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Author Topic: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey  (Read 5019 times)

Offline Aroc

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Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« on: August 01, 2018, 08:40:07 pm »
Happen to have a refractometer I use for beer.  S.G on right and Brix on left. 

Can I use this for honey moisture content?  Do they work the same?  Can I somehow convert Brix to moisture content?
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Offline paus

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2018, 09:57:27 pm »
Yes Brix can be converted, the formula is on the internet.  Why can't a Baume' scale hydrometer be used to tell the same thing as a refractometer. 

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2018, 10:24:34 am »
It depends on the scale range of the refractometer.  Brewing refractometers might not necessarily be metered in the same range as honey refractometers.

Honey refractometers are scaled to use with heavier liquids like honey, molasses and syrup in the 60% to 90% Brix range.  Brewing refractometers are scaled to use in the 0% to 40% range.
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Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2018, 03:23:47 pm »
Hops, I should have known by your name, you would be the man with detailed answers here.  Thanks for your reply, good to know sort of thing, make perfect sense, your post.

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2018, 04:34:47 pm »
Thanks Van, but if I knew the details, I would have been able to tell them what to use to measure in the 40% to 60% brix range!  :wink:
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Offline Beepah

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2018, 08:55:30 pm »
A dilution to get the honey into the instrument's range?

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2018, 10:10:00 pm »
I thought a refractometer was a refractometer.  Now you tell me there are different ones for different tasks.  I'm old and confused.  When looking for a refractometer online, how do we know we're buying one that's good for honey, without going to the places that sell beekeeper supplies and paying for a high dollar thing that can be bought for less elsewhere?
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Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2018, 10:26:54 pm »
Amazon has refractors for honey, read the reviews and determine for yourself.   They are very inexpensive, I mean cheap.

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2018, 10:20:20 am »
A dilution to get the honey into the instrument's range?
No, that would defeat the purpose.  A refractometer is used to measure the water/sugar ratio, or how much water is in your honey.  Add water to dilute, and you are only reading the diluted substance, not the original substance that you want to measure.
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Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2018, 10:24:26 am »
I thought a refractometer was a refractometer.  Now you tell me there are different ones for different tasks.  I'm old and confused.  When looking for a refractometer online, how do we know we're buying one that's good for honey, without going to the places that sell beekeeper supplies and paying for a high dollar thing that can be bought for less elsewhere?
Shopping on line for refractometers, the descriptions will tell you the scale range and intended purpose. 
Example 60-90% brix scale for honey, molasses and syrup, or 10-40% brix for beer, wine etc.
Amazon and Flea-bay have inexpensive r-meters.
I'm old and confused, too.  Why else do you think I took up hobby beekeeping in my 50s?
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Offline Beepah

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2018, 12:46:47 pm »
A dilution to get the honey into the instrument's range?
No, that would defeat the purpose.  A refractometer is used to measure the water/sugar ratio, or how much water is in your honey.  Add water to dilute, and you are only reading the diluted substance, not the original substance that you want to measure.

But you know how much water you used for the dilution. 

Add honey (100g) and a known amount of water (50g).  Take the reading. 

Supposed you read a specific gravity of 1.10.  In the 150g sample there would be 136.4g water and the balance 13.6g sugar.  You added 50g of the water, so the original was 86.4g water and 13.6g sugar. Your original ratio of water to sugar was 86.4g/13.6g

But if refractometers are inexpensive, I totally agree, buy an instrument with the correct range.

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2018, 10:47:27 am »
I'm a math phobe.   :rolleyes:
I'll let the meter do the work for me!
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Offline Codetalker

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2021, 06:18:40 pm »
I tried, and it worked. I had a refractometer for beer bought from  . I used it. From my experience, I would advise you to use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Set Brix scale to 71.5. Check calibration each day of use. I have found that the heated honey room (95-100 * F) seems to read higher moisture by around 2-3% falsely. Best to check at room temp I believe. The Brix measurement of a liquid varies according to its temperature. So, the measured Brix of a cold sample will count higher than a hot sample at room temperature. Ideally, you'll want your sample to be in the range of 10-30 ? C or 50-86 ? F.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2023, 10:23:27 am by Ben Framed »

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #13 on: August 16, 2021, 07:41:25 pm »
Codetalker,
Welcome to Beemaster.
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Offline jimineycricket

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2021, 09:54:49 am »
The instructions for your refractometer should indicate the correct temperature at which to read it.
jimmy

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Can a refractometer for beer and wine also be used for honey
« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2021, 08:54:53 pm »
Even if it only measures brix you just do the simple math to convert to water content.
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