Subject: Question about processing honey

From: [email-masked] (Kerry Drach)
Date: 10 Oct 1994 11:28:33 GMT

I am processing my first crop of honey.  It is a dark honey that looks like
buckwheat, but probably isn't, since I live in an urban area.  Our local
bee expert also doesn't think it is honeydew.  Tastes great.  

Here's my question.  After extracting it and filtering it, I let it stand
one week or so in large containers.  Yesterday I took one of these
containers, fortunately the smallest one, and raised the temperature to about
110 degrees Fahrenheit in order to get rid of the air bubbles.  I got the
target temperature from an extension service publication.  Once bottled and
cooled, however, the honey, which was _extremely_ thick before I heated it,
was quite runny, much to thin for honey.  WHAT DID I DO WRONG?  Any ideas
would help, because I know I have to heat up the other two containers; they
are full of air, too.  I don't want to spoil the whole crop.  I have checked
the thermometer I was using.  It is accurate.

Any advice or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Kerry Drach
Portland, Maine

---

From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 11 Oct 1994 15:16:06 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
(Kerry Drach) writes:  <honey stored in a tank> was quite runny, much to
thin for honey.  WHAT DID I DO WRONG?  Any ideas

   Without more info, I cannot guarantee this to be an accurate response
to your
query about thin honey, but this is a possibility for you to consider.
  Honey soaks up water like a sponge. If it is left in an open tank during
humid weather, it will pick up moisture from the air. The time in that
state,
the percentage of humidity, temperature, and surface area exposed to the
air
all are all factors in how much it will add.
   When I have honey in the tank, I leave on a dehumidifyer in warm
weather,
and a little heat in cool weather, which is to keep the air humidity low.
It
is best to pack out as quickly as possible, into sealed containers.
   Incidently, the cappings on comb will also pass a considerable amount
of
water, and unextracted supers should not be left long in humid air either.
I've seen the honey soak up enough water to rupture the cappings. The only
cure here, is to return them to the bees and let them redry and recap. If
the
honey has seriously fermented , it will make the bees sick.
   If this is your problem, after extraction, it is a bit difficult to
fix.
Perhaps for small quantities, a large shallow pan with warmed air blowing
over it. Or you could put it in freezer containers and keep it there until
ready for your own use. Wet honey cannot be bottled for sale, as it will
ferment when kept at room temperature, and it can even explode the jars.

Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter, POB 1215,Heminway, SC  29554
Internet:  [email-masked]