strange honey problem

[thurrock bees]

I need some help about my honey. I have jarred up 70-80 jars of honey and stored them for a month or so. I placed them in the bian marie to '' un'' set it. the current batch of 32 jars I have just tired to label them and noticed 12 have what looks like water in the top.
I have not checked the water % yet as I will need sun light?! for the
refractometer . but surely if the water content was to high all the jarred honey would be the same.

Help please?
TB

 

[VEG]

it can sometimes sort of separate under some circumstances. If you test the top it will be high in water content. You can shake/stir them and then test them but you will get air bubbles in them. A warming cabinet will help to get the bubbles out if you leave them on a low heat.

 

[For want of a better word]

Is it water.... liquid or more like condensation?

Carefully open a jar and check for a fermentation aroma......
if the water content was too high... very high on bottling... this could happen.

Mead making springs to mind!

 

[BKF Admin]

A pic might help..

 

[thurrock bees]

A pic might help..

the picture is the best I can get, you can just see the difference where the air bubble is.

 

[thurrock bees]

Is it water.... liquid or more like condensation?

Carefully open a jar and check for a fermentation aroma......
if the water content was too high... very high on bottling... this could happen.

!

ive opened the jar and can not smell nothing but honey and there is not anything on the surface.

 

[VEG]

Give one jar a really good shake then test the moisture content

 

[thurrock bees]

Give one jar a really good shake then test the moisture content

I did open one jar and stir it but I can see what looks like waves though out the honey

 

[VEG]

shake the hell out of it so it mixes properly

 

[Skyhook]

I did open one jar and stir it but I can see what looks like waves though out the honey

It is possible for honey to be within limits, but when it crystallises the crystals are pure sugar which frees up water so you can get areas which are more dilute. The 'waves' could either be areas of crystals or bubbles through the honey, or areas of different concentrations which refract the light differently.

Get some jars thoroughly liquefied and stirred, then check the water content.

 

[Norfolk]

I can't shed any light on what the problem is sadly.
Have you tasted the odd ones in the batch ?
If they taste ok maybe you could re-mix and bottle them.

Just a thought.

 

[thurrock bees]

shake the hell out of it so it mixes properly

Thank you Veg, I gave it a good shake and the honey mixed well. I left them over night on the side and all is well.
TB

 

[Oscarmonster]

There was a chap at our honey show last year that had this problem. The theory was that as he submerged the jars in cold water to cool them, water was sucked in. This left a layer of water on top of the honey.

 

[masterBK]

Can I suggest that the honey got too hot and the water vapour coming off the surface condensed on the inside of the lid and later dripped down onto the honey surface