Osr honey in frames

[Willardx]

I have been given a box of set osr honey in frames. I would like to extract it. I have a warming cabinet which goes to 38c. Will this be sufficient to get it liquid? Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

 

[gmonag]

Difficult. I don't believe just warming will make it extractable.
Probably the only way to extract the honey is cut out, crush and melt the comb. The honey will not be fit for sale due to the heating.
Do you know the provenance of the frames? If you are sure it is disease-free you could give it to your bees. Scrape the cappings, spray with or soak in water to soften the honey first.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

warming cabinet won't do the job I'm afraid
#as above really

 

[drex]

I would if it got hotter, but then you would have a load of sagging comb to deal with too. I would normally give it back to the bees.

 

[Finman]

Do not destroy combs. It is noy needed.
Take cappings off. Then spray water onto the crystals. Bees suck the liguid off. Next day spray again water ontl crystalls. Let the combs melt over night. Put the frames to the bees.

I use to uncap the frames with pressure washer.

 

[Finman]

Probably the only way to extract the honey is cut out, crush and melt the comb.

There are ten ways to clean the combs without destroying combs. I have explained them many times during years in this forum.

 

[gmonag]

There are ten ways to clean the combs without destroying combs. I have explained them many times during years in this forum.

Of course, but can you extract the honey, as the OP asks?

 

[Finman]

How to clean crystallized combs

1. When you do an artificial swarm, give box of foundations and put into the box 3 crystallized frames. In a week bees clean the honey frames and the queen lays the crystallized frames. Bees use the honey to draw foundations.

Or you have an ordinary swarm

2. Put 2 frames between brood frames. Bees clean them and the queen lays the frames. If nectar flow is goin, bees cap again the cells in 24 hours. So, no flow.

3. When yield is over, uncap the frames spray water on them. Put the box topmost onto the hive. In a week bees have eaten most of the honey. You may use the boxe as s brood box next spring and the bees clean the rest honey off.


4. Uncap the frames and immerse them into 40 C water. In 24 hours most of honey have diluted into water and bees can clean the combs.

5. Uncap the cells and spray water onto them.

Put the box lowest and bees will clean the combs slowly and the queen lays into combs.

6. Leave the box outside freely to be robbed by your bees or somebody other's bees.

 

[Finman]

Of course, but can you extract the honey, as the OP asks?

No. It is not possible any more. Crystalls will not melt.

I have enough experience about that. But have never started to melt combs and honey.

 

[Willardx]

Cheers all. May well use them to feed a nuc.

 

[aj180949]

IMO crystals ain't crystals. I had honey that was extracted liquid and then set in a cold garage and set quite hard. It re-liquefied nicely in a 38 deg C box. Some into an amber liquid, some into a consistency of a peanut butter or a bit thinner. Still good enough as it was already in tubs.

Possibly honey from something like **** (canola) that has devilish tendency to crystalize may never re-liquefy but IMO there is no harm in trying if you have a warming box.

 

[drex]

I run all my honey into 30 lb buckets and process and jar as it is needed . The OSR will set rock solid but can be totally liquefied when warmed to 40-42 degrees. I stir a few times to keep the time at this temp as short as possible. I will then usually soft set it.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I have been given a box of set osr honey in frames. I would like to extract it. I have a warming cabinet which goes to 38c. Will this be sufficient to get it liquid? Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

The comb will almost certainly sag and collapse - tried it.
You can keep the OSR honey for winter for the bees - not long to wait now. OR put it under a brood box with an excluder over it. Close off the hive entrance and put in an entrance eke just above the excluder. The bees will remove the honey from below them and put it above them/use it. After a couple of weeks, spray any honey in the cells with water to help the bees remove the remainder.

 

[Finman]

I run all my honey into 30 lb buckets and process and jar as it is needed . The OSR will set rock solid but can be totally liquefied when warmed to 40-42 degrees. I stir a few times to keep the time at this temp as short as possible. I will then usually soft set it.

Totally different, is the honey in wax combs or in buckets. The task was to empty the comb cells.... and save the combs.

 

[drex]

I was responding to the post immediately before where it was said osr honey may never re liquefy.

 

[aj180949]

PS: I heard about a trick for recovering honey set in comb: place the frames in a box located under the brood box, first from the bottom. Apparently bees hate honey placed between brood and entrance (hard to defend), will re-liquefy it and transfer above brood. Make sure that there is sufficient room above brood and perhaps reduce the entrance size. I would not try it if robbing is possible (poor forage availability) or wasps are numerous. I did not try it myself but if it works, would be a nifty way to recover the honey.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is the rationale behind putting unripe honey in a super underneath after harvest. The bees move the honey up and you can take the shallow away.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

but it's not much use for rock hard honey

 

[Finman]

I was responding to the post immediately before where it was said osr honey may never re liquefy.

That was smart

 

[pargyle]

IMO crystals ain't crystals. I had honey that was extracted liquid and then set in a cold garage and set quite hard. It re-liquefied nicely in a 38 deg C box. Some into an amber liquid, some into a consistency of a peanut butter or a bit thinner. Still good enough as it was already in tubs.

Possibly honey from something like **** (canola) that has devilish tendency to crystalize may never re-liquefy but IMO there is no harm in trying if you have a warming box.

It's a waste of time - yes you can liquify oil seed **** honey that has been extracted into buckets before it has set in the comb but once it has set in the comb there is no chance of softening it enough to extract it ... Finman's advice is right ... end of.