Solid rape honey

[gavin]

Got some hawthorn honey here too, with only a little rape in it I think. Also from other hives a decent rape crop which is only now turning white and solid. I think that it remained fairly warm at the end of the OSR flow so I had no problem with honey setting in the comb.

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks Fatshark. I probably removed the tubs too early from the cabinet warmer and set the temperature too low as well (over cautious). I'll definitely follow the stirring advice as well.

I managed to extract my combs ok, Gavin (apart from a few that collapsed because they had foundation without wire) and immediately started filtering - but still, the bottom filter soon got clogged.

I still have some OSR honey frames to remove from some hives next to the (now green) OSR field. I think I'll follow your example with those, Fatshark, and put the frames in the cabinet before extracting.

Thanks,
Kitta

[fatshark]

If it's already crystallised in the frame you'll need to melt it out Kitta. Your OSR will be behind ours but your temperatures will be lower so it may well have set. I usually try and extract before the frame is completely capped … just as long as I can't shake nectar out.

Lots of people here use an Apimelter … I was talking to some friends this evening who tell me one of the local commercial guys charges a fiver per honey extracted. You get back the weight of honey and wax. But where's the fun in that. What would you do with all that time saved from not having to clean up?

[Mellifera Crofter]

I managed to extract the first batch of frames ok, Fatshark - the problems started with the filtering. I still have to find out about the next lot. I might remove them today.

If I manage to extract the frames easily enough, I now wonder whether I should bother with immediate filtering as I'm not ready to bottle them. Perhaps I should just extract the honey and then store it in tubs unfiltered, let the honey set hard, and only then heat and filter?

Or, if I heat, filter, and churn the honey now and store it in tubs, will the honey then set as soft set (as opposed to the rock hard stuff) so that I can jar it later without reheating? (Sorry if I'm talking gibberish.)
Kitta

[fatshark]

The fact that it blocked your filter on extraction suggests it was semi-crystallised in the frames. That being the case you'd probably be best to extract it, let it set, melt and filter. You certainly don't have to filter then.

I filter on extraction (assuming I can), allow it to set in buckets - and store it like this - then melt, seed with a suitable soft set and allow to re-set. It doesn't always work properly! I've had stuff that's too sloppy, stuff that's too hard etc. However, you do need to melt it completely and the re-setting after seeding needs to be at a temperature below 14 C. Difficult to achieve at this time of year (though perhaps not on the top of a windswept hill in Aberdeenshire!).

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thank you, Fatshark. I want to write Module 2 (Honey bee products and forage) in November - so I'd better get my head round honey extraction and start studying! Thank you for your help.
Kitta

[Mellifera Crofter]

If it's already crystallised in the frame you'll need to melt it out Kitta. ...

I've only just got round to melting out the crystallised frames. I cut the combs out of the frames and put them in a tub with a tap so that I can draw off the liquid honey as Rosie had suggested. It was still a struggle and I had to keep clearing the bottom filter that got clogged up really quickly. I don't know whether it was getting clogged with honey crystals or bits of wax.

My question now is, is it safe to give the honey/wax that remained behind in the filters to the bees? It's been in the warming cabinet at about 40 degrees Celsius. Or should I just put the lot in the low oven and then use the honey for mead or something? (I've never made mead.)

Kitta