getting moisture from honey

[irishguy]

I've a super with all frames full but not all cells are capped. I'd say if added all frames up, its leaning towards 3/4 capped and rest has some nectar and uncapped honey. I've removed this from the hive I have and will be extracting sometime this week but I'm wanting to know would it be OK to use a dehumidifier to remove the moisture from the uncapped honey stores. If its possible, how long for and how far from the super should I keep the dehumidifier.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If its possible, how long for and how far from the super should I keep the dehumidifier.

Depends on the dehumidifier and size of room, plus how well the room is sealed.

 

[irishguy]

Depends on the dehumidifier and size of room, plus how well the room is sealed.

I can put it in my utility room, its small at 2.5x3.2 meters and has 2 doors, one for kitchen and other outside. Can I put it in a wooden cupboard?

 

[Hivemaker.]

I can put it in my utility room, its small at 2.5x3.2 meters and has 2 doors, one for kitchen and other outside. Can I put it in a wooden cupboard?

At say 25% moisture a 50+ liter a day dehumidifier, in your utility room, with dry air blowing through the supers for a couple or three days, should do it, make sure the outside door is as well sealed as possible.

 

[oliver90owner]

He he, hivemaker, I think you tease a little.

It might just not need any moisture reduction af all. Depends, of course, how and when he removed this super?

The simple answer is yes, but details are OTT for this particular scenario with no real starting point

 

[sbisme]

Irishguy I would just do the shake test, you might find its ok with just a few drops of nectar that they had collected the day you removed the super, extract and eat quick just in case, but that's obviously my opinion

 

[BrianO]

Think you will find most if not all when removing supers have some uncapped areas

I certainly have, even from super frames removed yesterday, as previously mentioned did the shake test and am working on the premise when mixed with all capped will be fine.

 

[mbc]

Letting it settle in a ripening tank and skimming the top few pounds is a hassle free way of lowering the moisture content.

 

[BrianO]

Letting it settle in a ripening tank and skimming the top few pounds is a hassle free way of lowering the moisture content.

Good idea... Denser matter sinking principle I assume, anyone test specifically for specific moisture content, ideal target ? How to test ?

 

[Obee1]

You need a refractometer. Read this thread
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30914&highlight=Refractometer

 

[irishguy]

Think you will find most if not all when removing supers have some uncapped areas

I certainly have, even from super frames removed yesterday, as previously mentioned did the shake test and am working on the premise when mixed with all capped will be fine.

I shook all frames and nothing came out so I'm assuming it must be OK.

I'm probably making mountains out of mole hills here anyway because it won't be sitting about much to get a real chance of fermentation. Isn't a super just over 10 jars of honey. I'll be keeping a few for myself, give some to tge kids and give tge neighboring farmer an aul jar so can't see it sitting about to long.

 

[mbc]

You need a refractometer. Read this thread
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30914&highlight=Refractometer

I harvested and processed tons of honey before being persuaded I needed a refractometer and I've only occasionally got it out of the box since getting one, and it's never told me anything useful I didn't know already.

 

[oliver90owner]

Agreed, mbc. Just good to confirm on the odd occasions when there could have been some doubt.

Taking crop while bees are busy bringing in nectar is the usual non-thinking reason for loads of nectar in the cells.

How long to start fermenting? Well my musts and worts start fermenting within about 24 hours of pitching. A shallow only equivalent to 10 jars of honey? What size jars?

 

[irishguy]

A shallow only equivalent to 10 jars of honey? What size jars?

Why don't you just tell me know how many jars of a certain size is in a super rather than trying to get me to trip up so you look good when correcting me seeing as your baiting me above. Even Stevie wonder could see what your at!

 

[mbc]

25lb of extracted honey from a packed national super, none of mine were that full this year.

 

[irishguy]

25lb of extracted honey from a packed national super, none of mine were that full this year.

When you say packed, is that it all capped because mines is only 3/4 capped though all cells have honey. If your saying 25lb then at a guess I should have 20 x 1lb jars then. If so, sounds good to me

 

[mbc]

They have to be really rammed to every corner of every frame to get 25lb. Most supers you imagine are really full only give about 20lb once extracted in my experience.

 

[Swarm]

Irishguy, it varies. If all frames are full (capped or partially) it's generally around 25lbs, give or take.

Last year I was guided by my refractometer on a last super with partials that failed the drip test. The capped honey was like toffee so I was hoping things would even out but the result came out at 23% so I decided to give it back. They didn't want it so I removed it and stored it.
No sign of fermentation at all after 12 months.

 

[irishguy]

Another question i have is how long can the super sit before extraction. Ill be flat out with work all this week and was hoping maybe next weekend i could do it if the extractor is free.

What other items could i do with for when extracting

 

[BrianO]

Another simpler method I have tried, for uncapped frames, apart from the shake test, insert end of cocktail stick in a few cells , rotate to bring out honey . ( flat end of cocktail stick by snipping off point ).

You can visually see as to how viscous it is, does in drip from the stick ? Does it have a " normal honey consistency ".

All my uncapped sections so far have had a low level of viscosity and can clearly be seen to be of the correct approximate moisture content.

No need for a refaractometer IMHO