couple of quick questions regarding bottling

[Bandini]

Hi All,

i'm just about to bottle my first honey taken off a few days ago! I've had a supers worth in a bottling tank for a few days but it still has a few bubbles in it. The honey was double strained strait into a 30lb bucket and then poured into the bottling tank. Unfortunately, i had to pour it back again due to a leaky valve on the bottling tank!

Do i need to worry about the air bubbles in the honey when it's in jars?

Also, my jars are new from thornes, do i need to sterilise before bottling?

and thirdly, i've been reading Ted Hoopers book, and there seems to be all sorts of procedures like allowing honey to crystallise and then warming it up before bottling. i was thinking to just go ahead and bottle! any thoughts/advise?

i'd appreciate any thoughts or comments.

many thanks

Tim

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Hi All,


Do i need to worry about the air bubbles in the honey when it's in jars?

Also, my jars are new from Th**nes, do i need to sterilise before bottling?

and thirdly, i've been reading Ted Hoopers book, and there seems to be all sorts of procedures like allowing honey to crystallise and then warming it up before bottling. i was thinking to just go ahead and bottle! any thoughts/advise?

No, unless you pan to exhibit in which case you must ensure the jar is full and bubble free.

Yes

You can just go ahead. If its from a particularly tricky source such as OSR or ivy (probably unliklely this time of year if still liquid) then you can look to soft set it* rather than letting it set rock hard. Most honey is just fine with a bit of a filter and a few days rest.

* see numerous other posts

 

[Bandini]

Thank you for the speedy response!

I'm assuming the best method for sterilising is to put jars in boiling water for five min?

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Yup, or dishwasher. Dry them in a over on a low setting (or upside down drip dry), you'll get more nasties and smears from a cloth

 

[Davelin]

Have you got a dishwasher? Hot wash through that does it nicely

 

[Davelin]

OK too slow!!

 

[Bandini]

Thanks Both,

i have a dish washer, i'll stick in on a hot quick wash! much appreciated!

what about the lids?

and do you use normal dish washer tablet detergent or nothing?

thanks again...

 

[Davelin]

I don't wash them, quick wipe with a dry tea towel. If they are new jars don't think you would need to use any detergent. I don't

 

[Bandini]

thanks, on it goes with a hot wash , not detergent !

im so impatient ! ...lucky for me you guys are fast!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Lids can be dealt with in the same way as you do the glass. Detergent optional - not needed but if your clearing tea at the same time!

 

[Moggs]

Hot oven - 160 deg C for 15 minutes for proper bug killing. Same as jam.

 

[oliver90owner]

Most autoclaves are set to regulate at 126 degrees C. I would think 160 is far more than adequate.

Small users may even use Milton or sulphite (wine bottle steriliser) followed by potable water wash.

Mine are all dish-washed and dried at about 125C in the oven. I reckon that is 'belt and braces', but you only need one complaint...

The only downside to bottling immediately is the risk of coarse, gritty granulation (or perhaps setting hard as rock like OSR). Oh, and fermentation, if the water content is 'iffy'.

Bottled and/or kept 'warm' should allow any bubbles to rise to the surface quite quickly.

Regards, RAB

 

[Bandini]

Thanks for all the advise. have bottled my first super and now resting the second before bottling. will wait and see how the honey behaves in the jars.

never tasted such delicious honey, incredibly fragrant!

 

[tkwinston4]

never tasted such delicious honey, incredibly fragrant!

Bit off topic I'm afraid but I have noticed that my own honey is also very fragrant. Does honey lose its fragrance over time? Doing a sniff test on shop bought and home grown honey shows a huge difference in strength of smell.

Any reason? Or is it just down to the flowers?

 

[Swarm]

There's nothing as good as your own

A bit like any home grown crop, it's fresh and hasn't been faffed about.

 

[Moggs]

It does - there are lots of volatile compounds in it that lose their potency with either heat or exposure to the atmosphere. Keep it cool and keep it covered!

 

[tkwinston4]

Thanks Moggs. We are all taught to keep honey cool and dark to stop it crystallizing etc but I have never really considered that it will lose its smell too.

Obvious when I think about it!

Oh well onwards and upwards

 

[Tim1606]

Most autoclaves are set to regulate at 126 degrees C. I would think 160 is far more than adequate.

Small users may even use Milton or sulphite (wine bottle steriliser) followed by potable water wash.

Mine are all dish-washed and dried at about 125C in the oven. I reckon that is 'belt and braces', but you only need one complaint...

The only downside to bottling immediately is the risk of coarse, gritty granulation (or perhaps setting hard as rock like OSR). Oh, and fermentation, if the water content is 'iffy'.

Bottled and/or kept 'warm' should allow any bubbles to rise to the surface quite quickly.

Regards, RAB

You think like we do. Like you said, One complaint and......, so we do the milton thing, then into the oven to dry upside down.

I also like to fill them just as they are still just warm to the touch

 

[dclewis]

And for those that use plastic pots rather than glass. Just the same treatment as they should not melt or deform at such temps.