Water %

[pargyle]

Thanks just bought one for about £6, just wondering about calibration with extra virgin olive oil - what should it read ?

WELL ... If you bought that one ... you need to read on a couple of posts as it won't calibrate for honey !

 

[Steve A]

WELL ... If you bought that one ... you need to read on a couple of posts as it won't calibrate for honey !

Oh... Funny that.. it says on the box, and other replies, that it will. But I guess I'll just have to take your word for it

 

[pargyle]

Oh... Funny that.. it says on the box, and other replies, that it will. But I guess I'll just have to take your word for it

Does it say this on the box ?

Brix Refractometer, 0-50%

because if it does then honey needs 70-80% ...

You don't have to take my word for it ....

 

[user 819]

Thanks just bought one for about £6, just wondering about calibration with extra virgin olive oil - what should it read ?

See #22 & #32.

 

[Anduril]

As masterBK I have an Index Instruments refractometer. I had a Chinese one before that and thought something wasn't quite right with it. Tested it with liquid paraffin and it gave a reading of 24.5% water, then I used expensive brix calibration fluid which should give a reading of 60%, it didn't, I calibrated it to 60% brix, but then the water calibration was out. The metal plate inside the unit must have been deformed. The Index Instruments one gave both readings accurately, I recently bought another Chinese one and tested it, the liquid paraffin reading was around 25% and just under 60% on the brix test. After calibrating it, it now reads correctly, I never like trusting that an instrument is correct until I'm satisfied with my own tests. This company was recommended many years ago on here and there is a video for dioptric oil

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks just bought one for about £6, just wondering about calibration with extra virgin olive oil - what should it read ?

I wouldn’t trust a cheap one to be consistent. Olive oil is 27%. Keep a sample and calibrate it before use

 

[drdrday]

As well as calibrating with olive oil I also find it reassuring sending off my honey samples to NHMS. So far their readings (which I assume are taken on better equipment than my Ebay bought refractometer) have agreed with my own well enough that I have reasonable faith in the cheap instrument. ☺

 

[Anduril]

For Jacq and Steve A, the refractometer that Jacq has bought shows a brix of 0-50%, this is an alcohol refractometer, the instructions should say to calibrate with distilled water. This gives a brix of 0%, in the world of homebrewing for a hydrometer a specific gravity of 1 is the same as the brix 0%. The images on Amazon are deceptive, but if you use honey to make mead then the refractometer will come in handy for that.

 

[Jacq]

It was me that bought the £6 refractometer and I have just put it in the amazon locker for return. The advert had loads of pictures of honey so I’m sure someone else will make my mistake again. I’ll read a bit more next time! Thanks everyone for your help

 

[pargyle]

It was me that bought the £6 refractometer and I have just put it in the amazon locker for return. The advert had loads of pictures of honey so I’m sure someone else will make my mistake again. I’ll read a bit more next time! Thanks everyone for your help

Unfortunately a lot of items bought on ebay and Amazon originate in China and are just sold on by re-sellers and drop shippers who probably have little, if any, knowledge of what they are selling and rely upon descriptions provided by the Chinese manufacturer/distributor who, sometimes, are very liberal or occasionally careless with their product decriptions. It is very much a case of Caveat emptor and if these items were being sold in a regular retail environment there would probably be a case for looking at them from the Trades Description Act viewpoint ... because you are dealing with internet purchases and have the protection of being able to return anything there is little appetite for them to be pursued by Trading Standards. I think most people have been caught, in one way or another, with what could be construed as misleading descriptions ...

 

[Steve A]

I wouldn’t trust a cheap one to be consistent. Olive oil is 27%. Keep a sample and calibrate it before use

Thanks very much indeed for your guidance

 

[Moobee]

I wouldn’t trust a cheap one to be consistent. Olive oil is 27%. Keep a sample and calibrate it before use

Brilliant thanks, just checked mine with olive oil, works a treat