Are refractometers necessary?

mherndon · June 02, 2009, 11:07:51 PM

I'm planning on my first honey extraction this year and wondered if a refractometer was a necessary piece of equipment. Is there any other way of determining moisture. If I make sure just to harvest what is capped, will that be enough?

Mark

NasalSponge · June 02, 2009, 11:38:13 PM

I have never owned one....make sure you are 80% or better capped honey and you should be fine.

sc-bee · June 02, 2009, 11:46:50 PM

>and wondered if a refractometer was a necessary piece of equipment. Is there any other way of determining moisture.

Negative

>Is there any other way of determining moisture. If I make sure just to harvest what is capped, will that be enough?

Capped is best. If some not capped use shake method. Hold frame side to side and start with a brisk downward motion. Make an abrupt stop at bottom. If uncapped nectar stays in frame and does not spill out when you make the abrupt stop --- nectar should be cured enough. Not the best way but it is an indicator.

I would not use too many open frames.

Robo · June 03, 2009, 09:15:39 AM

Ditto to what has already been said. I've been keeping bees over 30 years and have never owned a meter. My method is ~75% or more capped and then the shake method as SC described. When in doubt, just keep the batches separate.

rob..

troutstalker2 · June 03, 2009, 10:20:52 PM

I have a couple of supers that are about 50% capped, I was going to try to cut out the capped sections and store the rest for feed. Let them fill in the comb next year. What do you think?

David

Robo · June 04, 2009, 08:59:42 AM

Quote from: troutstalker2 on June 03, 2009, 10:20:52 PM

I have a couple of supers that are about 50% capped, I was going to try to cut out the capped sections and store the rest for feed. Let them fill in the comb next year. What do you think?

David

Why not just let them finish capping? If your intent on get some honey out now, just put them thru the extractor without uncapping and spin out all the nectar. Then uncap and spin out the honey. This way you don't have to butcher all the comb and can use it again.

troutstalker2 · June 04, 2009, 09:23:11 AM

Honey flow is about done here, but good idea about spinning the nectar out.
Thanks, David

Michael Bush · June 05, 2009, 03:22:21 PM

Maybe if you live in a very humid climate. I'm 35 years into this and have never owned one.

Brian D. Bray · June 05, 2009, 04:03:05 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on June 05, 2009, 03:22:21 PM
Maybe if you live in a very humid climate. I'm 35 years into this and have never owned one.

Gottcha beat, I've been beekeeping for 50 years and have only used a refractometer when I managed an Orange Julius Stand. I've always judged the ripeness of the honey by the amount of capping per frame per super.

NasalSponge · June 05, 2009, 07:02:09 PM

If we are talking about USING one I do that weekly.....but not for honey, for antifreeze. :mrgreen:

utahbeekeeper · June 06, 2009, 03:56:31 PM

NEED? No, but I purchased one on eBay and do enjoy having it around. Here is the eBay store:

National Industrial Supply

The guy was very helpful. I didn't get one with a built in light. Figured I would only be using it in the daytime.

TwT · June 06, 2009, 06:55:32 PM

never owned one, I just wait for capped frames