spinning osr honey

[Cuckmere couple]

apologies if asked before...have read a few posts re osr honey but it doesnt answer my question

so, half of frames pass the shake test or are capped

the rest are half or a third full etc (some still pass shake test)

what do i do?

do you spin it all and hope it comes under 18-20% or only spin the capped etc in which case...what to do with rest?

 

[Millet]

I use a refractometer to be certain..

 

[linoleum bonypart]

I test it.... A refrac is cheap compared to lost fermenting honey

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Ok thanks
I have a refractometer and use it too

But I tend to spin all together and the. Test

I guess you’re saying spin and test separately

 

[Beefriendly]

Test some of the uncapped before spinning.

 

[mdotb]

Ok thanks
I have a refractometer and use it too

But I tend to spin all together and the. Test

I guess you’re saying spin and test separately

Test, then decide whether to spin.

I dip a cocktail stick into an uncapped cell on the frame to get a large drop for the refractometer (I tend to go for a cell fairly far out, though brief home experimentation has shown relatively little difference between top/centre and outside of frames) - if it passes, spin, if it's way off it goes back on the hive. I find I can allow a small proportion of marginal ones through, but anything that's not there or thereabouts goes back for the bees to keep going with.

 

[drex]

I do shake test in the apiary to decide what comes home for extracting. I then check occasional dubious frame with refractometer at home. Not one frame in any super is capped at present ( mainly OSR) but I plan to extract next weekend nonetheless. I then check each bucket and any a bit on the high side of water content gets mixed with a low content bucket.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok that really helpful

i had frames almost fully capped today but the areas not capped flooded out with shake test but overall was 18

i then used matchstick to test uncapped frames and they were also 18

so all good...another two supers not spun or tested but will give them another week or two