I just extracted some honey. My first from one hive I started in late May from 4 frame nuc. Just 20 #, but Iam little disappointed. Although all honey was capped the honey is quite thin. It is very mild and light. Is this because of plants the nectar was from or some bees do that. I have italians. Or it is weather, we have quite humid last weeks.
Honey is very hydroscopic and picks up water from the air if the humidity is higher than the water content of the honey. Did it get exposed to the air for a long time?
No, it wasn't. Actualy, when I was uncaping it looked thin already. But it was stright from the hive, still very warm. You know, may be I am exaggerating little bit. I use simple test with the teespoon of honey turned around its long axis. If the honey stays on the teespoon it should be ok. So it is. But comparing to honey I was buying from old beekeeper in my town before I had may bees, it is thinner. I also red somewhere that when the humidity is high bees cap honey even though it has higher content of water then it should.
Couldn't hurt to check it with a refractometer. Should give you a fairly accurate reading on sugar vs moisture content.
Here is one source:
http://www.qasupplies.com/refractometers.html
The differnce in viscocity of 70 degree honey and 92 degree honey is huge. If you just pulled it on a hot day from the hive and directly extracted it, I'd guess the temp to be closer to the 92 F mark. 90 or more F will make the honey VERY thin.
That's what I was thinking Michael - that the warmth of the honey made it so thin. I've noticed with my own honey the same thing - very thin when extracting. And thought the same thing they had said - what's up? too much water in the honey still? But after it cooled, it did thicken up - say... a couple days later? I felt that was too soon for the possible extra water to evaporate, so I felt it had to be a cooling thing.
Beth