MandF
Drone Bee
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2009
- Messages
- 1,207
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- London, UK
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2
There is nothing wrong with set honey, some people prefer it (less messy, more easy to spread on your toast etc).
Mainly, the only time making honey more fluid is discussed on here is just to extract and bottle. All honey will set/crystallise over time.
As for "processing" it, that is just filtering - did you filter it when you extracted? I personally use a stainless steel double strainer straight from the extractor into tubs, I believe the smallest of those is 500 gauge. I have bottled and sold with no further filtering.
I have also done a further straining (from storage tub into tub with tap for bottling) through a 200 guage mesh. Off the top of my head 200 gauge is the smallest gauge which allows all pollen grains through - which I want.
Once it is in the tub with tap, leave it to settle for a day - all the air bubbles will come to the surface and you can skim that off into your own personal honey (a layer of bubbles in a jar can look like 'scum' to some people and they can be put off).
Then bottle the honey, taking note of the honey selling regulations - in particular the minimum weight of honey in a jar (musnt be under), and the labelling regulations.
If you have set honey, which is most likely from oil seed rape, you will obviously need to warm it well to make it runny enough to pass through your sieve (if needed) and bottle easily. Check out the internet or search the forum for the best ways to warm honey - you need to make sure you dont heat it too much.
So, I would say do not worry about your honey setting in the jar, call it set honey! Read up on warming honey so you can more easily filter/bottle it, and read up on honey selling regulations so you dont get a visit from trading standards!
Mainly, the only time making honey more fluid is discussed on here is just to extract and bottle. All honey will set/crystallise over time.
As for "processing" it, that is just filtering - did you filter it when you extracted? I personally use a stainless steel double strainer straight from the extractor into tubs, I believe the smallest of those is 500 gauge. I have bottled and sold with no further filtering.
I have also done a further straining (from storage tub into tub with tap for bottling) through a 200 guage mesh. Off the top of my head 200 gauge is the smallest gauge which allows all pollen grains through - which I want.
Once it is in the tub with tap, leave it to settle for a day - all the air bubbles will come to the surface and you can skim that off into your own personal honey (a layer of bubbles in a jar can look like 'scum' to some people and they can be put off).
Then bottle the honey, taking note of the honey selling regulations - in particular the minimum weight of honey in a jar (musnt be under), and the labelling regulations.
If you have set honey, which is most likely from oil seed rape, you will obviously need to warm it well to make it runny enough to pass through your sieve (if needed) and bottle easily. Check out the internet or search the forum for the best ways to warm honey - you need to make sure you dont heat it too much.
So, I would say do not worry about your honey setting in the jar, call it set honey! Read up on warming honey so you can more easily filter/bottle it, and read up on honey selling regulations so you dont get a visit from trading standards!
