I had a friend/customer describe some honey he had bought from me this year. He said it tasted different and it was real thin, just like water had been added. Of course he wasn't accusing me of such because we've know each other for decades.
I have the same issue. Some of my honey is just as thin as it can be. When he first described it I thought SHBs had slimed it. I noticed a slightly different taste when I harvested, which I now think may be sourwood. I have a theory why my honey is so thin but I wanted to hear from yall.
Did it ferment? Did your bees rob a hive that was being fed?
The honey I pulled was 85-90 percent capped. In addition I did the shake test in hot weather. Fermenting was one of my theories the other one was rain. We had rain all spring and summer. I wasn't sure if that would have made the nectar thin. This was the second pull (July) I pulled from probably 25 hives, which none had been fed since the spring flow.
It could just be nectar source.
It could just be nectar source
That's the kind of answer I was looking for (lol)
It seems I remember thinking when I was pouring it that it was thin and I do remember it having a distinct taste and being dark.
Quote from: GSF on October 03, 2017, 01:53:08 PM
It could just be nectar source
That's the kind of answer I was looking for (lol)
It seems I remember thinking when I was pouring it that it was thin and I do remember it having a distinct taste and being dark.
Just curious How do you know what kind of Answer. You are looking for ..LOL
Did you use a refractometer ?? For moisture content.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
I question the capability of people using instruments that they have never used before to get an accurate reading.
Why do we need to use an electronic instrument, when a Baume' scale specific gravity bulb will give proportional gravity reading based on weight of honey which 'I Think" would be based on water content. It would seem that weight and not density would be a very accurate reading of honey water content. I do not understand how a color refractometer could be as accurate due to impurities and difference of honey color
For those who don't know what a honey refractometer is.This particular Instrument reads moisture content in honey
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Honey-Refractometer
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
I can not get it through my thick head why other things in honey would not bend or refract the light rays causing a false reading.
You are not using a prism and light source.
Brix scale
Quote from: paus on October 03, 2017, 07:40:23 PM
I can not get it through my thick head why other things in honey would not bend or refract the light rays causing a false reading.
You mean like syrup or sugar or other chemicals in the hive? They do.
I have always had the mindset, if they cap it, it's ready.
...always learning something new, I might be wrong.
Quote from: GSF on October 04, 2017, 08:42:19 AM
I have always had the mindset, if they cap it, it's ready.
Me too. An issue can occur if there are some cells uncapped next to those that are capped. Just because it is uncapped doesn't mean it isn't dry enough. However I freeze my frames and upon taking them out to thaw condensation forms on the capped cells and runs down in the uncapped cells and the honey in those uncapped cells suck up that water. That caused a problem for me last year. So this year I will try to avoid uncapped cell even if the honey in them is dry enough and when I pull my boxes out of the freezer I am going to turn them upside down to thaw out. Hopefully condensation will not flow in the uncapped cells if there are any.
Quote from: GSF on October 04, 2017, 08:42:19 AM
I have always had the mindset, if they cap it, it's ready.
...always learning something new, I might be wrong.
Just because honey is cap ..Does not mean the moisture Content of the honey is correct ...
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
Just because honey is cap ..Does not mean the moisture Content of the honey is correct ...
Then wouldn't the bees have an issue with fermentation? Or would they care? I know they'll rob a frame that we wouldn't touch.
Quote from: GSF on October 05, 2017, 07:54:43 AM
Then wouldn't the bees have an issue with fermentation?
yes
QuoteOr would they care?
Yes they would care.
lol, just when I thought I was on top of my bee keeping game they throw me a curve ball..
thanks everybody, interesting comments.
So if the honey is thin it has to much water and could ferment? If it ferments could we then not make mead?
Quote from: bwallace23350 on October 05, 2017, 04:09:16 PM
So if the honey is thin it has to much water and could ferment? If it ferments could we then not make mead?
I am told you can make mead with fermented honey. This year I will try a batch.
One thing to think about ..No matter what you are making junk in junk out ...If l want the Best Product. I would not use fermented honey ..
2 things can make honey thin .There may more ..High moisture and temperature of the honey ..
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
Actually Ace Mead from pre fermented honey is a crapshoot and typically bad....there are 10000 wild yeast strains out there and we as humans use about 200 strains for brewing/wine/mead....because they make product that tastes good.....wild yeast will make an alcoholic beverage but its probably going to have a distinct "funk" and disappoint.
You can heat the honey to kill the yeast and then add your own.
It used to be winery's had good and bad years. It all depended on what yeast was on the grapes that year. Now they control which yeast is used and the get the flavor they want.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 13, 2017, 05:59:23 AM
You can heat the honey to kill the yeast and then add your own.
I don't know how you can make mead without heating the must which will kill the wild yeast. However, the wild yeast has already caused fermentation so some flavor should already be in the honey. Here is the thing, I have tasted this honey and it doesn't offend me so I can't see how it will when I ferment it again with a specific yeast of my choosing. My wife can't drink the mead even though she is the reason I ever made a batch. The hope was to avoid the sulfides that are in commercial wines but the pollen's in mead give her a major allergy fit so she can't drink that either. I made a sacrifice and drank her share. Ha, ha
Yes Jim you can heat....i guess its a question of how far gone the honey is. I have tasted some that appeared to be only slightly fermented that already had a significant funk.....so I tend to shy away from it.
So my refractor meter arrived today. I calibrated it with extra virgin olive oil like the instructions said. I googled moisture content in honey, held my breath and took a sample. It was 18.2%. I read a couple of articles one said no more than 19.5%, the other said no more than 20%. What are some of yalls readings?
If I had to guess the different flavor I'd say it was from the left over scuppernongs last fall. I was harvesting some in the last week or two and the honey bees were all over them. There were a couple of hornets and several yellow jackets. That honey still taste good.
My honey was at 19% on the last batch. I did a slow drip from one bucket to another in my house until it was at 18%. Sometimes I will accept 18.5%. Nothing more.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 14, 2017, 12:01:33 AM
My honey was at 19% on the last batch. I did a slow drip from one bucket to another in my house until it was at 18%.
Jim
Do you have a drying room or chamber?
We don't accept anything at the Marshfield Fair that's 'wetter' than 18.6%.
Quote from: Acebird on October 14, 2017, 08:20:03 AM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on October 14, 2017, 12:01:33 AM
My honey was at 19% on the last batch. I did a slow drip from one bucket to another in my house until it was at 18%.
Jim
Do you have a drying room or chamber?
No, I put the 5 gallon bucket of honey in my heater which is set for 100 degrees F and then bring it in the house and allow it to drip at the slowest rate that I can. It takes a day to empty the bucket and I have to open the valve a little more after 2/3 of it empty out.
Jim
That is a novel idea. Most likely when you get to the 2/3'ds point the honey is back to room temperature and it could lose or gain moisture depending on RH. My suggestion would be to open the valve up a little from the start and spread out the drip so the timing to empty is equal to the 2/3'ds point you are achieving now.
Another option would be to take a heated uncapping knife and control the temperature of it to 100 degrees and drizzle the honey down the length of the blade.
What you are doing is not fool proof but if you have a way of measuring your results then it is fool proof. Great job Jim.
Thanks Brian. The idea is to drop it at the smallest amount that it will drip at. That is why, as you said, when the temperature rises, you have to open the valve a little more.
Jim
I understand but if it hits something else and spreads out making multiple drips you can empty the bucket faster before it loses all its heat.