How much OSR and from how many hives?

[Sean.]

I'm just wondering what people have got from the OSR this year (lots still going near me) and what configuration they had their hives in e.g. double brood.

I need to double check the book, but 33kg from 3 hives near OSR so far. Single brood, one a DLW and so brought the average down.

 

[Dirksdonuts]

90kg from 3 hives and still coming in. The spring OSR is almost turning now though.

 

[barratt_sab]

We took 150 lbs from 11 supers off 5 hives 10 days ago - but a lot had crystalised in the comb, so I would guess that we wet and fed back about 50 lbs in the comb. We cleared these supers with rhombus clearers over night.

We took a further 96 lbs from 6 supers off 5 other hives on Sunday, clearing with bee-quick and a fume board. I think that the near instant clear time and hotter weather meant that we had very very little left crystalised in the comb and our filter time was much shorter too.

We've had over-wintered OSR round us which came into bloom about 4-6 weeks ago and went over about 2-3 weeks ago and also some spring OSR which came into bloom about 2 weeks ago and I suspect still has a week or two to go, so we've had constant OSR for about 6 weeks now.

 

[dpearce4]

110lb from 3 hives back in May.

Sold it all now wish I had more. Waiting for the main crop now.

 

[merlin65]

Lucky people, I had no osr around me this year, next year fingers crossed.

 

[hedgerow pete]

personally i cant stand the stuff and try to aviod it at all times.

an average for OSR is about 7KG a super and four supers, about 30 to 40 kg a hive a season. is a good aiming start.

 

[TOBY-3652]

500 pound from 8 hives

 

[Sean.]

personally i cant stand the stuff and try to aviod it at all times.

an average for OSR is about 7KG a super and four supers, about 30 to 40 kg a hive a season. is a good aiming start.

Why only 7kg. I would have thought it would be more than that.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

110lb from 3 hives back in May.

Sold it all now wish I had more. Waiting for the main crop now.

How do you process that quickly? I thought with OSR you had to wait until it was set rock hard before the warming cabinet stage....

 

[Winker]

324lb from 6 hives, but a majority of it came from 3 hives the other 3 just had one super on them.

 

[crazy_bull]

How do you process that quickly? I thought with OSR you had to wait until it was set rock hard before the warming cabinet stage....

You don't have to wait for it to go hard before melting again, get it off, warm it, filter it jar it, have done hive to jar in a day before when we got low.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

You don't have to wait for it to go hard before melting again, get it off, warm it, filter it jar it, have done hive to jar in a day before when we got low.

Umm but I thought you had to seed it im confused as that process says let it set solid....

 

[crazy_bull]

Umm but I thought you had to seed it im confused as that process says let it set solid....

You seed the bulk liquid with a 'seed' of granulated honey.

C B

 

[herefordshirehoney]

I'm confused got last 3 supers to takeoff of osr how do you seed it I don't have any other jared honey...

 

[gavin]

I'm confused got last 3 supers to takeoff of osr how do you seed it I don't have any other jared honey...

OSR is so keen to set you don't need to encourage it, but that first crystalization sets hard. Extract it, store in food safe plastic buckets or if you don't have much large freezer bags will do, let it set, then warm it just enough to make the stuff able to be stirred, then jar it. The soft-set you get from that process will stays as it is.

 

[Sean.]

Another way to get a 'seed' is to get some OSR and put it into a jug and then into a fridge. That way the crystals will be smaller, and make a smother set honey. This can then be used to make a soft set honey.

Interesting responses, more honey from some than others.