Ripe honey??

Nett · July 19, 2008, 11:42:09 PM

What does ripe honey mean? I was reading about goldenrod honey smelling bad but tasting good after it's ripe?

Robo · July 19, 2008, 11:43:52 PM

Moisture content reduce so it won't ferment

DrKurtG · July 19, 2008, 11:53:21 PM

Speaking of which...I just got my refractometer today. When I tested a sample of honey that came from capped frames, it read at 22%. I'm sure that I calibrated it correctly. Is there a correction for the Brix scale?

buzzbee · July 20, 2008, 09:30:31 AM

Isn't the brix scale a measure of sugar content? In wine making irt measures the amount of sugar available to ferment.

nkybeekeeper · July 20, 2008, 01:12:51 PM

There may be a 'correction factor' due to solids. When taking a measurement in a pure liquid, like grapejuice, there would not be, but in honey, I imagine that you would have to.

Greg Peck · July 20, 2008, 03:14:28 PM

Quote from: DrKurtG on July 19, 2008, 11:53:21 PM
Speaking of which...I just got my refractometer today. When I tested a sample of honey that came from capped frames, it read at 22%. I'm sure that I calibrated it correctly. Is there a correction for the Brix scale?

There is an adjustment that needs to be made for temperature if your refractometer does not do it automatic. I think most of them say ATC in there model number if it has the automatic temp correction built in. Where did you get your refractometer from? I am pretty sure that the honey refractometers are different from one used for another purposes. I got mine from Dadant here is what my honey looked like and there was some uncapped in with this batch. If you for sure have things set up and it is the right refractometer you defiantly need to dry the honey out some. I have put open buckets in a small room with a dehumidifier running for a few days and it got the moister content down to where it needed to be.

DrKurtG · July 20, 2008, 04:13:00 PM

OK. Thanks Greg. Here's what I did as a check...being a chemistry teacher I have access to an analytical balance. I placed about a teaspoon of honey into a metal weighing dish, weighed it, and then on to a heating pad that kept the temperature constant at 95 degrees F. I left if there over night and kept weighing the all the next day until the numbers remained constant. The numbers remained constant over a three hour period, weighing every 30 minutes or so. By this method, I calculated a 10% water content in the honey. The honey is extremly thick so this makes sense.

Does anyone see major flaws in this technique?

The refractometer does have the auto adjustment for temp. built in

Brian D. Bray · July 21, 2008, 02:28:14 AM

One way to test the brix is with water. Water will always brix at zero. You also want to clean the lens with water after every test, between tests. If you brix 30 samples you clean the lens 31 times.
Most brixers I've used gave the sugar content and was self adjusting for temps, afterall the sugar content is the same regardless of the temp. although more humidity can cause the honey to drawn moisture from the air, it isn't enough to even measure unless it has been setting out for some time.