OSR Honey Setting Time

[Millet]

Not had this much so i do not know the answer to my question... obviously

How long at room temperature does a 10/11 L bucket/pail of suspected rape honey take to set solid, before it needs messing about with.

 

[Beefriendly]

The buckets of OSR honey I extracted on the 21st of this month are now full of crystals and setting fast. I reckon another couple of weeks and they will be solid....so approx 3 weeks....maybe a bit longer.

 

[Millet]

It is a shame it sets as it is lovely when it is first extracted.

 

[Beefriendly]

Its also lovely when made into a soft set honey.
I suspect it's the extra effort required to turn it into a quality product that makes many beekeepers dislike their bees collecting it.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It is a shame it sets as it is lovely when it is first extracted.

One of the benefits of soft set is it doesn't drain through the bread into your lap but stays where you put it ON the bread.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Exactly John pulling mine this week

 

[Erichalfbee]

Its also lovely when made into a soft set honey.
I suspect it's the extra effort required to turn it into a quality product that makes many beekeepers dislike their bees collecting it.

Not for me.
I think it lacks a decent depth of taste but makes good blending honey.

 

[sean-a]

I extracted some on Saturday afternoon before a trip down to cornwall.
Extracted and blended with a quarter of a bucket of seed honey from last year.
I filled a few jars and brought them down for family.

The jars I brought down had set by Monday night.

I left the rest of the honey at home to bottle later, it should be ok when I get home tonight (Wed) but may need a stir.

 

[Beefriendly]

Not for me.
I think it lacks a decent depth of taste but makes good blending honey.

Have you ever tried Borage honey. It's so bland it's like sugar syrup. Yet many of my customers love it precisely because it is a mild bland honey.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have you ever tried Borage honey. It's so bland it's like sugar syrup. Yet many of my customers love it precisely because it is a mild bland honey.

I have and I’m not keen on it. I suppose it looks different being very pale.

 

[MerryBee]

The buckets of OSR honey I extracted on the 21st of this month are now full of crystals and setting fast. I reckon another couple of weeks and they will be solid....so approx 3 weeks....maybe a bit longer.

Much less than 3 weeks in my experience - solid in 1 week

 

[Etton]

Is that the same for jars then if I immediately extract and put into jars?

 

[MerryBee]

Yes. I extracted last week. Some went into buckets and some straight into jars. Just over a week later it is all solid. Temperature makes a difference of course. Mine is stored in a spare bedroom, so just normal room temperature.

 

[Millet]

I extracted this over seven days ago and it is showing no signs of setting yet,the first rape honey i extracted a few years back was only around 10lb's worth from a mongrel colony, i put that straight into jars which i now know i should not have done as it set solid within seven days.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

My osr is darker this year I reckon more Hawthorn dandelion into the mix this year

 

[steve1958]

Extracted 2 buckets of rape seed honey today.
A nice start to the year

 

[Beefriendly]

Much less than 3 weeks in my experience - solid in 1 week

Depends on the mix. Several buckets of mainly OSR honey that I extracted three weeks ago are still not fully set.
Some I extracted where the bees are literally sat in a field of OSR has "soft" set after 9 days-this will be almost pure OSR honey with no or few other floral sources.. It will be another week or two before it becomes like concrete.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I have extracted 160kg of OSR honey so far in the past week and need to go around the hives again now the OSR has finished flowering. The first bucket has set, others are definitely thinking about it - and this was with part-capped honey. I used another bucket of this years honey mixed with some previous soft set, that's been jarred and 20 of them were delivered today.

If left unmolested it is setting almost white. Not much flavour and works better as soft set.

So to answer the OP - could be as low as 2 or 3 days. You have to be quick!

 

[Beefriendly]

So to answer the OP - could be as low as 2 or 3 days. You have to be quick!

If it's already set in the frames before extraction then one could say it took a minimum of 0 days to set; or say it had set 7 days before you attempted to extract it would be a negative time interval of -7 days for it to set.

There is no definitive answer, apart from OSR honey will set sooner or later.

 

[Millet]

If it's already set in the frames before extraction then one could say it took a minimum of 0 days to set; or say it had set 7 days before you attempted to extract it would be a negative time interval of -7 days for it to set.

There is no definitive answer, apart from OSR honey will set sooner or later.