Moisture in capped frames of honey

[Antipodes]

I've harvested some nicely capped leatherwood from the rainforest. Occasional frames were noticeably fatter on one side, probably because I hadn't spaced the frames properly. I noticed when uncapping the fatter frames, that the honey was quite runny and just fell away from the uncapping knife. I checked it and it was above 19 percent and has contributed to cappings honey being quite runny. Honey from the usual capped frames was only in the 15 per cent range. Any ideas please why the fatter frames would have the higher water content?

 

[enrico]

I would suggest it is pure coincidence but I am guessing! 19 is quite high but if they have capped it!!
I would keep that for me and sell the other!
E

 

[Ian123]

If you’ve found some higher than the other it’s the final product in the bucket you need to worry about and stir before testing, even at 19 you are ok and if some is as low as 15 the final product is likely to be safe. Ian

 

[enrico]

If you’ve found some higher than the other it’s the final product in the bucket you need to worry about and stir before testing, even at 19 you are ok and if some is as low as 15 the final product is likely to be safe. Ian

But if you let it settle in the bucket the honey with highest moisture level will rise to the top. I have even had it split in jars as though there were two honeys in one jar!
E

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks...yes, the runny stuff was mostly in the cappings tank (and I'm keeping it for myself), and it seems it was the honey that drained out of that cappings tank first that was the runny stuff. The last to come out (which was mostly the stuff to drain slowly away overnight from the cappings), was under 17.

It was definitely all fully capped and all was collected by the bees in roughly a 4 week period -and the different moisture content was from frames in the same boxes. Any frame or side of a frame that was drawn out well beyond "normal" was consistently definitely much wetter than those of standard depth. Just gorgeous honey this year by the way.

 

[Beefriendly]

Have had similar during a very strong OSR flow, the capped stuff was 22-23% moisture. Used my heated creamer to evaporate it down to 18%.
Just goes to show that bees don't do everything as expected.

 

[Antipodes]

That's interesting Beefriendly. I reckon that perhaps in a strong hive, the bees keep drying the honey through the wax caps over time. I had one hive recently, in a different area, that was strong but on lean rations (sort of the opposite of your strong OSR flow) , with the honey being capped in the hive for some months and it tested at just under 14 percent.

 

[Ian123]

But if you let it settle in the bucket the honey with highest moisture level will rise to the top. I have even had it split in jars as though there were two honeys in one jar!
E

That’s why I said stir before testing.

 

[Swarm]

At a guess I'd say the depth of the cell is a factor when it comes to the bees' ability to reduce the moisture content. It's going to reduce faster in a shallower cell than a deep one.

 

[enrico]

That’s why I said stir before testing.

Wasn't criticising. Just warning that when it comes to bottling it may have separated again and if it doesn't do it then then it may do it in the jar. Just trying to be helpful!
E

 

[For want of a better word]

Why not put it through the honey dryer?