First ever jar of honey

[Ely]

Extracted my first lot of honey yesterday, there seems to be a flow on finally. I put some in an empty honey jar that I bought from a beekeeper in Kefalonia that contained thyme honey. It will be a keepsake, might taste it in 50 years if I'm still here.

It has little bits in though, I think I need a better filter

 

[margob99]

Congratulations! There can be no more rewarding feeling in all the world!

PS: For filters, I've used everything from a square of cheesecloth fabric to a 10-denier stocking I've found it's best to use more than one, and have often rigged up elaborate, and wobbly, towers of sieves, double-filter sieves, cheesecloth layers to try and speed up, and automate, the process a little.

 

[Ely]

Congratulations! There can be no more rewarding feeling in all the world!

PS: For filters, I've used everything from a square of cheesecloth fabric to a 10-denier stocking I've found it's best to use more than one, and have often rigged up elaborate, and wobbly, towers of sieves, double-filter sieves, cheesecloth layers to try and speed up, and automate, the process a little.

Ok. I have a pair stockings. Guess I'll have to buy another pair for the weekend

 

[Dilligaf]

Congratulations. It's a good feeling isn't it.
I took my first 8lb off earlier this year.
Lets see how long it lasts once you have tasted it.

 

[village girl]

congratulations, and as for the bits call it rustic and dont worry too much

 

[margob99]

"Artisan" is also a good word, I've recently discovered

 

[jackbee]

I use a standard kitchen sieve and some coarse filter material from a home brewing store - certainly gets rid of the wax and other debris good enough!!

 

[scuttlefish]

Go you! I sold my first jar of honey this morning - wealth and riches here I come!

I use a double strainer now, the fine mesh bit is 0.5mm (500 micron) and the larger mesh catches the big bits of wax and bee to stop the smaller mesh getting blocked too quickly.

 

[madasafish]

Sell it as honey with added beeswax

 

[E1M]

If you have ever tried Scrumpy Cider, I mean the REAL SCRUMPY Cider, then you will know how much the taste of that is improved by "BITS", leave 'em in and call it Scrumpy Honey!!!!

 

[Ely]

I had some on toast this morning. MMm tastes lovely. Thanks for sieving advice. Hope fully should have some more to come as I only took 5 frames out that were ready. Came to about 10.5 lbs of honey

 

[psafloyd]

Congratulations! There can be no more rewarding feeling in all the world!

PS: For filters, I've used everything from a square of cheesecloth fabric to a 10-denier stocking I've found it's best to use more than one, and have often rigged up elaborate, and wobbly, towers of sieves, double-filter sieves, cheesecloth layers to try and speed up, and automate, the process a little.

Make sure your missus isn't still wearing them. Mine objected.

 

[gingerbees]

We too harvested our first ever honey this week. Very exciting and tastes fantastic. We figured it owes us about £100 a jar - but perhaps we might get some more!! Thanks for the advice about the 'bits' more straining required.
Our neighbours were delighted with their jar - quote 'never had fresh honey, tastes a bit like flowers '

Happy times.

 

[Ely]

Yep. Brill feeling. I've been up and down for the last two years getting excited and frustrated in equal measure. I wasn't expecting to get any due to my still learning and making a few mistakes so it is nice to be rewarded.

I'm quite glad my closest neighbours are a bunch of miserable tossers that don't like us. More honey for us

 

[tonybloke]

well done Simon ( and his bees)

tastes great, don't it?

 

[dpearce4]

Ok. I have a pair stockings. Guess I'll have to buy another pair for the weekend

Do we need to know what you wear at the weekends.

 

[Ely]

well done Simon ( and his bees)

tastes great, don't it?

Certainly does, cheers for your help.

 

[Rosti]

Bits or not, still the best honey you'll taste. Congrats

 

[Queens59]

I used to live near a scrumpy maker and was told...' Sorry, no scrumpy - all the rats have been dying of diseases lately'!

They wouldn't age a barrel unless it had a newly deceased rat in it...

Arrgghh....running for the hills....

 

[beehive1234]