Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: rayb on May 19, 2008, 11:03:08 PM

Title: Cutout honey ?
Post by: rayb on May 19, 2008, 11:03:08 PM
I did a cutout today and got about 10 lbs of capped and partly uncapped honey. It has been crushed and is now straining. I know that if honey hasn't been fully ripened that it could ferment.

Is there anything I can or should do to dehydrate it so it won't spoil?

Thanks, Ray
Title: Re: Cutout honey ?
Post by: Vetch on May 20, 2008, 10:05:51 AM
Honey is hygroscopic - it can pull water from the air when it is humid and the % water can increase. Best thing IMO is to dehydrate using a room dehumidifier - crank the dehumidifier to maximum, and keep the room temperature a bit on the warm side (~90 d F) with mild air circulation over the honey. If you have a refractometer, you can measure the % water in honey and know when to quit - though the top layer of honey will be drier unless mixed. For the hobbyist without a refractometer, it is guesswork. If you really want to keep the honey from spoiling, dry it down more, though it will be prone to crystalize. Or make mead.   
Title: Re: Cutout honey ?
Post by: JP on May 20, 2008, 10:12:08 AM
Yep, heat room, dehumidifier. Test with refractometer first it might be just fine.


...JP
Title: Re: Cutout honey ?
Post by: rayb on May 20, 2008, 11:17:01 AM
Thanks, Good ideas.

I'll borrow a friends refractometer.

Ray