Calibrating Liquid

[hanson]

I just purchased a refractometer 58 -90% It never came with calibrating liquid. How do I calibrate it?

[danno]

I just purchased a refractometer 58 -90% It never came with calibrating liquid. How do I calibrate it?

Mine says to use distilled water.

[DanE.]

hanson,

Water will not work for your, your scale does not start at 0

There is 2 things you can do, One is to order calibration oil at or near the brix you are measuring. 67.46 seems to be a common value, don't get water base sucrose, the water will evaporate over the years and change your reads every time. you can do some research here. http://www.cargille.com/brixcust.shtml

The other way to do this is if you or a friend / neighbor has a hydrometer that is know to be correct, measure some syrup with the hydrometer at the temperature that it is calibrate (60 F for mine) to and then adjust the refractometer to the same brix.

Did you check your box that it came in carefully, you might see a little square crystal in there that is used for calibration wrapped in a tissue paper. you put a (1) drop of water on the prism, put the crystal down and 1 drop of water on top and close the cover. this is the way I calibrate mine along with the second one i listed above for verification.

Dane.

[maple flats]

Mine also did not come with callibration solution. I contacted Markland, the company it came from and was told to use a hydrometer to calibrate as suggested above. My thought was to verify my hydrometer, but I guess I'll have to do that at a seminar where they test hydrometers to verify mine. I have 3 but have never had then verified. I used a hydrometer and set to that, this year I plan to get all 3 hyd's verified and then re adjust my refractometer if needed.
I have a question, if anyone can answer it. In looking at two words used in maple, refractometer and refractory cement, they seem to be derived from the base refractor, how are they related?

[TF Maple]

[QUOTE=maple flats;107970 I have a question, if anyone can answer it. In looking at two words used in maple, refractometer and refractory cement, they seem to be derived from the base refractor, how are they related?[/QUOTE]

I don't really think they are related, refractory when describing cement means resistant to heat. Refractometer is refracting or bending light.

[Beweller]

Measure some syrup in your refractometer. Weigh out 10 grams of the syrup and add water to make 30 grams. Mix throughly. The concentration will be one third of the syrup's concentration. Measure with a calibrated 0-32 percent refractometer, multiply by three and compare with the reading from the 58-90percent refractometer.

[Beweller]

Liquids that you might be able to obtain in reasonable purity and their relation to sucrose solutions:

Carbon tetrachloride 61.9 percent sucrose
glycerol 62.3 percent
benzene 84.3 percent

All in all, glycerol sounds like the best choice. Low toxicity, unlikely to damage the instrument, and fewer problems obtaining.

[Beweller]

Isn't there someone with a high range refractometer that can/will try checking the reading with glycerol (glycerine)? Would be nice ,valuable, to know and pass along if in fact it reads 62.3 Brix.

If you can't find glycerol in the grocery, you should be able to get it at a drug store. An ounce would be a lifetime supply.