometer is working fine and dandy .

There's the paradox. Water doesn't 'bend' light so much as a heavily laden solution. Even though water is clearly not '0% moisture' the reading reflects its property of allowing light to pass 'relatively' unhindered. The Brix scale corresponds to the number of grams of cane sugar dissolved in 100 grams pure water (as I recall).

 

[enrico]

Instructions just suggested calibration with distilled water is zero and this showed accurately. will buy a third.. the suggestion above. Thanks

That is where I went so wrong. My cheap one said use water to calibrate. When I tried I cocked the calibration up completely. A kind sole from this forum sent me some pre calibrated oil which worked a treat. That is why I said, don't fiddle when it arrives, just note the reading with oil and keep some by.
E

 

[Heather]

But, honestly, I didnt fiddle, just did the distilled water check initially to confirm ok and , yes, there was a solid blue till zero as they indicated to be correct. But honey showed a sky blue from zero to 40.
Am buying a better one!

 

[3bees]

I found this on YouTube - Rosti is/was a forum member. Great to help you re calibrate your honey refractometer using virgin olive oil.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-tAnwGEus