Has your summer honey set yet?

[Amari]

I took my main crop (mixed pasture - lime, clover, bramble etc) off in mid August and as a new venture put it into 30 lb honey buckets mixed with c. 5% OSR taken off in May - the idea is that it should set then be heated to 32 degs for three days, stirred a few times then bottled as soft set. However the honey is still semi-liquid and SWMBO is getting fed up with the buckets occupying her space.
Has your summer honey set yet? Is the above methodology kosher?
[For the 44 previous years of beekeeping I have bottled straight from the settling tank]
Thanks.

 

[Bee Bumble]

It is far too early for our Summer honey to set, there is no OSR in it though.

 

[Swarm]

Currently extracting ours.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Around here, summer honey sets in a flash - no OSR just the usual bramble forage.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I took my main crop (mixed pasture - lime, clover, bramble etc) off in mid August and as a new venture put it into 30 lb honey buckets mixed with c. 5% OSR taken off in May - the idea is that it should set then be heated to 32 degs for three days, stirred a few times then bottled as soft set. However the honey is still semi-liquid and SWMBO is getting fed up with the buckets occupying her space.
Has your summer honey set yet? Is the above methodology kosher?
[For the 44 previous years of beekeeping I have bottled straight from the settling tank]
Thanks.

Mine has set. No need to add encouragement in this location.
Now the Autumn (final) crop is a different kettle of fish. It has remained liquid.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Storage temperature makes a difference to how quickly honey will granulate, also the moisture and fructose content of the honey.

http://www.montcobeekeepers.org/Documents/Honey_Crystallization.pdf

It is temperature dependent. It tends to crystallize quickly when stored below 21 23º C (70 75º F). If it is stored at higher temperatures like 23 32ºC (75 90º F) it usually does not crystallize very quickly.

 

[enrico]

I have some experience with lime, one of the worst things is that it can separate if mixed with other honeys. The lime stays liquid and rises to the surface but the set honey looks like mould at the bottom of the jar. It tastes fine and is quite nice as you have two honeys in one jar but when it comes to selling it it is more difficult!
Pure lime honey is, in my opinion, one of the best honeys in the world. But, like rape, it can have one or two set backs!
E

 

[drex]

Mine is stored in a cool room and is all still runny. It usually sets quite quickly and I end up creaming it. I have seeded a bucket, just as you have with the Spring, creamed , OSR honey and it is not setting yet. My only comment is I add about 10% of the seed honey. Must be the year we have had in East Anglia. 300 lbs of runny honey and my customers seem to prefer soft set! Yet more work.

 

[Harley1]

Mine has been off for 4 weeks and, for the first time ever, is still runny. I put all new foundation in, alternating with empty frames for some comb honey, as soon as I took the OSR off. It worked a treat and I marked all the frames so I don't mix them up with any that have had OSR in. I'm hoping it will work for me again next year.
I have a nice lot of comb honey as well, so a very successful year for me. Almost all sold already but I'm saving plenty for me.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Ours is starting, although still runs well, it has crystals there already. means you get more of a slug of the stuff when dipping in ones finger!! lots more bramble in it this year. Gorgeous!!

 

[madasafish]

I have two batches: one with a VERY high pollen content - this has set soft within 14 days of bottling.
The other - a month later - with far less pollen (clear but grains visible) - has not set after 4 weeks.
No OSR rape or ivy in either.

 

[Tom Bick]

Around here, summer honey sets in a flash - no OSR just the usual bramble forage.

You may have something else mixed in with your summer crop as bramble is not generally known to crystallise fast.

 

[REDWOOD]

Lucy or not None of my batches has crystallised this year.......Yet, unlike last year.
the following causes a rapid crystallisation :-
Alfalfa
Apple, pear, plum and cherry
Clover (Trifolium)
Cotton
Dandelion
Lavender (Common lavender) *
Phacelia (lacy or tansy phacelia)
Field bean (Vicia faba)
Goldenrod (Solidago)
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Ivy (Hedera Helix)
Mesquite (Prosopis spp.)
Mustard
Oilseed rape
Raspberry
Star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis)
Sunflower
Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

 

[Amari]

Thanks everyone for your interesting replies. I'll have to wait for cooler weather.

 

[SixFooter]

I have some rock hard Spring honey. My summer crop doesn't usually set, but last year's is slowly setting now so after 12 months. Most jars are 1/2 soft set and 1/2 liquid now, so I guess the setting process started a couple of months ago. The warm temperatures may have slowed down the setting, so I am expecting the jars to be fully soft set soon as it gets colder.