Granulation in Heather honey

[Erichalfbee]

This will only be the third time I've made soft set, the first time it ended up being grainy but I think I didn't process it right.
More than one way to do it but mbcs method which he only briefly explained works well.

It didn’t work because you didn’t use a proper seed. Try again with either OSR or some spreadable Rowse

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's simple, just leave the honey in the warming cabinet until completely liquid, bring it down to about 33°C, warm the seed up to the same temp, mix (I add about 10% seed), then quickly bring it all down to about 13° it will start granulating within hours, I then stir it twice a day for a couple of days before bottling (it sometimes takes a lot less time if it's granulating quickly) I then keep the bottled honey at 13° (ish) and within a few more days it's completely white and set.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It's simple, just leave the honey in the warming cabinet until completely liquid, bring it down to about 33°C, warm the seed up to the same temp, mix (I add about 10% seed), then quickly bring it all down to about 13° it will start granulating within hours, I then stir it twice a day for a couple of days before bottling (it sometimes takes a lot less time if it's granulating quickly) I then keep the bottled honey at 13° (ish) and within a few more days it's completely white and set.

This is the method I did the last time 1:9 and it worked well but I reduced the temp to 25c and the same for the seed.
I struggled with the 13 c bit but left it in our parla I jarred on day 4 maybe should of done it straight away? because I had to warm it through again to jar up.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It didn’t work because you didn’t use a proper seed. Try again with either OSR or some spreadable Rowse

Rather not use rowse honey, as I've said I have some osr from 2019 and I've been sent two jars also from a fellow member which I will use.

 

[Finman]

This will only be the third time I've made soft set, the first time it ended up being grainy but I think I didn't process it right.
More than one way to do it but mbcs method which he only briefly explained works well.

I have made soft set 55 years. I beekeeping teacher had learned it from American bee journals. The habit was rare in Finland in those days.

What makes crystallation strange even today is, that the composition of the honey crop mixtures are not same year after year. OSR was easy to handle, because it crystallizes so quickly. But hot summer does not give muct OSR, but it gives much honey dew.

honeydews are difficult to evaluate, what will happen to the honey.

My honey yield are not that and that. They are mixtures and I cannot know what they actually are.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I have made soft set 55 years. I beekeeping teacher had learned it from American bee journals. The habit was rare in Finland in those days.

What makes crystallation strange even today is, that the composition of the honey crop mixtures are not same year after year. OSR was easy to handle, because it crystallizes so quickly. But hot summer does not give muct OSR, but it gives much honey dew.

honeydews are difficult to evaluate, what will happen to the honey.

My honey yield are not that and that. They are mixtures and I cannot know what they actually are.

I bet you have seen different honey crops over the years, I hope I'm still beekeeping in 55 years .
Even in my short time as a beekeeper honey crops have been different.
Eg. Spring 2021 was good for the harwthorne never had such dark honey.
Spring 2020 was eucalyptus/holly and osr - osr was 3-4 miles away.
Spring 2019 dandelion /osr.
That's the charm of Beekeeping imo.

 

[Finman]

You have a clear vision, from where your yield has come. Are you sure?

As far as I know, hawthorne does not give honey. Have you even seen nectar droplest in the flower? Our guys yell, that they het good yield from rowan. I have not seen any nectar in flowers, or seen beed suck nectar from flowers with fat abdomen.

OSR 3-4 miles away... it is very long journey. About 5 km.

I have had rape fieds 1 km away, and the hives have lost half of their yield as flying fuel. And actually I do not know, what percent of nectar is from rape field and what from outside of rape field.

When rape field has been 2 km away, and the weather has been moist, nothing has left into the supers. They have consumed all that light nectar.

I bet, that actually you do not know very well, from where your nectar comes.

However, all honey should be treated as soft set, before you jar it. It is late then when the honey starts to crystallize in the jars.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As far as I know, hawthorne does not give honey.

Well you'd be wrong then, very wrong

 

[Finman]

Well you'd be wrong then, very wrong

Ok. We have very few hawthornes here. But it does not harm your beekeeping if I do not know that thing. Bees gather the nectar.

 

[Curly green finger's]

You have a clear vision, from where your yield has come. Are you sure?

As far as I know, hawthorne does not give honey. Have you even seen nectar droplest in the flower? Our guys yell, that they het good yield from rowan. I have not seen any nectar in flowers, or seen beed suck nectar from flowers with fat abdomen.

OSR miles away... it is very long journey.
I have had rape fieds 1 km away, anf the hive has lost half of its yield as flying fuel.
When rape field has been 2 km away, and tje weather has been moist, nothing has come to the super. They have condumed all nectar.

I bet, that actually you do not know very well, from where your nectar comes.

I was using pollen analysis, Honey tasting and smell/ colour, also observations from watching my bees at the entrance and out in the field.

I can't understand why you would think harwthorne doesn't produce a honey crop when it has a very distinctive taste and colour.

 

[Finman]

I can't understand why you would think harwthorne doesn't produce a honey crop

Neither I , because we do not have those plants.

Pollen analysis does not tell much, because bees gather pollen from lots of plants, which do not give nectar at all. Roses are one group.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Neither I , because we do not have those plants.

Pollen analysis does not tell much, because bees gather pollen from lots of plants, which do not give nectar at all. Roses are one group.

Yes I know that about the pollen analysis, but a combination of all will give you a fair idea.
We don't have alot of trees up here either and I know just because a plant tree is flowering really well it doesn't necessarily mean it is yeilding nectar.
I think the best observation is when your in the field watching the bees.

 

[Finman]

I think the best observation is when your in the field watching the bees.

That is true.

When I have practiced hive migration whole my life, I must know, from where bees get yield. Guys often tell that they get good yields from field bean, but if I do not see any bees in bean field, I abandon the whole plant.

If I see 5 bees per square metre in flowers, I do not put more hives into such place.

Like near my summer cottage there are too much beehives . Pastures are over grazed. I get 4 times more honey, when I move hives 10- 20 km.

 

[drex]

I have made soft set 55 years. I beekeeping teacher had learned it from American bee journals. The habit was rare in Finland in those days.

What makes crystallation strange even today is, that the composition of the honey crop mixtures are not same year after year. OSR was easy to handle, because it crystallizes so quickly. But hot summer does not give muct OSR, but it gives much honey dew.

honeydews are difficult to evaluate, what will happen to the honey.

Once extracted I leave all my honey in 30lb buckets for about a month to see how it will behave. If it has, or is starting to crystallise in that time I will process as soft set, if not it is treated as runny honey. It is jarred up as it is sold 30 lbs at a time. My sales are from the garden gate, so slow and steady.

 

[elainemary]

Hi so looking at stock today half of the heather honey is starting to granulate, as this is my first for heather honey, anything I can do to make it jelly like again?View attachment 28988

Supposed to be a sign of other forage in the heather, main culprit is rosebay willow herb but can be thisltle, ragwort and other moorland plants. Warm in a water bath for an hour at c50-60c then plunge in cold water, after stirring half way through. Or warming cabinet at 25-30 for longer until crystals ‘melt’. Some people say be careful as bubbles can dissipate but not found this myself. Still has the amazing flavour of heather honey

 

[Curly green finger's]

Supposed to be a sign of other forage in the heather, main culprit is rosebay willow herb but can be thisltle, ragwort and other moorland plants. Warm in a water bath for an hour at c50-60c then plunge in cold water, after stirring half way through. Or warming cabinet at 25-30 for longer until crystals ‘melt’. Some people say be careful as bubbles can dissipate but not found this myself. Still has the amazing flavour of heather honey

Thanks Elaine, I will warm it at 25-30c.
The Heather honey that hasn't started to crystalize is more pure then?
There was rosebay flowering well, I will spend more time being more observant this next season, I would like to camp on the moors with the bees it would be a holiday for me.

 

[elainemary]

Thanks Elaine, I will warm it at 25-30c.
The Heather honey that hasn't started to crystalize is more pure then?
There was rosebay flowering well, I will spend more time being more observant this next season, I would like to camp on the moors with the bees it would be a holiday for me.

Yes I understand this to be the case that absolutely pure heather tends not to granulate (hard to come by!) but can also be triggered by cooler temperatures if some of your honey is in your cellar and some is not? A good tip is to freeze any cut comb early as soon as it’s available and this prevents granulation until needed. Could also do this for buckets if you have the freezer space, but it is easy to warm through (not cut comb!) and I’ve found it doesn’t impact the flavour.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Will 25 degrees melt the crystals?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

doubtful

 

[Erichalfbee]

doubtful

It’s why I asked. I’ve never managed to melt honey quickly at much less than 40. Doesn’t a quick ( 24hours) heat at a higher temperature produce less damage and HMF than a long warm at a lower temperature?