Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Stung on October 06, 2017, 01:45:46 pm

Title: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: Stung on October 06, 2017, 01:45:46 pm

Doing honey up for jars.  I have uncapped honey mixed with capped honey.  Should I do something before I jar it. Maybe one frame out of ten.

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: Van, Arkansas, USA on October 06, 2017, 05:54:27 pm

Stung, a classic name for sure.  Wish I had thought of that name.  Anyway, I would store the honey frozen.  This will not effect the intergerty of the honey and will preserve it until you are ready for consumption.  I am guessing you have a limited, that is an amount that can be placed in the freezer.  Not 55 gallon drums.  Did you have a good harvest?
Blessings

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: BeeMaster2 on October 06, 2017, 06:38:37 pm

Stung,
How thick is the honey.
Just because it is uncapped does not mean it is not below 18%. Last year I removed lots of uncapped frames and kept them separate.  Then I tested the capped and the uncapped. The uncapped was at 17% and capped was at 18%. Sometimes when the flow stopped they do not cap the honey.
Jim

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: mikecva on October 06, 2017, 06:45:34 pm

If the honey is uncapped it means it is still "wet" (above 19-20%). Below 18.5 is good for selling. A friend of mine puts his "wet" honey in an old frgriderator with a light bulb for heat. The heat will bring the % down below 18.5 but I do not know how long this takes. The "wet" honey is still good to eat. I have mixed "wet" honey with capped honey in 5 gallon buckets then checked the mixture to make sure I am below 18.5.     Just my 2 cents    -Mike

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: Van, Arkansas, USA on October 06, 2017, 10:38:31 pm

As you may or may not know, the last event that a bees just prior to capping honey is the bee adds enzymes that prevent honey from absorbing water.  After enzyme(s) are added to the honey, then it is capped.
Blessings

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: gww on October 06, 2017, 10:58:32 pm

Van
I didn't know that myself.
Thanks
gww

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: KeyLargoBees on October 11, 2017, 10:50:48 am

In case you hadn't seen this.....gives some credence to Van's statement of the enzyme and honey shelf life thing. I just found out about this a few weeks ago ;-)

The timeline on when they add the enzyme to the uncapped honey is up for debate though it seems.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/ (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/)

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: Van, Arkansas, USA on October 11, 2017, 06:24:27 pm

Jeff, Keylargo Bees, thank you Sir for posting the article., very informative.  So hydrogen peroxide is one of those valuable enzymes for infinite preservation of sealed honey, as well as medicine, makes perfect sense to use as a wound dressing in ancient medicine, as well as today in band aids.  Good to know, very informative, easy to read article. 
Blessings

Title: Re: uncapped honey mixed with capped
Post by: UrbisAgricola on November 03, 2017, 01:35:52 pm

I just make sure that, overall, 80% of what I am extracting is capped.  That rule has served me well and I have never had a problem.