Different year, different honey

[jeff33]

I extracted my first batch of the year yesterday. It is mainly from hawthorn, dandelion and sycamore. The honey is usually quite light in colour, runny ish and has ~15% moisture when extracted. It will tend to set after a couple of months almost like a creamed honey.

This year's batch with the dry weather (3 days rain in April and 1 in May) and sunshine comes in really dark, thick with a moisture content of ~8%. It also taste different and was interesting to see that hardly any frames were capped by the bees.

I didn't expect so much difference.

 

[enrico]

Remember to keep an unused jar from every year and label it with the year.
E

 

[Swarm]

Maybe check your refractometer, either that or 8% was a typo.

 

[jeff33]

Maybe check your refractometer, either that or 8% was a typo.

I think it was more my eyes.....I just did another reading it is ~15%!

 

[enrico]

I think it was more my eyes.....I just did another reading it is ~15%!

I even doubt that is correct
E

 

[jeff33]

You are both getting me worried about the quality of my refractometer, maybe I should invest in something better?

 

[enrico]

Do you know anyone with one? You can check their reading with yours and recalibrate yours to a correct reading if it is wrong!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

You are both getting me worried about the quality of my refractometer, maybe I should invest in something better?

Check it against olive oil which is 26.5 % ?

 

[jeff33]

Check it against olive oil which is 26.5 % ?

Thanks both, will try the olive oil.

 

[Swarm]

I had four buckets of Dandelion honey in 2018 that barely registered 14% and it was like glue. I double and treble checked that because I didn't believe it.
Has to be said, it's gorgeous honey.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

15% is a perfectly plausible reading - especially for spring honey

 

[jeff33]

I will treble check tomorrow after recalibration. That honey is as sticky as fly paper. The dandelion is in full force since April here so it could be. What I extracted has a strong flavour with a touch of citrus and caramel, definitely not the usual spring crop.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I will treble check tomorrow after recalibration. That honey is as sticky as fly paper. The dandelion is in full force since April here so it could be. What I extracted has a strong flavour with a touch of citrus and caramel, definitely not the usual spring crop.

did it smell of stale socks?

 

[jeff33]

Not as strong as when they bring it in, which you can smell through the hives. Must be a fair bit of hawthorn in it as well.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Check it against olive oil which is 26.5 % ?

Closer to 27%

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/refractometercalibration.html

 

[Wingy]

Just extracted my first batch from the garden hives, such a contrast some very light in colour & some very dark. Again I was worried as only about 50% capped. Came in at 17.2% on the refractometer

 

[jeff33]

It was down to a sh*ty refractometer which made reading impossible!! Had a new one delivered today, 17% reading.

 

[enrico]

Thanks for letting us know Jeff. Whilst I don't doubt 15% is possible I have never had the pleasure of seeing it. 17% sounds right. Still, take some olive oil and take a reading. Save a small amount in a small container with the reading on it and that will always be the one you can calibrate to
Best of luck
E

 

[Swarm]

2018, Dandelion, 120lbs, 14%.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Thanks for letting us know Jeff. Whilst I don't doubt 15% is possible I have never had the pleasure of seeing it. 17% sounds right. Still, take some olive oil and take a reading. Save a small amount in a small container with the reading on it and that will always be the one you can calibrate to
Best of luck
E

I got 15% on one hive last year and 16.1 on one of my apiaries this spring...and most was uncapped!