How to reach the ideal moisture content of honey for a good conservation without fermentation?

[@JnJShiffler]

Very few videos on how to calibrate refractometers: Use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Set brix scale to 71.5. (28.5% moisture) Check calibration each day of use. I have found the heated honey room (95-100*F) seems to read higher moisture falsely by around 2-3%. Best to check at room temp I believe.

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Yes, not a lot of videos on how to calibrate refractometers. But here we didn't want to talk on this specific topic. Some people use different kinds of refractometers (electronics, withtout Brix scale, etc), and they all come with different recommendations from manufacturers ... Yes temperature can affect the moisture readings of refractometers. Some of them have charts included to correct this. And other refractometers will do internal correction. But it's a good point that we need to be aware of. Thank for your relevant comment! Have a nice beekeeping season!

[@JnJShiffler]

@@ArtisansDeLaRuche Just sharing the info. Most people never calibrate, a big mistake. Bee well !

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Yes thank you very much for sharing. Have a nice end of season!

[@TRPGpilot]

@@JnJShiffler Most people use degrees Celcius . . .

[@fabiomenna8444]

Hello! Great video! Could you tell me where the data for the balance between relative humidity of air and the moisture content of honey displayed at 4:00 come from? Thank you

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Yes of course. It comes from the book "The Hive and the Honey Bee". Dadant & Sons. Edition 1992. Ninth printing 2010. Page 896.

[@BasalimHardi]

Great video! Btw can I use my camera drybox to decrease the honey's water content?

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Thank you very much for your comment. Hummm... For your camera drybox we never heard about somebody who tried this. Of course, we do not think that it is a good idea to put honey and wax in a camera drybox.

[@djg585]

I was researching this myself, and found this: "honey has a very poor diffusion rate. If, for example, you were to use a fan to blow warm air across the top of a drum of thin honey only the top layer would dry because the effect will not migrate very far. " I guess you would have to stir frequently. I plan to try this with silica gel beads packets.

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

@@djg585 Yes, that's why it's better to do this step while honey is still in supers. Because honey surface in contact with air is larger...

[@djg585]

@@ArtisansDeLaRuche You are right. I've learned my lesson!

[@កម្មវិធីសប្បាយៗ-ច8គ]

Great Explanations

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Thank you very much for your comment. Have a very nice season!

[@alamenahlesetif]

like from algeria

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Thank you very Much ☺️

[@zahrahoneypakistan9798]

Sir we harvest wild Honey in Pakistan and that Honey is almost immature،always on risk of fermentation۔my question is: How to dry Honey after extraction?

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

It's always better to dry honey BEFORE extraction. After it's almost impossible to do. When honey is still in honeycombs, the surface in contact with air is much more larger. That's why the process should be done before extraction.

[@zahrahoneypakistan9798]

@@ArtisansDeLaRuche Thank you soo much

[@mikeb062]

how do I bring moister content back up? di I ruin my harvest???

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

In general we mix dry honey with a wet honey to balance it. If it's possible of course.

[@geraltofrivia8529]

bees will cap it when its ready, also you are not getting the same level of regurgitated enzymes in honey that is removed from the hive and extracted before it is capped.

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Here in Quebec when we do harvest honey in the fall, much of it is not capped. We need to reduce the moisture content of it.

[@zahrahoneypakistan9798]

My second question is : what is the fastest method for drying Honey?

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

#1 do it before extraction #2 place honey supers in a room with dehumidifier #3 put ventilation to push air through honey supers to make process faster #4 monitor regularly honey moisture with refractometer

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

I also think different Honey / Nectar sources are 'drier' than others. Region to region, area to area and altitude too. Here in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 eg : we have lots of Moorland with Flowering Heather ! If local Beeks take "their Bees to the Heather" usually around August /September then they need to take the Honey off around x3 Weeks later. Otherwise it "Sets" in the Honey Comb itself (!) Not a problem if you Sell Honey Comb itself, in Gift Boxes, say to Tourists. Or a whole Frame of Comb say at a Honey Farm etc. But if you want that Honey in a Jar, for Show Honey, Sell to a Store etc. You have to move rather quick. Think same applies to Honey made from Ivy, but as its mainly a late season Honey, Beekeepers do not want to open up their Supers. And I believe Ivy Nectar is a desired taste ! That Bees love yet us Humans do not ! . . . 🤭

[@mikeb062]

what happens if I have reduced the moister content to 13???? Will it go bad if I bottle it a 13???

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

It's less intesting to eat a super dry honey... Maybe you can keep some honey with higher moisture content to mix with it...

[@zamanahoney5637]

👍

[@ArtisansDeLaRuche]

Merci beaucoup!