does high water content honey mix with low water content?

[preyingmantos]

if the water content of some combs of honey is to high (say around 22%) will it 'mix' with lower water content honey (say 16%) in the spinner to provide a average, say around 19%. Or will it result in a seperation, much like water and oil. I do a lot of extracting, and have often wondered.... any one any ideas? thanks

 

[oliver90owner]

No ideas. It is not oil and water. By the time the whole lot has been mixed together it will we a pro rata value.

If you run it off into separate buckets and do all of the one moisture value first you may have a problem. Simply a matter of knowing what you are doing, selecting frames carefully (spun together they will be mixed!) and if in doubt check each bucket with a refractometer (or a hydrometer in ye olde days).

Combine and homogenise as appropriate. Feed back to the bees or reduce by dehumidifying and warmth if the water content is too high. Fermenting honey is no joke!

RAB

 

[preyingmantos]

ok cool, i thought since they were different densitys the water could possibly 'float' on the denser sugars.... but hey what do i know

 

[Rosti]

It depends on the difference in water content that you are talking about between the parts of the composite and whether they both independently meet stablity thresholds.

If you are saying can I mix a 17.5% with a 19.5% at 50/50 and get a stable 18.5% water content honey then the answer is regrettably 'no' not without active intervention - see 'UNLESS' below.

From a microbiological stability view point the answer is 'no' because the stability of the honey relies on water activity rather than the 'water content'. Water activity (Aw) is a measure of free water, in honey - that is water that is not bound to protein or within complex carbohydrate structures.
Since, yeasts are spread evenly through the honey the Aw at a micro level will dictate whether you get local 'pockets' of fermentation with associated acidification and gas production within the honey. Mixing will only give a standardisation of water content (not Aw) at a macro level. At a micro level the Aw of the original honey will likely still dictate stability and variation within the honey - UNLESS - you are actively shear mixing and pasteurising such that you re-distribute bound and free water evenly. Even then you'd need to validate becuse there is not a straight line relationship between Aw and water %.

Hope that helps. R

 

[justme]

It depends on the difference in water content that you are talking about between the parts of the composite and whether they both independently meet stablity thresholds.

If you are saying can I mix a 17.5% with a 19.5% at 50/50 and get a stable 18.5% water content honey then the answer is regrettably 'no' not without active intervention - see 'UNLESS' below.

From a microbiological stability view point the answer is 'no' because the stability of the honey relies on water activity rather than the 'water content'. Water activity (Aw) is a measure of free water, in honey - that is water that is not bound to protein or within complex carbohydrate structures.
Since, yeasts are spread evenly through the honey the Aw at a micro level will dictate whether you get local 'pockets' of fermentation with associated acidification and gas production within the honey. Mixing will only give a standardisation of water content (not Aw) at a macro level. At a micro level the Aw of the original honey will likely still dictate stability and variation within the honey - UNLESS - you are actively shear mixing and pasteurising such that you re-distribute bound and free water evenly. Even then you'd need to validate becuse there is not a straight line relationship between Aw and water %.

Hope that helps. R

Oh! Glad i didnt need to understand that at mo. Id probably go the dehumidifer way if i needed to:.)

 

[preyingmantos]

thanks rosti, some intresting (if complicated) information there.... thanks

 

[PaleoPerson]

It depends on the difference in water content that you are talking about between the parts of the composite and whether they both independently meet stablity thresholds.

If you are saying can I mix a 17.5% with a 19.5% at 50/50 and get a stable 18.5% water content honey then the answer is regrettably 'no' not without active intervention - see 'UNLESS' below.

From a microbiological stability view point the answer is 'no' because the stability of the honey relies on water activity rather than the 'water content'. Water activity (Aw) is a measure of free water, in honey - that is water that is not bound to protein or within complex carbohydrate structures.
Since, yeasts are spread evenly through the honey the Aw at a micro level will dictate whether you get local 'pockets' of fermentation with associated acidification and gas production within the honey. Mixing will only give a standardisation of water content (not Aw) at a macro level. At a micro level the Aw of the original honey will likely still dictate stability and variation within the honey - UNLESS - you are actively shear mixing and pasteurising such that you re-distribute bound and free water evenly. Even then you'd need to validate becuse there is not a straight line relationship between Aw and water %.

Hope that helps. R

Ah! that answers something.

I have seen some jarred honey (not mine thankfully) that had two defined layers, one like normal honey, the other very watery. I can assume that some capped and uncapped frames were mixed and settled out over a few weeks.