Scum/curds floating on honey buckets. Why?

[Amari]

I'm down to my last two 30 lb honey buckets, extracted on 22June 2020 and set hard. Probably the remains of OSR plus May/June forage.They've been in my warming cabinet @ 35C for 48 hours. This morning I prepared to stir with an attachment in my drill. The problem was that both buckets had a thick layer of viscous pale curds which I spooned off (see pic). Water content of the honey beneath = 19.5% (higher than ideal but similar to many previous).
Why the curds (which I don't want to jar)? Is it because I removed the lids from the buckets while in the cabinet? Some other reason (I have had this problem intermittently before)?
Grateful for your thoughts.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Is it wax? Much the same for me osr mixed honey has more of the white curd as you call it on it.
I've been using cling film to remove it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I get that on mine. Almost like a mousse. I think it’s just air bubbles in the top layer settling out slowly. It tastes jolly nice. I always keep it for myself but I have seen it for sale at a premium

 

[Nige.Coll]

Air bubbles, pollen and small bits of wax normally.
Stick it in a jar and warm it, sometimes it turns into liquid honey.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I get that on mine. Almost like a mousse. I think it’s just air bubbles in the top layer settling out slowly. It tastes jolly nice. I always keep it for myself but I have seen it for sale at a premium

shocking I use mine in tea it does taste waxy.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Yes, it's scum! No clue.

 

[Erichalfbee]

shocking I use mine in tea it does taste waxy.

Ive seen it called Beekeeper’s honey. I spotted some once at Malvern Show.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ive seen it called Beekeeper’s honey. I spotted some once at Malvern Show.

How much was it? Just to go off topic does honey mature because honey bee likes to scrap the crust of the top of buckets, if it's just sugar.
It's here favourite of all and she says it's matured honey.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much was it? Just to go off topic does honey mature because honey bee likes to scrap the crust of the top of buckets, if it's just sugar.
It's here favourite of all and she says it's matured honey.

They were charging £8.50 for an 8 oz jar.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

could be worse, could be turds not curds

 

[Amari]

could be worse, could be turds not curds

True, O Sage....

 

[Amari]

Yes, it's scum! No clue.

Thanks for the link Parsonage and for all the replies above. Relieved to read that I'm not alone... I've put the tray in the pic atop one of my hives and expect it'll be all gone tomorrow. I didn't realise it could be a premium product for sale - missed a trick there. There's one on this forum (you know who you are SteveG) who could have sold it for megabucks. He's selling buckwheat honey (crop shown in my avatar) at twice the standard honey price. I believe he's now selling crucifixes to the Ayatollahs....

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks for the link Parsonage and for all the replies above. Relieved to read that I'm not alone... I've put the tray in the pic atop one of my hives and expect it'll be all gone tomorrow. I didn't realise it could be a premium product for sale - missed a trick there. There's one on this forum (you know who you are SteveG) who could have sold it for megabucks. He's selling buckwheat honey (crop shown in my avatar) at twice the standard honey price. I believe he's now selling crucifixes to the Ayatollahs....

Proper sales man

 

[beeno]

I'm down to my last two 30 lb honey buckets, extracted on 22June 2020 and set hard. Probably the remains of OSR plus May/June forage.They've been in my warming cabinet @ 35C for 48 hours. This morning I prepared to stir with an attachment in my drill. The problem was that both buckets had a thick layer of viscous pale curds which I spooned off (see pic). Water content of the honey beneath = 19.5% (higher than ideal but similar to many previous).
Why the curds (which I don't want to jar)? Is it because I removed the lids from the buckets while in the cabinet? Some other reason (I have had this problem intermittently before)?
Grateful for your thoughts.

I think what you have got there is the start of fermentation. Water content above 17% allows osmophilic yeasts to start the fermentation process accelerated by the addition of warmth. Fermentation we learnt in a previous thread does not occur below 15°C. Removing of the lids would allow the hygroscopic honey to absorb water from the atmosphere helping to speed the process up. It is common practice to spoon the foam off as long as the honey tastes ok. However, if you don't reheat the honey to a temperature which will kill the yeast then the honey will ferment in the jars!

 

[WoodenBeam]

As already said just bubbles & bits rising to the top prior to the honey setting in the bucket. Prior to putting into the warming cabinet scrap off this layer with a spoon - you can easily tell the difference between ‘set scum’ and the honey under. Can cause problems when putting multiple buckets through a strainer. As for the scummy mousse, sell it quickly if you do jar as it does separate out adding to the overall appearance.

 

[Curly green finger's]

They were charging £8.50 for an 8 oz jar.

You are pulling my leg??
That's it, any one got any scummy curd for sale??

Labels : " curd honey"
Our curd is a by product of the best honey scum our bees can produce. ( beekeepers honey)
@ £18 a lb perhaps ill add some cbd oil and sell it for more of a premium.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You are pulling my leg??
That's it, any one got any scummy curd for sale??

I also bought a jar of this online one year to take to our honey swap/tasting at the Welsh Convention.
Sold by Apidae

 

[Curly green finger's]

I was wondering warming honey up to higher terms, say 55c for 30mins once it comes out of the warming cabinet.
Would this create more scum or let's call it mousse or curd it sounds nicer?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I was wondering warming honey up to higher terms, say 55c for 30mins once it comes out of the warming cabinet.
Would this create more scum or let's call it mousse or curd it sounds nicer?

I reckon it’s there whatever you do unless you fine filter the honey before it goes into buckets then you’d always get a little air bubbles on top but no pollen or wax.

 

[Swarm]

I think it just depends on the honey, I've had some with almost zero froth or bits and others where you could spoon it off. Give the honey a good stirring and warm it for a while longer, surprising how much disappears.