Cutout honey ?

[rayb]

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

[Vetch]

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.   

[JP]

Yep, heat room, dehumidifier. Test with refractometer first it might be just fine.


...JP

[rayb]

Thanks, Good ideas.

I'll borrow a friends refractometer.

Ray