Water %

[Newbeeneil]

Good tip...perhaps It's the first thing to do after buying it

I recalibrate mine before every extraction/bottling session. It only takes a minute with a drop of extra virgin olive oil and occasionally it's been 0.5% out so worth the hassle in my opinion.

 

[user 819]

At £10 or £11 the cheap ATC ones are a no brainer just to have in the cupboard. As above a quick calibration prior to use Extra or Virgin Olive oil is an ideal source to use and one can use 27% to get a pretty good calibration and within approx. 0.2%.
If one wants dioptric oil and a block then the more expensive price tags are the ones to look at , tbh these aren't needed.

 

[gmonag]

ATC is not a brand. It means Automatic Temperature Compensation

 

[Hachi]

If you intend to sell

On a scale of 1(gimmick) to 10(must have), where does a refractometer fall? Wondering if I need to be getting one?

If you intend to sell, or even give away your surplus the biggest shame a beekeeper can bestow on themselves, is to be known for supplying fermented honey.

 

[Hachi]

I recommend Index instruments. The one I bought from them 20+ yrs ago has never needed adjusting. They are refractometer specialists and have been making and selling refractrometers since 1975 (although they are getting some of them made in Asia these days)

Just looked at their website, I'm hoping something is not quite right as if you scroll down, they say the next trade fair is in 2014!!

 

[user 819]

ATC is not a brand. It means Automatic Temperature Compensation

Yes quite right it is not a brand which my post may have implied.
They are a generic China model which I think one can find for sale at various prices, albeit at £10 or £50 or more.

 

[Jacq]

Just bought this under £7 and on prime. Doesn’t look any different to the others but I may have missed something https://www.amazon.co.uk/Refractome...actometer&qid=1623737676&sprefix=refr&sr=8-18

 

[Erichalfbee]

No it won't work. Brix of honey is 70ish to high 80s

 

[gmonag]

I made the same mistake. They all look the same on the outside. You need

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265159545575?hash=item3dbcbd92e7:g:~N0AAOSwwYldR~v1

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s not surprising though. There is a picture of a jar of honey with it

 

[Jacq]

Ah! Oh well! Try again! I thought it was a bargain.

 

[user 819]

My sample I tested before posting to CEH was 17% with my £10.22 Refractometer I calibrated with EVOO using 27% and Liquid Paraffin BP using 24.5%, CEH reading was 16.5% so within 0.5%.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

so...i have some buckets about 17%....just spun a super which is bang on 20%....mix with other buckets or feed back.....i think best to feed back....thoughts?

 

[Newbeeneil]

so...i have some buckets about 17%....just spun a super which is bang on 20%....mix with other buckets or feed back.....i think best to feed back....thoughts?

I would put the 20% in a warming cabinet for a few days. My 20% half bucket is losing about 0.5% per day at present.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mix it

 

[Antipodes]

so...i have some buckets about 17%....just spun a super which is bang on 20%....mix with other buckets or feed back.....i think best to feed back....thoughts?

I'd feed it back. 17.1 per cent and lower is the magic number.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I would put the 20% in a warming cabinet for a few days. My 20% half bucket is losing about 0.5% per day at present.

It went from 20 to 18.5 in 3 days but it's slowed down in the last 2 days. Still just over 18%

 

[Cazza]

I use a chopstick to take samples from my cells. After years of playing guess the water content by the way the honey lifts off the refractometer glass with the chopstick, I don't actually need the refractometer any more. Always a fun game to play. In a similar way I learnt from my dad how to guess wheat water content by how it bites between your incisors.

 

[Steve A]

Just bought this under £7 and on prime. Doesn’t look any different to the others but I may have missed something Brix Refractometer, 0-50% Liquid Refractometer High Accuracy Brix Liquid Measuring Equipment RHB-50ATC: Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

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

 

[Murox]

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

Between 71 and 72 on the Brix scale.