OSR in comb

[Monsieur Abeille]

Does anyone have a good indicator as to roughly how long OSR will stay in the comb before it crystallises? For the second year I'm planning a two harvest strategy so as to not lose too much to crystallisation and am thinking no longer than 6 weeks from the start of a super being filled.

 

[Obee1]

Does anyone have a good indicator as to roughly how long OSR will stay in the comb before it crystallises? For the second year I'm planning a two harvest strategy so as to not lose too much to crystallisation and am thinking no longer than 6 weeks from the start of a super being filled.

I'm new to having bees on OSR but notice none of my supers are capped more than just an inch or so on the top - but no liquid shakes out. The OSR is no longer bright yellow. I'm guessing I should really harvest it now which will be only about 3 weeks since it started - but too busy with daughter's wedding this weekend ...,

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I'm new to having bees on OSR but notice none of my supers are capped more than just an inch or so on the top - but no liquid shakes out. The OSR is no longer bright yellow. I'm guessing I should really harvest it now which will be only about 3 weeks since it started - but too busy with daughter's wedding this weekend ...,

The shake is a good test, but if in doubt get yourself a honey refractometer, available on auction sites for £15ish

 

[enrico]

As above, I used the shake test for years but now I use technology!

 

[drex]

I harvest my OSR in one hit. The flow lasts a maximum of a month here. Often the frames are uncapped, but do not shake out. Very little has crsytallised. Mind you I extract as soon as the supers are off, and clear using rhombus escapes, so the honey is usually still quite warm.

 

[Firefly]

I've become very cautious about OSR. It can pass the shake test and be fine for a while, but when it part-crystallises and the remaining liquid in the jar is therefore diluted, fermentation can start. Very messy

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I've become very cautious about OSR. It can pass the shake test and be fine for a while, but when it part-crystallises and the remaining liquid in the jar is therefore diluted, fermentation can start. Very messy

I suspect this means you have spun honey that has too much water, the shake test isnt infallable. Refractometer is, I think, the only way of being sure

 

[drex]

I do the shake test to decide what comes home with me for extraction, and then in the extraction room do occasional spot checks with the refractometer. Indeed, as you say the shake test is not infallable. The oil seed rape harvest has the highest percentage of uncapped cells compared to the later harvest. I wonder why, possibly because when the flow is on the bees bring it in so fast. Hence I do more refractometer checks with the osr.

 

[Fatbee]

It's tricky stuff that's for sure and I'm still learning. Got caught with some fermenting jars this year. If any creaming experts want to take a look at my post in the honey section that would be much appreciated!

Back to the OP, not sure exact timings but would advise sooner the better - it can also still look runny in the frames but when you come to spin a devil to get out. However, if you do get caught with some you can always overwinter it. My bees clear out supers of it.

 

[YorkshireBees]

I extract as soon as I have enough supers that I deem ready to extract. It will take more than one run in a good year (2014 and possibly this year).

There is no rule of thumb for how long before it starts to crystallise as it's partly to do with the weather (especially overnight temps) and partly to do with the flow and how strong a colony is.

Yes I use the shake test in the field and yes I use a refractometer in the extraction room.

The last run (last weekend) had the least water content is a super that had the least capping!

 

[Fatbee]

What waster content are people seeing this year? My first batch is 18.5%

 

[Tremyfro]

What waster content are people seeing this year? My first batch is 18.5%

A friend brought a super of OSR honey to be extracted....she had used the shake test. We tested the honey with the refractometer and it read at 17.5%.

 

[YorkshireBees]

What waster content are people seeing this year? My first batch is 18.5%

That sounds about right.

I extracted 6 supers last week and most were that or just below except for one super that I thought I may have taken off too early. All supers were left in my extraction room for 36hrs drying and the sixth super (almost no capping at all) tested at 17.5% !!

 

[Poly Hive]

I have long wondered what effect the variety has.

One thing for sure with out a refractometer it is guess work and for a product for sale that will just not suffice.

PH

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

To answer my own question, it looks like 6 weeks is about the limit, I left one super on for 7 weeks and lost maybe 5% to granulation.