Beekeeping - Calibrating Refractometers

Today I messed around and figured out how to calibrate a honey refractometer. Do we really need to calibrate a refractometer. Refractometers are used to measure the moisture content in honey. Hi, I'm certified master beekeeper David Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms and today I'll give you some tips on calibrating honey refractometers.
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[@gordonseifert7442]

Thank you! I just got one and, as you said, the water calibration is useless. And the scale shown in the instructions is wrong as well. I'm sure you have saved many of us from sending ours back as useless.

[@beek]

They are easy to calibrate with olive oil

[@Doc832]

Excellent video, simple and to the point. Even the Winter bee chat was good.

[@darlenasturgis9575]

Thank you so much! The instructions I receive said to calibrate it with water. Nothing was changing. The olive oil did the trick!

[@beek]

Glad it helped!

[@stevensbeeco767]

Wanted to double check mine and was excited to see a David Burns video! :) Thank you sir!

[@beek]

My pleasure!

[@josephvogel7234]

Dave, I got my refractometer last year and I was satisfied that it had been calibrated properly already. This year I I wanted to verify. I researched and found virgin olive oil is consistent @ 27.2% . I found my meter was off about 3% on the water scale. (mine has only a water % scale) I can't say that it was handled or stored improperly so I have to say that for me verifying each year will be my new routine.

[@leiaburt659]

In the video you said it should be 71.5, but when you showed the test reading, the refractometer was on 71. 71.5 would be the next line up. Is 71 close enough?

[@advocacyrl8017]

LOL, I literally just got mine in the mail today.

[@sallycroff3558]

Could you use your refractometer for testing the sugar content in maple sap also.

[@cpac97]

didnt order from u but mine was way off.. was reading 18.5 -19 on my honey, checked with olive oil and was way off rechecked and was17 after calibration..

[@RealMav1]

Hi Dave, my refractometer has a scale 0 to 30 percent. Is this the wrong tool that I purchased? It’s the same brand as yours and looks exactly like yours but different scale . Even the instructions have a pic of 0 to 100 percent. Thanks

[@josephvogel7234]

Your meter is fine. It is showing the moisture (water%) content only. That is just like mine.

[@srae1503]

I have not calibrated mine, first time I used it was today but I can not get any reading. It just has a white screen. Any suggestions?

[@terrir8525]

I put evoo on my brand new refractometer out of the box and it said 74...should I calibrate it?

[@vadjus2006]

Hi. I did colibrate as you said . My honey shows 12% water. Is that posible?

[@KurraKurd2012]

Hi Sir! Is that refractometer accurate? Like can i rely on it during buying honey?

[@janpcs]

Beer brewers all say you have to calibrate is.

[@racheal3411]

Thank you!!!

[@beek]

You're welcome!

[@eddevault4604]

I ordered the same one as you were showing…..it came from Amazon off by 1.5%…..just saying….not all are correct…

[@beek]

I've heard that temp and humidity can throw it off.

[@VaderSpade]

Mine certainly was NOT in calibration when it came. It was WAY off.

[@mathudds]

1) You did need to calibrate the refractometer, it was not correct as you said. 2) You cannot say they are all sold calibrated, you actually demonstrated otherwise. 3) All olive oil is not the same, calibration fluid is the only way to confidently calibrate.