AUTOUTLET 3-in-1 Honey Refractometer for Honey Moisture, Brix and Baume, 58-90% Brix Scale Range, Honey Moisture Tester with ATC, Ideal for Honey, Milk, Sugar Syrup, Fruit jam and Molasses, Beekeepers

I received the Refractometer and followed the enclosed instructions to calibrate with distilled water. It seemed strange to use water but that's what the instructions said. I could not get the device to calibrate so I went to their YouTube video to see what I had done wrong. The video gave the same procedure with no further information. Given this I assumed that the device was faulty which other reviewers seemed to agree with. So, I returned the device and asked for a replacement. Curiosity got the best of me and I did some further research. I found an article posted by the Bee Culture magazine. It explained that calibration fluid for these devices is not supplied, that their calibration instructions are incorrect, and that Virgin Olive Oil could be used. The article also supplied a calibration value. Perhaps the device was not faulty so I will use my new knowledge to calibrate when I get the replacement. For now I give 3 stars until I can verify the new device. I will post more at that time.I receive the replacement and calibrated it with Virgin Olive Oil as suggested in the Bee Culture Magazine article and the device works fine. At this point there is no way to determine if the original device was defective. I would have given the device a 4.1 rating if possible just for my troubles but this is not possible.

If the line is fuzzy, the product being measured is not uniform! I've measured honey (~16 to 18% water) and maple syrup (BRIX 66). Clean and dry with soft cloth before stowing away. DO NOT IMMERSE.

Junk

The media could not be loaded. I bought the refractor to test RV antifreeze. It will test several types of antifreeze. It seems to work better testing automotive antifreeze. Most of my testers are older and not accurate. I didn’t have anyway of testing rv antifreeze or window washer fluid either. It will test battery acid as well. Make sure you buy one with Fahrenheit if you live in USA. I didn’t want to have to convert it from Celsius when I use the refractometer. The video is not the best but gives you an idea how to test RV antifreeze.

Quick and easy to get a grade for my harvested honey. Perfect for taking out to the hives

I calibrated it with distilled water. Checked my wort. But, according to the internet you need to enter a wort correction factor. Then... once alcohol is present you have to do a spreadsheet thing to get more corrections. Without doing this I got some readings way different than what my regular old hydrometer showed. I gather devices like this are for reading sugar content, not so much for alcohol.

Easy to use, cheap, and decent quality

I followed the instructions to calibrate and was never able to calibrate the unit. Unfortunately that means I can't get an accurate reading.