OSR

[Poly Hive]

When I worked this crop I used a refractometer to check the moisture and safely extract. I can honestly say I've never had fermentation issues or any other issues. So...

I'm in a thread and mention this and am told that no it's not the water content but the sugar content that dictates the setting. To my mind, that's like saying 20% sugar is not it's 80% water or am I missing something obvious?

PH

 

[Newbeeneil]

I think you are spot on PH

 

[JamezF]

I have some vague recollection that it's the glucose content. High glucose => fast crystallisation, high fructose => slow crystallisation.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

honeys that have a higher percentage of glucose crystallize earlier; while honeys that have a lot of fructose crystallize with greater difficulty

 

[Firefly]

PH: The only relationship I can think of, other than the obvious one that you describe, between sugar content and fermentation is that, if the balance of different kinds of sugar is such that, like OSR, it crystallises very quickly, this can sometimes result in a residual layer of liquid honey that is higher water content than the original honey; this in turn can ferment, if it is 20% or more water. I have seen this happen to mine. I have read that this risk is one of the reasons soft-set honey techniques were developed

 

[Antipodes]

When I worked this crop I used a refractometer to check the moisture and safely extract. I can honestly say I've never had fermentation issues or any other issues. So...

I'm in a thread and mention this and am told that no it's not the water content but the sugar content that dictates the setting. To my mind, that's like saying 20% sugar is not it's 80% water or am I missing something obvious?

PH

Did you mean to say "fermenting" rather than "setting" PH in your post?

 

[Poly Hive]

As you quoted, fermentation or any other issues. People complained about finding buckets fermenting due to the "shake test" failing them. Also again relying on said test they got caught out with the honey crystalising. I found that by relying on the refractometer those issues were non-existant. Others disagree...LOL At the time my annual OSR take was around the ton mark so my trusty refractometer was well... trusty.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

so how does a refractometer test determine the honey's likelihood to crystalise ?

 

[Poly Hive]

In my experience the drier the honey the more likely it is to set in the combs. Is that not so for all of us? Once it's out of course it can do as it likes.

PH