Fermenting honey issue

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Quite frankly, that's tripe. How on earth do many thousands of colonies manage? They should all be dying from wet super syndrome.

Although I think I can see what happens when you hit the fermented stuff too early on a Saturday evening

 

[ericbeaumont]

I'm surprised that you are able to sell it at that price. Bakers honey is usually considered sub-standard

Bakers' Honey is not something the public come across often, if at all, and so it arouses curiosity. When I give them the chat of nectar as water, convection, the Honey Regs. at 20%, and would you like to taste it? it's pretty much a deal. One bloke said it reminded him of honey he had as a boy in Jamaica, and when C19 broke a regular binged about £80 on it (probably won't see her for a year). It's about 20% cheaper than my regular honey, which helps but not much. In the US, this company sells it at £12.06/lb.

Health benefits of fermentation are well documented, though I cannot yet find info. that supports such a claim for fermented honey (so I won't) but public perception of the value of fermentation has grown rapidly recently. It may help that where I sell at Stoke Newington Farmers' Market we have PaMa Raw Food, where Patka and Martin sell fermented veg.and kombucha. This year Martin is brewing garlic & baker's honey to sell in the autumn as a cold remedy.

A sub-standard product? That would be pasteurised and ultra-filtered imported honey.

 

[beeno]

Hygienic?
My bees drink from the farmyard cow pat puddles.

Mine don't.

 

[Poly Hive]

Browsing "Wish" last night there was a refractometer on offer for £7.

Fermented honey in spring does the bees no harm at all, who on earth told that damn lie? In fact if you were to give identical colonies a super each in Sprin, one with that fermenting smell and one dry I would bet the proverbial farm that the bees would be in the fermenting one first. They love it. Especially heather!

PH

 

[enrico]

Ok, here is an offer to someone who thinks they will be able to identify the problem. I will send one jar of my honey that I think is tainted to one person who disbelieves what I say. Maybe you could identify what the smell is other than previous fermenting honey! Remember I have only relatively recently moved to this area so maybe it is a plant that gives this smell. I can only afford to send one jar out so if you want to pm me your address I will post it on to you for further investigation.
E

 

[B+.]

Hygienic?
My bees drink from the farmyard cow pat puddles.

Bees don't seem to care much where they drink from. I regularly see mine drinking from puddles in ruts that the tractor makes.
Basically, if a bee feels the need for something, they'll gather it. I don't think this is limited to bees though. I'm sure we've all seen dogs eat grass to settle its stomach. That's not normal behaviour but they do do it.

 

[beeno]

Bakers' Honey is not something the public come across often, if at all, and so it arouses curiosity. When I give them the chat of nectar as water, convection, the Honey Regs. at 20%, and would you like to taste it? it's pretty much a deal. One bloke said it reminded him of honey he had as a boy in Jamaica, and when C19 broke a regular binged about £80 on it (probably won't see her for a year). It's about 20% cheaper than my regular honey, which helps but not much. In the US, this company sells it at £12.06/lb.

Health benefits of fermentation are well documented, though I cannot yet find info. that supports such a claim for fermented honey (so I won't) but public perception of the value of fermentation has grown rapidly recently. It may help that where I sell at Stoke Newington Farmers' Market we have PaMa Raw Food, where Patka and Martin sell fermented veg.and kombucha. This year Martin is brewing garlic & baker's honey to sell in the autumn as a cold remedy.

A sub-standard product? That would be pasteurised and ultra-filtered imported honey.

Fermentation anything is the rage!

 

[Antipodes]

My beekeeping book says honey moisture level below 17.1 per cent will not ferment. The only explantation I can think of is that The Poot's honey must have become higher than 17.1 per cent moisture by not being in an air-tight container and absorbing moisture from the air. The inhibition of sugar-tolerant yeasts (which naturally occur in honey) has been removed.

As to why only 4 jars are affected .....perhaps as Ericbeaumont says, the other jars may not be far behind or the seal on those jars was better.

According to the book, fermented honey should never be fed to bees because it can cause dysentery and heavy losses of bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

According to the book, fermented honey should never be fed to bees because it can cause dysentery and heavy losses of bees.

Big difference between putting 'wet' supers back on the hives when the small honey deposits left on the frames have fermented and giving them a feeder full of fermented honey.
But what has become glaringly obvious over the years here is that people regurgitate stuff they've read in books without processing that information in what they have that passes for a brain or even having any experience of the matter in question.

 

[Poly Hive]

That's for sure.

PH

 

[B+.]

My beekeeping book says honey moisture level below 17.1 per cent will not ferment. The only explantation I can think of is that The Poot's honey must have become higher than 17.1 per cent moisture by not being in an air-tight container and absorbing moisture from the air.

Some of the people in southern states might have a view on that (https://youtu.be/B2-w4P8BPsQ ).

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

In the video he states he's drying supers that are 25percent uncapped.
Puts a different perspective on it as what I extracted was fully capped.

I reckon Antipodes is right that it has happened as a result of poor sealing jar to lid. I will watch the rest of the batch with interest.

More mead will be started this week.

 

[B+.]

More mead will be started this week.

There's always a silver lining!

 

[beeno]

Fermented honey is very nice on ice cream, I aquired some by not putting the lid back properly on a 30lb bucket. It reminds me of Calvados brandy. I shall have some tnite.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s fine to cook with and in porridge. I had 30 jars of soft set that fermented so I’m slowly using the honey instead of sugar in baking and in my morning cereal.

 

[enrico]

So does it have a fermenting smell? Mine isn't fermenting, it just smells like it is!
E

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

So does it have a fermenting smell? Mine isn't fermenting, it just smells like it is!
E

Yes there is a smell Eric. Not strong, but definitely there.

 

[oliver90owner]

.....
What I don't understand is why only four jars are affected out of a box full, which makes me suspect the jar / lid seal.

....

Check the other jars. If the surface of the honey appears dry and almost powdery, they are OK. If the surface looks wet or ‘greasy’ they will likely follow the others eventually. As simple as that.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Check the other jars. If the surface of the honey appears dry and almost powdery, they are OK. If the surface looks wet or ‘greasy’ they will likely follow the others eventually. As simple as that.

I'm reluctant to do that as if the problem is the lid seal, breaking them open to check might be entirely the wrong thing to do. I agree with your point though.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm reluctant to do that as if the problem is the lid seal, breaking them open to check might be entirely the wrong thing to do. I agree with your point though.

Why not?
If the honey is ok then just recap with a new lid, if not pop in the freezer and use yourself