Cappings honey ? Soft set

[Huggibear]

Hello
I've been fortunate to be able to spinoff some spring honey ,which I don't think was OSR, but I am confused as the honey I drained from the cappings I kept to one side - it was very cloudy and has now formed a soft set type of honey - OR is it just the little bits of wax ? ( I only strained through standard 2 metal filters)
The rest of it is also thickening but wasn't as cloudy - could I use the cappings honey to seed that ?
Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

The cloudiness in your capping's honey is likely caused by small crystals in the honey forming as it cooled and drips through the cappings. These crystals, particularly with "cloudy" honey, will usually go through the two metal sieves, but will block a 400 micron mesh filter making them difficult to filter out.
An overnight heating (+ stirring often) at 45-49C usually remelts them to form a nice clear honey (or 60C for an hour in a water bath). Others may use different temps to clear theirs.
I'd be cautious of using it as a seed, better to use a known method (or known seed) when making soft set.

 

[Huggibear]

Thank you - will look at standard soft set method and just eat the cappings honey !

 

[enrico]

Honey often clouds, especially before setting, just a natural process. Proves it's raw honey!!!!!!! That's what I tell people
E

 

[drex]

That honey ( not just the cap pings honey, but all of it) is going to set of its own accord and unless left until fully crystallised you do not know how hard it will set or what crystal size.
As suggested above, let it set, remelt and seed with a known seed ( even if you have to buy some) as I take it this is your very first harvest.
If there was OSR anywhere near your bees, it will contain OSR nectar.

 

[Wingy]

I’ve got exactly the same. Extracted 2 weeks ago through the standard double strainer and into jars. It was slightly cloudy at first but nice and runny.
Over the 2 weeks it has become more cloudy and started to set. Looks like soft set honey but the texture is a bit grainy. Still very nice spread on toast.
I had a varied forage and not much OSR in the area. Closest about 1/4 mile as the bee flies and I know some of my little darlings were in it from the orange marks on their heads but not that many.

 

[drex]

1/4 mile for OSR is not that far for a bee. Because of the rich returns they will usually go that bit further for OSR. It does not take much OSR in a batch of honey for the whole batch to behave as pure OSR honey.
I never take a chance with my spring crop and as posted above will always go through the full soft set palaver.

 

[enrico]

Dandelion sets like that. Cloudy then grainy. Quite light in colour. Makes nice honey on toast though.
E

 

[Etton]

That honey ( not just the cap pings honey, but all of it) is going to set of its own accord and unless left until fully crystallised you do not know how hard it will set or what crystal size.
As suggested above, let it set, remelt and seed with a known seed ( even if you have to buy some) as I take it this is your very first harvest.
If there was OSR anywhere near your bees, it will contain OSR nectar.

Any recommendations for a seed honey and what is the difference between soft set and creamed honey. Is soft set just heated and stirred and creamed the seeded one?

 

[enrico]

Use the search, loads on it, like this one.... https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10494
E

 

[Beefriendly]

Any recommendations for a seed honey and what is the difference between soft set and creamed honey.

They are the just different names for the same product. Although EU (I think) has banned creamed as a description as their is no "cream" in it.
You can make the same end product by a variety of methods.
As a recommendation for seed honey you can take some set honey and grind it to smooth paste with a pestle and mortar/blender etc, or far easier, is pop out to supermarket and buy a soft set honey and use this. Then retain a "starter amount" for the next time you make it.

 

[Wingy]

Dandelion sets like that. Cloudy then grainy. Quite light in colour. Makes nice honey on toast though.
E

I know they hammered the dandelion the allotments and surrounding fields were full of them

 

[Huggibear]

Yes - my first spring honey ( small late summer crop last year in my first year of beekeeping).I didn't realise oil seed rape nectar was orange - I just assumed it was yellow !
thanks for all the information- I'll be watching closely what they are coming in with

 

[Millet]

Yes - my first spring honey ( small late summer crop last year in my first year of beekeeping).I didn't realise oil seed rape nectar was orange - I just assumed it was yellow !
thanks for all the information- I'll be watching closely what they are coming in with

Neither did i , the oil seed rape mine have collected starts of a pale yellow colour when extracted a then slowly sets to a creamy white colour.

 

[Huggibear]

Well - pollen I meant ! Obvious new beek mistake

 

[Millet]

Well - pollen I meant ! Obvious new beek mistake