Cloudy Honey

[Peadarg]

Hello fellow beekeepers,

Just a quick question. My honey has now been settling for about 6 days in my settling tank. However when I started bottling it, I realised it's still cloudy. Is this normal. Should I leave it a little long to ensure its clear when I do jar it? I filtered the honey when I was extracting it, using a double stainless steel sieve. Thanks in advance. I doubt it has started to crystalize, however this is only a gut feeling, plus all frames were capped upon extraction. cheers

 

[WoodenBeam]

I’d guess that it is starting to crystallise - take a jar of your Honey and try warming it in a pan of water / or an oven at about 50/60 degrees / or possibly a microwave (I never used one myself so can’t recommend 100%). If it clears then that answers your query.
If it is starting to crystallise nothing wrong with that - you’ll just have set honey as opposed to liquid. Might be an idea to get it out of your settling tank pretty pronto though before it sets in there!

 

[enrico]

It is a natural thing. Often it starts relatively clear, goes progressively cloudy and then sets to a lesser or greater extent.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Almost certainly starting to crystallise just warm it as above, the attached site recommends 54deg for 45 mins.
http://www.sheffieldbeekeepers.org.uk/important-temperatures-beekeeping/

 

[protheroe]

Some honeys just dont want to clear.Ive just had a bucket that was in warming cabinet for three days.It was already runny but cloudy so i warmed it,it helped but just wouldn't fully clear.I think you'd need some really fine filter to get it crystal,unless yours has just started setting as stated in previous couple of posts.

 

[hemo]

If a bucket doesn't clear well at 39c, I leave it at a max of 42c for 48hrs. If it still isn't clear I jar it for set honey and get nice results.

 

[Peadarg]

Thank you all very much for your tips and advice.

As you suggested I put one cloudy jar into a pan of hot water and that cleared it. I am going to start bottling today before remainder of honey crystalizes in the settling tank. I was thinking of putting the jars once poured into the kitchen oven at about 55 degrees Celsius. I have an oven thermometer so this should hopefully allow me to keep a close eye on the actual temperature. I am thinking this method might be a little easier than the pan of hot water method. Any pros or cons are more than welcome. I am a little baffled as to what is causing this crystalizing so soon. Last year I did not have this issue and my apiary is not near oil seed rape. The main flow I reckon would be blackberry and clover. Now the clover might of yielded a little better this summer because of the high temperatures, experienced in the last two weeks in July. Could this of caused it?
Thanks again

 

[drex]

Who knows what your bees have been foraging on. I just accept the honey they give me. It stays in buckets until jarred as needed for sale. At that point if still runny it is sold as runny, if setting, it is treated and sold as soft set. Honey crystallising that quick I would have done as soft set, but your idea will work fine if you have good temperature control. Bear in mind the hotter the temp and longer the time, the more HMF is produced

 

[holmbee]

Almost certainly starting to crystallise just warm it as above, the attached site recommends 54deg for 45 mins.
http://www.sheffieldbeekeepers.org.uk/important-temperatures-beekeeping/

If you do this I understand it is important to quickly cool the honey immediately after heating. When I do this I plunge the bottles into icy cold water and leave until pretty cool/cold.

 

[WoodenBeam]

If you do this I understand it is important to quickly cool the honey immediately after heating. When I do this I plunge the bottles into icy cold water and leave until pretty cool/cold.

You crack on Holmbee if that’s what floats ya boat…………
As for everyone else, I wouldn’t overly worry.