Honey Refractometer Catania

Catania-D Refractometer: honey quality under your control

An experienced beekeeper knows that relying only on appearance when assessing honey ripeness may not pay off. Higher water content can cause unwanted fermentation and spoil both the honey and your work during the season. The Catania-D optical refractometer from supplier Mellarius will help you quickly and accurately verify whether honey is ready for extraction and safe for storage.

Why choose the Catania-D refractometer

The instrument is designed specifically for beekeeping practice. Unlike universal measuring devices, it offers a scale calibrated for water content in honey and sugar content (Brix). This gives you confidence when deciding on extraction and allows you to prove to customers that the honey meets required quality parameters.

Main operational advantages:

• Less fermentation risk: you can instantly determine if water content is within safe values (it's often recommended to stay ideally below 18%).

• Reliable results even in the field (ATC): automatic temperature compensation eliminates the need for complex calculations when ambient temperature changes (functional in the range of 10–30 °C).

• Durable construction: quality optics and solid design guarantee long service life with proper care.

• Easy-to-read scale: values can be read comfortably with 0.5% resolution (estimation can be refined to 0.1%).

Measurement principle and simple usage procedure

The refractometer works on the principle of light refraction. Measurement is quick, gentle on the sample, and you can manage it in a few steps:

1. Thoroughly mix the honey in the container (water content may be unevenly distributed in honey).

2. Apply 1–2 drops of liquid honey to the clean prism using a pipette or plastic stick.

3. Close the cover plate so that the sample spreads evenly and no air bubbles form.

4. Point the instrument toward a light source and look into the eyepiece (focusing is possible).

5. At the transition between blue and white parts of the scale, read the percentage of water in honey.

°Bx-BRIX - % Mas Sasch - sugar meter - this scale allows reading weight percentages of sugar concentration in water. It measures sugar and water in %. Brix/ATC scale range 58 - 92%. Water scale 12 - 26% (1 division = 0.5°). Measurement accuracy is 0.1%

Maintenance tip: This is an optical instrument – do not rinse the prism under running water after measurement. Simply wipe it carefully with a damp and then dry soft cloth to avoid scratching the optics.

Technical specifications

Note: The refractometer is factory calibrated. Calibration liquid is not usually part of the standard package, but is generally not immediately necessary for normal use. Long-term accuracy can be verified and calibration performed using special oil or saturated solutions according to the manual.

HANDHELD REFRACTOMETER
Operating manual

USAGE METHOD

1. Preparation: Point the front end of the refractometer toward bright light and rotate the eyepiece focusing ring until the scale is clearly visible.

2. Measurement: Open the cover plate and clean the measuring surface with a piece of soft cotton flannel. Drop 1–2 drops of the measured solution. Close the cover plate and press it lightly, then read the light-shadow boundary on the corresponding scale. The reading is the numerical value of the measured liquid.

3. After measurement: Clean the measuring surface and cover plate with damp gauze and carefully store the instrument.

WARNINGS AND MAINTENANCE

1. Zero liquid and sample adjustment should be performed at the same temperature. If temperature changes significantly, the zero point should be set once every 30 minutes.

2. Do not wash the instrument with water after use to prevent water from getting inside the instrument.

3. This is a precision optical instrument. Handle it gently and take good care of it. Do not touch or scratch the optical surface. Store it in a dry, clean, and non-corrosive environment to prevent surface mold and fogging. Avoid strong impacts during transport.

4. If consumers use the instrument according to the stated usage method, optical performance should not change.

TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION

Reference temperature is 20 °C. During operation, temperature should be adjusted according to the correction table.

Models marked ATC are equipped with automatic temperature compensation. They have an additional function that allows the user to focus on measurement without worrying about temperature. Compensation range is 0~30 °C.

ACCESSORIES

1. Cleaning cloth

2. Pipette

3. Screwdriver

4. Operating manual