honey at 20% water

[Cuckmere couple]

so....am trying my food dehydrator on the honey i had which is recording at 20% water content

has anyone used or heard of using dehydrator for this purpose?

 

[drex]

Nowhere near such a sophisticated setup. I simply leave open buckets in my summer house on hot days with a fan going and stirring occasionally. Have reduced water content by 2% in a few days

 

[The Poot]

I’ve used a dehumidifier. Leaving the honey bucket lid adrift, but draped with polythene to prevent dust entry, in a small room, which worked well.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

well....in terms of progress....i put it on at 35 degrees for a few hours yesterday and has reduced to 19%....may do same again

we had the food dehydrator anyway and just wondered why i hadnt seen anyone mention it....ie if there is a reason not to

 

[Amari]

so....am trying my food dehydrator on the honey i had which is recording at 20% water content
has anyone used or heard of using dehydrator for this purpose?

As I've previously posted, I place two canisters of calcium chloride in my warming cabinet if the water content of the honey is >18%. A couple of days at 32C usually reduces the reading to <18%
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threa...honey-desiccant-any-chemists-out-there.43370/
Subsequently I wondered if this process was responsible for creating 'scum/mousse' on the surface of the honey:
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/scum-curds-floating-on-honey-buckets-why.49642/
Since then I've decided that the CaCl2 has nothing to do with creating scum. Just a few days ago I warmed a small bucket of 2020 crystallised honey at 22%. About four days later it reads 18% and there's no scum.

 

[Curley]

Just be careful when remeasuring that the honey is thoroughly mixed and you are not just taking a sample from the surface.

 

[sean-a]

Bob Binney has a video on this and suggests that only the surface layer dries out,

 

[Swarm]

I had good results with dehumidifier, 20% to less than 18% while the honey was still in the combs in loosely stacked supers.

 

[drex]

It is well mixed before I take a reading and provided is stirred a couple of times a day while drying, it works for me

 

[Cuckmere couple]

am keeping stirring to mix it up

 

[holmbee]

am keeping stirring to mix it up

I have moved my honey bucket to the airing cupboard. Stirring once a day the percentage is (very) slowly reducing. Definite difference between reading from surface of the honey and then when mixed.

 

[holmbee]

Airing cupboard working gently. Has now reduced from 19.2 to 18.2. Seems to be losing about 0.5 a day stirring once daily. Keeping going for a couple of days more.

 

[ericbeaumont]

a couple of days more

You're already OK at 18.2.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Whilst extracting this year my extractor broke and was out of action for a week. The extractor had frames that had been uncapped so the honey absorbed water and when extracted had a moisture content of 22%+
I put this honey into one of my honey warmers and over a couple of weeks reduced the MC to 18.5%. Unfortunately it appears that yeasts have got to it and it's fermenting by the look of the scum on it.
Apart from making mead can I do anything with it? Could I feed it to the bees?

 

[pargyle]

Whilst extracting this year my extractor broke was out of action for a week. The extractor had frames that had been uncapped so the honey absorbed water and when extracted had a moisture content of 22%+
I put this honey into one of my honey warmers and over a couple of weeks reduced the MC to 18.5%. Unfortunately it appears that yeasts have got to it and it's fermenting by the look of the scum on it.
Appart from making mead can I do anything with it? Could I feed it to the bees?View attachment 28517

You have the opportunity to make a health giving delicacy .....

https://friendlycity.coop/fermented-garlic-honey/

 

[Newbeeneil]

You have the opportunity to make a health giving delicacy .....

https://friendlycity.coop/fermented-garlic-honey/

I'd need 120 heads of garlic to sort this load of honey!!!

 

[pargyle]

I'd need 120 heads of garlic to sort this load of honey!!!

Think of the fortune you could make selling it though !

 

[enrico]

And who says the word 'raw' doesn't sell honey!!!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

And who says the word 'raw' doesn't sell honey!!!!!

I don’t think anybody does really it’s the legality that comes up over and over again

 

[enrico]

I don’t think anybody does really it’s the legality that comes up over and over again

Don't know why when it isn't illegal.....tin hat