Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: joker1656 on May 30, 2010, 04:44:59 PM

Title: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: joker1656 on May 30, 2010, 04:44:59 PM
Obviously, uncapped honey/nectar is not ripe, correct?  I have some comb from a cutout with tons of capped honey, but also quite a bit uncapped.  Should I crush it as well?  We use honey quickly, and could give a bit away to family.  It would not sit around, but I am worried about fermentation.  Any reason not to eat it, other than the higher moisture content? 

I crushed some of it out with the rest of the honey and it tastes great....  If nothing else, I could cut out the uncapped areas and sit the comb out for the bees to take care of.
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: iddee on May 30, 2010, 04:51:43 PM
Keep it refrigerated and it won't ferment.

Use a refractometer and if the water content is less than 18.6%, then it won't ferment anywhere.
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: vermmy35 on May 30, 2010, 05:09:55 PM
Did you try and shake it out?  I had some last year that when I tried to shake it out it didn't come out and was good to go.  In fact I still have one last jar and it is quite tasty.
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: hardwood on May 30, 2010, 08:22:50 PM
I shake the comb (like vermmy) over a deep bake sheet. Anything that drops goes to the bees...anything that doesn't I keep.

Scott
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: Finski on May 30, 2010, 10:57:52 PM
.
my advice is : don' t take uncapped honey!

It is rippen whe n it is capped..

Tons of capped honey   ---- sounds like professional .... And you want  uncapped honey?
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: Thymaridas on May 30, 2010, 11:28:02 PM
I got to agree. I just feed the honey back to the cut out in a top feeder without a screen. They clean it up pretty quickly. However, I do freeze it and wait for the queen to fill up frames with brood before giving it back to them. It helps keep them from getting honey bound.

Personally, I only give honey back to the hive that I got it from.
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: MustbeeNuts on May 31, 2010, 04:30:42 PM
I don't know if this is sidetracked, but I feed back honey or whatever is left over. I have many supers that have uncapped, capped etc, that was from my deadouts, lids off bees are having a field day. :)

As far as using it , I prefer not to use unripe honey. Just me tho from the other posts, but I prefer my honey to be capped for safety. LOL
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: AllenF on May 31, 2010, 10:46:54 PM
If it is mostly uncapped and you can shake it out, give that frame back to the bees to finish or, freeze it and keep it until late winter for feed. 
Title: Re: crush and strain....some uncapped comb. Use it?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 01, 2010, 07:00:45 AM
I'd put the uncapped out for the bees.  They will clean things up.