Warming cabinet temperature

[Wingy]

Just completed my warming cabinet construction and all seems well,
Just wondering what temperature people set them at? 40 C seems to be the common value.
Then how long do you leave your honey in there in buckets prior to jarring or making soft set.
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

40 for me. Time depends on honey which I stir a few times. If it’s only one bucket overnight in tea urn is better. Again at 40

 

[Newbeeneil]

35deg for me.

 

[Wingy]

Thanks, am I right in thinking you only put it in there for as long as it takes to become runny? Or would you put it in there & leave it at 35-40 C for a number of weeks until ready to jar? I guess like a side of beef in a chiller until ready to butcher.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just to melt it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

leaving it for a couple of weeks would send the HMF levels through the roof

 

[Wingy]

Thanks all, this should be my first years harvest in any real quantity

 

[masterBK]

Just been to Lidl. They have those thermostatically controlled jammaker/preservers back in stock for £54. Ideal for warming/liquifying buckets of honey.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks all, this should be my first years harvest in any real quantity

And me! 35 c for me in the cabinet.

 

[E&MBees]

Just been to Lidl. They have those thermostatically controlled jammaker/preservers back in stock for £54. Ideal for warming/liquifying buckets of honey.

Thanks for the tip off. Just been to my local Lidl and brought the last one there. The honey bucket fits a treat. Let's hope there is some honey to harvest later on.

 

[Walrus]

From the Airborne Honey website

All honey crystallizes and must be liquefied before it can be placed in the retail pack. How it is liquefied is the key. At Airborne, we have a patented process for liquefying our honey that routinely delivers the lowest amount of heat damage of any honey in the New Zealand market

They show the HMF levels on their honey label

When I visited Airborne Honey in NZ I saw how they achieve this. Barrels were on their sides, spinning in a heated chamber. They were at 50 C but not sure how long it takes to liquify. I'd guess about 12 hours. It takes 3 days at 52 C to get HMF up to 30mg/Kg. Legal limit is 40 mg/Kg. Airborne's is normally below 5mg/Kg.

This Important Temps in Beekeeping might interest some people

 

[Wingy]

Thanks all, interesting & informative links Steve, good reading

 

[BeeBeeKa]

Thermostatically controlled jammaker/preservers are not good for honey imho, as their therm-surfices are the way too hot and damage the contacting honey.
The proper warming cabinet is essential...
My temperatures for summer honey are 40-42`C, and I do not warm it up until November-december (no crystals till then).
Ivy honey requires at least temperature of pasteurization in order to be melted, and your customers should know, that it`s pasteurized, like any other imported honey ( if it obeys the rules of honey import), but it`s local. And they are free to export it eather if they wish to, I suppose :^)
PS... Imported noney used to be pasteurized by the commertial heaters, damaging the most of the honey properties. Thus pasteurization in the warming cabinet is much better for the honey and your customers imho.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How does honey get hotter than the water bath the bucket is in?

 

[BeeBeeKa]

How does honey get hotter than the water bath the bucket is in?

No how. It`s just another good tip of how to warm up the honey properly, if temperature is under your control :^)

 

[Erichalfbee]

No how. It`s just another good tip of how to warm up the honey properly, if temperature is under your control :^)

It wasn't a trick question. If you have a thermostatically controlled water bath why does that damage the honey?

 

[BeeBeeKa]

It wasn't a trick question. If you have a thermostatically controlled water bath why does that damage the honey?

I never stated
that the water bath
the damage does( hah...It`s poetry :^)
It`s the metallic heaters that I blame ;^) (If they heat the honey...not the air )

 

[Erichalfbee]

I never stated
that the water bath
the damage does( hah...It`s poetry :^)
It`s the metallic heaters that I blame ;^) (If they heat the honey...not the air )

But you don’t put the honey in the jam preserver!
You heat water in it and put the honey in a container in the water

But I suspect you already know that.

 

[BeeBeeKa]

Oh...Thanks. I see your point now. I`m sure this way it works just fine. Thanks for the tip :^)
But In my case, when honey is in jars and labeled, the warming cabinet is the best way forward ;^)