Dirty Honey

[Hopeful]

Tonight, my daughter and I were excited about our very first bottling since extracting our very first hives. We extracted the honey at a local honey house owned by a sideliner, ad we got a yield of 400 pounds for 12 hives, strained through a nylon stocking into the bucket, which the honeyhouse owner said is how he did all of his own honey. Anyway, our first surprise was that the honey was half crystalized after only two weeks in the 5 gallon pails. Oh, well, we ran some warm water in the sink and put the whole bucket in until it had somewhat clarified. We then bottled the first dozen one pound bottles. My daugher looked carefully at the bottle and then asked, "Dad why is the honey dirty?". Sure enough, there are a bunch of little black specks in the honey. Obviously we do not feel good about selling "dirty honey". I think this might be related to the 40 year old frames with the black combs on them.

Any thoughts or easy quick fixes you can think of? Or should we sell this as "special unfiltered honey"? Hey, P.T. Barnum would do it, right?

An answer in the next hour would be helpful.

[reinbeau]

Did you bottle all of it and then notice the black flecks?  If not, I'd refilter it through a fine sieve, the paint filters from Home Depot should get those out.  If it's all bottled, then I don't know what I'd do - unfiltered is one thing, but black specks only are quite another.

[Robo]

I think this might be related to the 40 year old frames with the black combs on them.

I highly doubt it,  the cappings are new comb and even if you do get some of the old comb cuttings when cutting,  it wouldn't be specks.  Most of the sediment in light filtering is hive debris and pollen.

Usually when you use a light filter, you will get a lot of shades from white to black particles.  If it is just black,  I would guess it was dirt somewhere in the equipment of bottles.  Re filtering or pouring off is about the only options.

How long did you let it settle before bottling?

[Hopeful]

Now that I look carefully (i.e., wioth my glasses on) I can see various colors of particles. I know that I do ot see this in dtore bought honey, Is this then normal for raw honey? if it is pollen then I am not so bothered by it. I did ot let it sit long enough, obviously. It had sat for two weeks and the I began to bottle tonight after bringing it home from the honey house. Should we have waited longer? I have people waiting for this honey and wanted to get it to them asap. M<aybe slowing down would help.

[Robo]

I know that I do ot see this in dtore bought honey, Is this then normal for raw honey?

It all depends of the level of filtering you do.  A lot of the store bought honey is filtered thru diamateous earth filters to remove even the finest particles.   They are more worried about it to prevent crystallization.

I wouldn't worry about it.   Most people like the natural aspect and prefer the true honey taste of the cooked and flavorless commercial stuff.

[JP]

Hopeful, have you tried the honey? Does it taste good? If so like others said refilter to get rid of the dark particles. Raw honey won't have what you describe in it unless very dark and crystalized. With most raw honey a white bubbly film floats to the top which you can skim or eat ( I eat it, its comb and some pollen, mostly comb).

[rdy-b]

Are you bottling with a bottling bucket with a honey gate at the bottom of the bucket -or are you doing something that is disturbing the natural settled effect honey achieves with just 24 hrs of settling -makes a diferanace-are you sure you have reqaulifide the honey so the sugar crystals are not reforming -it will take some practice to get your system-and routine down-try placing some of the jars in a hot water bath and se if it will clarify for you -you are right about the dark specs they are probably bits of dark comb -if the honey is warm they should float so you can manage them  RDY-B

[Hopeful]

JP,

Yes, the honey is delicious. About the best I've tasted (no bias here ;) ), the first truly raw honey I've had. And Robo is right, it tastes nothing like store bought honey (except that you can still tell it is honey). It has a "kick" to it. We have refiltered it and it seems better. rdy-B is right that I need to get a routine. It will work much better when my honey house is built with steel tables, sinks, etc. Tonight, it was in the kitchen. And the floor is sticky. But it was still fun. We ended the evening wih about ten 3 lb jugs and fourteen one pound bottles. I'll let it sit over oght and try it again tomorrow.

Oh, and yes, we are using a bottling bucket, I was hoping to use the 15 gallon heated filler tank from WK, but they sent it without a honey gate. I thought it was included, but maybe not.

[Jerrymac]

Could be bits of cocoon from the old combs

[Kathyp]

i had black stuff in the bottom of my hive mixed with fallen pollen.  i have no idea what it was.  don't know where they'd get black pollen, but that's what it looked like.

they sell raw honey at the farmers market.  some they sell with bits of pollen, wax, and i'm guessing....bee parts....and they say that it has all the benefits of the above.  it's ugly and expensive  :-).  have not tried it, but i'm sure it tastes great!  like chewing it right out of the comb probably.

use it as a marketing tool!

[TwT]

odds are is that it is pollen or small pieces of comb, when useing a stocking (or pantyhose) for a filter this will be seen, I have it in mine all the time, have one older guy that buys from me every year and he wants the spects in his, if you want it without the spects, go to brushymountain site and buy the 600, 400 micron and the 200 micron, the 200 is the finest and make your honey close to filtered like store bought, all 3 filters have there purpose..

[Michael Bush]

It's a good idea to let honey settle in the bucket for a week or more before doing anything with it.  Impurities tend to rise to the top or sink to the bottom.

[Hopeful]

Thanks, everybody. In a way it is fun to be a newbie, getting to ask all sorts of lame questions that are scary to you, but simple for everyone else. Its kinda like getting to be a kid again. :).

[Scadsobees]

Yeah, I get occasional little black flecks.  That is what you get with raw honey.  Part of the "whole food" experience.  That has been covered already by others (pollen, wax, bee feet, etc)

Are you also seeing sugar crystals?  It takes a while at a warm temp to get those all out.  Sometime it is hard to tell what are "impurities" and sugar crystals.

It is nice to go to the supermarket and buy pristine vegetables and crystal clear honey, but you are much better growing the veggies yourself, and then you see the spots, aphids, and other bugs that occur when things are grown naturally, and the same applies for honey.  That is why it tastes better than any other honey you've tried!!! :-D

[JP]

After you eat raw honey the mind and body just doesn't want the other stuff anymore.

[MAXANT]

+2 for double sieve!

[patrickp]

...then you see the spots, aphids, and other bugs that occur when things are grown naturally...

Completely agree!  It makes you wonder just how much pesticide is on the stuff you buy.  Quite scary.

Pat

[Scadsobees]

Completely agree!  It makes you wonder just how much pesticide is on the stuff you buy.  Quite scary.

I found that out trying to get apples off my trees....if I sprayed every 5-7 days faithfully, I'd get apples.  The orchards must have to use a LOT to get nice perfect apples.

I had to give up because my hives are under/near the trees.  I'd rather get honey than a few apples.  I get a few, but they usually have trails.

I'm sure there are some other things I could to keep the moths/flies away more than I do, but not worth it yet.

Rick