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Author Topic: Drying honey  (Read 6033 times)

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #20 on: June 14, 2018, 09:08:15 pm »
Beeboy,
Sounds like your dehydrator is doing a very good job. I would not replace it.
Jim
Edit, I posted this at the same time Ace posted.
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Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #21 on: June 14, 2018, 10:20:18 pm »
Ace, it was long ago I lost that honey and it wasn't a complete loss, it made a great mead. I've learned by my mistake and it hasn't happened since. As to the math, hindsight is 20/20  and there isn't much that can be done after the fact. Crying over spilled milk never helps. I wasn't using the dehumidifier at the time but looking back wished I had.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #22 on: June 15, 2018, 08:29:16 am »
Ace, it was long ago I lost that honey and it wasn't a complete loss, it made a great mead.
Best idea ever.  I am trying to get you to look forward not back.  Make your life easier.  There is no reason you can't use the old dehumidifier along with a new one that gives a read out.  The new one can be the smallest one you can find with a read out.  I assume your beekeeping adventure will grow not shrink.
Brian Cardinal
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #23 on: June 16, 2018, 07:20:40 am »
Quote from beeboy
Pulled some boxes over the weekend and ended up with three shallows full of capped comb.

Quote from Myself
@ beeboy and Jim
Have either one of you lost honey in the past by extracting all CAPPED honey and not checking the mosture content?

Quote from Beeboy
Ben, Yes I've lost honey due to high moisture levels. Mainly Cabbage Palm which comes in around 20% even when capped.

Quote from Jim
I had a 5 gallon bucket of honey ferment before I got a refractmeter.

Well thanks for the information, I have never heard of anyone loosing all capped honey due to fermentation which was due to moisture from all capped comb. I was taught that as long as all comb is capped, it is safe for extracting. This is news to me, thank you for the information, Thanks for sharing the information. Has anyone else out there ever lost honey which was extracted from ALL CAPPED comb?  Thanks, Phillip Hall
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #24 on: June 17, 2018, 08:19:23 am »
Phillip,
Your palm honey, especially cabbage palm is a very wet nectar and it grows in very humid climates, Florida. The bees will cap it even at 19%.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #25 on: June 17, 2018, 10:53:18 am »
Phillip,
Your palm honey, especially cabbage palm is a very wet nectar and it grows in very humid climates, Florida. The bees will cap it even at 19%.
Jim

Thanks Jim, and Happy Fathers Day! I know that you know about these things and are far, far (light years) advanced in knodlege compared to my humble beginnings.  I am  intrigued  with these wonderful insects "Gifts of God" And am trying to learn all I can.  Even the Bible mentions bees more than once. The Land of Milk and Honey, and Sampsons riddle, maybe other examples. Each time I have a question that I can't find the answer to, I come here to Beemaster Forum.  Now is one of those questions.  I want to ask, once the comb is capped, and I am thinking capped means sealed, how is it possible to evaporate "dry" the capped honey being the capped honey is no longer exposed to the open elements or atmosphere.  I know it is possible, other wise we couldn't do it. Yesterday I found a video on this subject as I was trying to find this answer. The video didn't explain this question.   Please educate me .. Thanks Phillip Hall  "Ben Framed". PS Happy Fathers Day to all you Daddy's! 😁
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #26 on: June 17, 2018, 11:48:20 am »
Ben Framed
?Now is one of those questions.  I want to ask, once the comb is capped, and I am thinking capped means sealed, how is it possible to evaporate "dry" the capped honey being the capped honey is no longer exposed to the open elements or atmosphere.  I know it is possible, other wise we couldn't do it. Yesterday I found a video on this subject as I was trying to find this answer.?
Phillip,
Once the bees Cap the honey it is sealed and no further drying occurs. Capping the honey keeps it from absorbing moisture from the air which would allow it to ferment.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #27 on: June 17, 2018, 11:50:44 am »
Ben think of wax as if it was plastic wrap.  Some materials allow moisture to pass through it.  Most people assume that it doesn't but it does.  Wax is like that.  Now metal will not let moisture through it.  Tear a juice pack apart.  The plastic bag is usually foil faced for that reason.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #28 on: June 17, 2018, 11:55:28 am »
Ben think of wax as if it was plastic wrap.  Some materials allow moisture to pass through it.  Most people assume that it doesn't but it does.  Wax is like that.  Now metal will not let moisture through it.  Tear a juice pack apart.  The plastic bag is usually foil faced for that reason.

✅. Thanks Jim,    Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #29 on: June 17, 2018, 11:58:19 am »
Happy Father?s Day.
I have been drying honey for several days using the drip method over and over again. Guess what I just received for Father?s Day, a 50 pint dehumidifier. It immediately stared dropping the humidity down even in our large dining room/living room/kitchen. The air at the buckets is now at 40% down from 48%. Pretty good for less than an hour. If I move the drying to a small room I should be able to take the humidity down to 30%. That is what I will do the next time.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #30 on: June 17, 2018, 11:58:47 am »
Capping the honey keeps it from absorbing moisture from the air which would allow it to ferment.
Jim

Jim it doesn't stop it, it only slows it down.  It doesn't ferment in the hive because the bees are keeping the RH around 50.  If you take the frames out of the hive and store them in your 85-90% RH that honey is gaining moisture even though they are capped.  Don't store the honey in the frame under these conditions.  Extract it and bottle it.  Extracted honey used to be stored in 60# tins.  Metal and glass do not let moisture pass through it.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2018, 12:22:43 pm by Acebird »
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #31 on: June 17, 2018, 12:17:06 pm »
Happy Father?s Day.
I have been drying honey for several days using the drip method over and over again. Guess what I just received for Father?s Day, a 50 pint dehumidifier. It immediately stared dropping the humidity down even in our large dining room/living room/kitchen. The air at the buckets is now at 40% down from 48%. Pretty good for less than an hour. If I move the drying to a small room I should be able to take the humidity down to 30%. That is what I will do the next time.
Jim

Yes a wonderful gift! Especially in the cabbage palm area of our country.  And sounds as it is doing  a bang up good job. Keep up the good work!! 
Philip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #32 on: June 17, 2018, 12:21:48 pm »
It immediately stared dropping the humidity down even in our large dining room/living room/kitchen.

I am going to through a recommendation out to all my friends in FL who are drying honey to not use a room that has exterior walls if your house is stick built.  Concrete construction might be OK.  When you create a very dry space in a very moist climate you increase the moisture passing through the walls.  It may cause condensation in the walls and rot or create mold. Use an interior room like a closet that has no exterior walls.
https://www.wbdg.org/resources/moisture-management
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #33 on: June 17, 2018, 12:48:31 pm »
It immediately stared dropping the humidity down even in our large dining room/living room/kitchen.

I am going to through a recommendation out to all my friends in FL who are drying honey to not use a room that has exterior walls if your house is stick built.  Concrete construction might be OK.  When you create a very dry space in a very moist climate you increase the moisture passing through the walls.  It may cause condensation in the walls and rot or create mold. Use an interior room like a closet that has no exterior walls.
https://www.wbdg.org/resources/moisture-management

Through the walls Ace? Come on now. The humidifier is not running on a jet powered engine. If it is, it will probably suck the walls and ceiling together!  Just kidding Ace Happy Fathers Day! I will check out the link.. Thanks Phillip Hall
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #34 on: June 17, 2018, 05:41:05 pm »
Ace,
The problem we have down here with humidity and AC is not dropping the humidity down too much, it is dropping the temperature down without getting the humidity down. That makes the walls and items in the house cold enough to cause the water to condense on them and the mold starts growing. If you put an AC unit that is too big for the space of the house it does not run long enough to pull the water out and you can have that problem.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #35 on: June 18, 2018, 10:01:21 am »
If the AC unit is too big then unfortunately the only solution is to put a heating coil in front of the condenser so it doesn't ice up.  Once the air in the room gets dry enough then you can turn off the heating coil.  The next unfortunate problem is you don't want to turn the air conditioner off or down because you would have to use the heating coil again.
A dehumidifier is essentially an air conditioner where the condensing coils are lined up with the evaporator coils.  So if you heat the air going into your air conditioner you have essentially made a dehumidifier.  Do to inefficiency a dehumidifier will raise the temperature of a room.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2018, 05:26:42 pm by Acebird »
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Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #36 on: June 18, 2018, 11:14:43 am »
"Do to inefficiency a dehumidifier will raise the temperature of a room",you are correct with that statement Ace. When I first tried drying honey using a dehumidifier two or three years ago I didn't run an air conditioner and had the room heat up to almost 95 degrees in about eight hours.
  I was trying to dry buckets of honey at the time with the stir method and found that there wasn't enough surface area to make it effective. That is why I dried this batch of honey while still in the comb. Even capped honey will give up moisture in a dry environment with a good air flow over it.

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Re: Drying honey
« Reply #37 on: June 18, 2018, 11:46:38 am »
Ben think of wax as if it was plastic wrap.  Some materials allow moisture to pass through it.  Most people assume that it doesn't but it does.  Wax is like that.  Now metal will not let moisture through it.  Tear a juice pack apart.  The plastic bag is usually foil faced for that reason.

✅. Thanks Jim,    Phillip


Woops, that should have been thank you Ace... 
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

anything