Honey oozing out of jars

[chrispo]

Hello

I've had honey crystallise before and it's basically just gone white and hard

But one batch of last year's honey is full of big crystals and bubbles and is oozing out of the jars... Is this a bad sign? Is it fermenting?? It still seems to taste OK...

Unfortunately it seems I can't add a photo as a newbie

 

[Jimmy]

Sounds like it's fermenting as I've had a similar issue in the past.

The % moisture may have been too high to start with or it may have been fine but when it starts to crystallise the remaining liquid has a higher % moisture so fermentation is then possible.

Based on my experience I'm now wary of bottling up honey that is not close to 17%. I took off 60lbs of OSR honey last year at close to 20% that I fed back to the bees during August and then extracted at closer to 17%. Of course this dropped the yield but it made for peace of mind.

 

[psafloyd]

I have a jar that has done that, so is there anything else to indicate fermentation? It tastes fine and none of the rest of the batch went that way (was well under 20%). Wondered if overfilling a jar could overflow in differing temperatures, too?

 

[enrico]

For £20 you can buy a fractal meter. Takes most of the guess work out
E

 

[YorkshireBees]

If you can see bubbles in it through the side of the jar, it is starting to ferment.

You will not taste it as the process has just started and there is nothing wrong with using the honey now but it will not keep like a jar would that doesn't ferment.

I have had the odd jar do the same and just use it up asap.

 

[itma]

Or ferment it properly and make some mead ...



// might also be worth reviewing the jar sterilisation method?

 

[psafloyd]

For £20 you can buy a fractal meter. Takes most of the guess work out
E

I have, Enrico. As per my last post, the batch was well under 20%.

 

[itma]

For £20 you can buy a fractal meter. Takes most of the guess work out
E

Refractometer is the magic word for searching (eBay etc). Works by measuring the refractive index of the honey.
Many associations have one to lend/hire to members.

 

[masterBK]

You will not taste it as the process has just started
--------------------------------------------------
The smell and taste of Fermentation can be detected at a very early stage. As a honey judge I find fermentation mainly in the soft set and ling heather classes. Occasionally I come across fermentation in the dark honey class. Many examples of dark honey in shows are often several decades old and the lid has been taken off numerous times by the exhibitor and by the judges at several shows. Honey being hygroscopic absorbs water from the atmosphere so the fermentation of dark honey often starts at the surface. Fermenting honey also turns up in the novices class where unripe honey has been extracted and jarred up.

 

[Roola]

Did you order yours from Hong Kong seller? They all seem to be coming from Hong Kong, trustworthy? Timescale? Cheers.

 

[Finman]

.
If it comes out from jar, it is fermenting.
What you can do is to feed it back to bees and then extract only capped honey.

.

 

[psafloyd]

Did you order yours from Hong Kong seller? They all seem to be coming from Hong Kong, trustworthy? Timescale? Cheers.

I got mine from HK. Took about 10 days and was all pucker. But that was from HK, not mainland China.

 

[Roola]

I got mine from HK. Took about 10 days and was all pucker. But that was from HK, not mainland China.

Thankyou

 

[BeeJayBee]

.
If it comes out from jar, it is fermenting.
What you can do is to feed it back to bees and then extract only capped honey.

.

Can you feed fermenting honey to bees?

 

[Hombre]

It does to bees what it does to humans. Everything in moderation and wear your beesuit if they are still consuming it at your next inspection. Just in case they wee over your boots!

I have bought a lot of stuff from HK and China without a hiccough of any sort. If the price is right and it is what you are after then go for it. Sometimes the postage is free and it's on a slow boat from . . . you guessed it, but often it turns up in days. Occasionally from a UK source.

China post is cheap to encourage exporting. Something that the US could learn about perhaps.

 

[Finman]

Can you feed fermenting honey to bees?

It is just starting. First signs and its aroma is not yet spoiled.
Honey has too much water now.

Honey is full of bacteria and yeast cells. Only high sugar content keeps microbia sleeping.

 

[SimonB]

Did you order yours from Hong Kong seller? They all seem to be coming from Hong Kong, trustworthy? Timescale? Cheers.

I was recommended Gain Express Holdings in ebay by someone on here.

Have bought two of these (one with the calibration kit)

Portable Honey Refractometer Tester Bees Beekeeping 58-90% Brix Baume with ATC

Arrived as quickly as might be reasonable for postage from HK. Easy to use (just remember if you use the calibration kit to RTFM - hence why I had to buy another)