Skyhook
Queen Bee
- Joined
- May 19, 2010
- Messages
- 3,053
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Dorset
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 5
Emulsified thymol pre mix.
30g thymol crystals placed in honey jar,add 5ml of isopropyl alcohol to the crystals,place jar into a water bath of boiling water to speed up the dissolving process.
In another jar pour in 140 ml of boiling water and add 1 teaspoon of lecithin granules, stir well,and place this jar into a water bath of boiling water,stirring often for abot ten minutes or so until most of the lecithin granules have dissolved,you can then strain this mixture through a teastrainer or similar to remove any granules that have not dissolved fully,then simply add the dissolved thymol to this mix,and shake well,will look just like a jar of milk.
To use add 5ml to each gallon of syrup and stir well,syrup will go milky,unlike when using the old original mix.
If the mixture forms any crystals at a later date,tip into old small pan and reheat,do this outdoors.
Above is Hivemaker's thymol mix for syrup. I've made it in the past with no problems- a bit of crystallisation after months of storage.
It's now crystallizing almost as soon as I make it. I made one batch which went lumpy, I strained it and I think strained out the thymol. I made a second batch on Saturday which I was happy with- completely liquid. Just gone to use it now and it's set in the jar.
Its the same tub of lecithin I used last year, that part still seems ok. The thymol is a new batch from thorns- I can't remember who my last lot was from, I think it may have been payns. I'm wondering if its the alcohol. I'm using surgical spirit which I did last year, but a different bottle. This is a mixture of ethyl and methyl alcohol, which I believe is standard in the UK.
I see one can buy isopropyl alcohol as a cleaning fluid eg for electronics- would this be better? The thymol dissolves in the alcohol on heating, but seems to recrystallise on cooling.
Help!
30g thymol crystals placed in honey jar,add 5ml of isopropyl alcohol to the crystals,place jar into a water bath of boiling water to speed up the dissolving process.
In another jar pour in 140 ml of boiling water and add 1 teaspoon of lecithin granules, stir well,and place this jar into a water bath of boiling water,stirring often for abot ten minutes or so until most of the lecithin granules have dissolved,you can then strain this mixture through a teastrainer or similar to remove any granules that have not dissolved fully,then simply add the dissolved thymol to this mix,and shake well,will look just like a jar of milk.
To use add 5ml to each gallon of syrup and stir well,syrup will go milky,unlike when using the old original mix.
If the mixture forms any crystals at a later date,tip into old small pan and reheat,do this outdoors.
Above is Hivemaker's thymol mix for syrup. I've made it in the past with no problems- a bit of crystallisation after months of storage.
It's now crystallizing almost as soon as I make it. I made one batch which went lumpy, I strained it and I think strained out the thymol. I made a second batch on Saturday which I was happy with- completely liquid. Just gone to use it now and it's set in the jar.
Its the same tub of lecithin I used last year, that part still seems ok. The thymol is a new batch from thorns- I can't remember who my last lot was from, I think it may have been payns. I'm wondering if its the alcohol. I'm using surgical spirit which I did last year, but a different bottle. This is a mixture of ethyl and methyl alcohol, which I believe is standard in the UK.
I see one can buy isopropyl alcohol as a cleaning fluid eg for electronics- would this be better? The thymol dissolves in the alcohol on heating, but seems to recrystallise on cooling.
Help!
