Honey colour and extraction?

[noumenon]

My bees are using all 11 frames in the brood. I have one broken frame near the centre, so I've swapped out one of the 4 frames of stores for foundation so once they've pulled it out, I can gradually work the broken frame out as the new frame works its way in.

I'm going to have a go at extracting the honey (crush and strain) and am curious why the two different colours of capped honey? Is it just honey from different times of year as different flowers produce nectar?

I'm also keen to keep as much of the frame intact as possible (as a newbie, drawn comb is handy to have). If I decap, will the honey run out slowly? Or do I need to scrape down to the foundation? Any tips greatly appreciated.

 

[Jimmy]

Yes, you're right the different colours might be due to different floral sources.

Additionally the paler cappings may be where the honey has granulated.
And/or the darker region may be where there was previously brood.

Brood frames full of stores can be just as useful as empty drawn comb. I'd be in no rush to extract, you might be very grateful for a frame of stores to have to make up a nucleus hive or artificial swarm or to get them through a prolonged nectar dearth.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The cells at the top have an air gap under the cappings and are likely new. The other cells don’t so look a different colour.