ATAGO

Optical or digital measurement

The Master-Honey/Bx provides optical moisture and Brix scales; the Classic HHR-2N is another optical model with its own temperature-correction system. Identify the instrument before buying a reference fluid or following calibration instructions: not every model is adjusted with water.

The digital PAL-22S directly displays honey water content from 12 to 30%. Its resolution is 0.1 percentage points and stated accuracy is ±0.2: displaying a decimal does not mean the measurement error is only one tenth. The manufacturer specifies water calibration for this model.

A useful reading needs a representative sample

Clean and dry the prism between samples. If a container holds both liquid and crystallised honey, a drop from the liquid portion alone does not represent the whole batch. Prepare the sample according to the analytical procedure and record the result with its batch identification for comparison during receipt, storage and filling.

Moisture helps assess keeping quality, but a refractometer alone does not establish floral origin, detect every adulteration or describe the complete quality of the honey.