Drying Extracted Honey on a Small Scale

What do you do when the honey you extracted is already in buckets and it is too wet? I had to figure that out. See how I did it and what I learned along the way.
‪@gunlinebees.3831‬ ‪@WalkerBeeRanch‬ ‪@josephrawls‬ 14:30
‪@gunlinebees.3831‬ 24:20
#honeybees #honey #dryinghoney

[@busatrx850]

Surely as the honey level in the upper bucket reduces the pressure at the valve also reduces which will bean the flow reduces so it drips slower

[@josephrawls]

The larger surface area and the fan really made the difference. You have the perfect drying room now. Great job.

[@rtxhoneybees]

Thanks Joey. It's drops pretty fast - just like you said.

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Use a freeze dryers to make granulated honey.

[@brucklay227]

I made a conscious decision to only harvest fully capped frames and leave the remaining frames of part capped and and part nectar for bees to live on over winter. The result was a pleasing 14% moisture over all the honey harvested and the winter stock was healthy and very plentiful. The consistency of the honey was truly beautiful and didn’t run of the knife.

[@GEEZBEEZ]

Interesting how fast it dropped in the pans. Thanks for the information. Take care

[@rtxhoneybees]

I resisted doing it because of all the set up and potential mess but it really did work quickly. The next honey I got had a good bit of capped honey that was very wet. Luckily this batch had 30-40% uncapped that dried down to about 16% over three days while in the same closet - but still in the frames. Had I followed the common advice to take only capped honey, I would have had to repeat this process. The capped honey really did not drop much.

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

We extracted in 2021 after putting capped comb in our bathroom with a dehumidifier for 3 days. Didn't test moisture but, the honey is still fine.

[@rtxhoneybees]

Thanks Richard, My dehumidifier didn't do so well in a large room but did very well in the closet.

[@gunlinebees.3831]

Thank ya sir for the shout out, it's great to see your system worked out for you! God bless.

[@rtxhoneybees]

Thanks! I got home from the Scout meeting, expecting to check out TNL. But didn't see it. Hope everything is alright with Bob.

[@LIBeekeeping]

I added a fan ovehead to help dry it out. Also had the the dehumidifier. Worked good got it down to 16.5%

[@rtxhoneybees]

Tommy, was that in buckets? How long did it take?

[@LIBeekeeping]

@rtxhoneybees it was still in the frames.. i built a bin that hold 12 frames at a time. So easy to transport from the hives to wherever. Took 12 hrs approx

[@thomaswilliams6155]

So much effort.. I like you tenasity. Thank you

[@rtxhoneybees]

It was pretty frustrating until I figured out a process. The lesson learned was to try and mix in some overly dried open cell frame. That way the average content is in line.

[@BrianCooper901]

Good info! We use a pop up pod and put 3-5 buckets in it with our dehumdifier (it's a cube style with a high fan setting.) We were about 17.8% this year so didn't need it much but it also warms the honey to about 80-90F to help with bottling it. Looks like you got a good system to get it much lower than we get ours.

[@rtxhoneybees]

Im sure i need to give back the coat closet soon. What is a pop up pod?

[@BrianCooper901]

@@rtxhoneybees I'm not sure if youtube will let me post a link but if you google pop up pod it's a portable changing station I saw another youtuber using one for just this reason. We don't have much space so that's what we use. It doesn't seal super tight but really gets the job done for us.

[@rtxhoneybees]

​@BrianCooper901 Funny thing is I actually have one of those!. It's somewhere in my pop_up camper that hasn't been used in about 5 years. I bought for a portable toilet for my wife and daughter to use. They refused to use it! I'll get it out and give it a try.

[@BrianCooper901]

@@rtxhoneybees I think like you found out the fan coupled with the dehumidifier works well. I've seen folks use heating pads under the buckets too so the honey sort of circulates itself through stratification.

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

I got myself a x7 Tray / Wire Sheet Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator Unit (£140 in 2022 off Amazon UK ) Guess that about $USD170. I primarily bought it to dry Slices of Fruit : From my Garden Crop of Apples, Pears, Plums etc. And the odd Raspberry or two. 🙄 Then I got into Hobby Beekeeping and found you could lay a Langstroth Deep Frame, Super Frames, also UK Nationals and French Warre Hive Frames in this Unit with no room issues. All the Shelves removed allow x2 Midi Buckets to be placed, one rear, another one in front. If you befriend a Food Outlet Deli / Cafe etc. . . They will keep ex Mid Sized Mayo or Cranberry Sauce Buckets. I can fit x2 of these into the Height and Length of this Cabinet (Oven style interior.) The Food Dehydrator is all Metal in Construction : has a Rear Wall interior Fan. And lots of Drying options. Pre-Timed, Set of Temps to choose (various) Low to Full Fan. Etc, etc. I've brought down Honey Moisture of : Fames of 90% nearly fully capped Honey ! The ones you want to take but know they will not store well out side of the Hive. 🤭 For Filling Honey Jars just above the Fill Line, lids off and allowed to reduced their moisture levels to Honey Show Standards. This Cabinet is also useful to bring chilly (breakable) Bees Wax Foundation up to a more manageable condition, to insert into Bee Frames, warm and Roll up into Textured Sheet Wax Candles. Even Wax with added Olive Oil for Balms with additional Essential Oils for Creams & Ointment need. And any Wax thats not great re Colour etc, make my own Wood Polish, even used this on leather boots, belts, anything that would benefit from the nourishment Wax brings to an item. Dont bother with the cheaper all Plastic Food dehydrators : they can't take the weight of eg x2 1KG (2lbs) Buckets in cavity without it being a sturdy Metal version. Hope this helps fellow Beeks ! I'm preparing my Honey right now for next Weekends local Beekeeper and Bee Honey Show. 😎

[@rtxhoneybees]

This does sound like a great option! Thanks! I looked at a few of them and, as long as you use the lower settings + or - 95 F, I think this will work. I would worry a little about the heated honey draining out of any open cells if you laid the frame down. For sure this would work with trays like I used in the closet and it would also work with buckets as long as you were patient and stirred it periodically. Thanks again, this is a great tip?

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Update : Forgot to say earlier, this Food Dehydrator Cabinet has room to Stand Deep Frames : eg Langstroth, UK National, and end on end together Warre Frames so : All these Honey Frames / with partially uncapped Cell here and there, can be placed with Frames being "Upright," resting on their lower Rail. Meaning each Cell with uncapped Honey in it, will mean no Drips or Splills ! As Natural Honey or Foundation (fully drawn) will have Cells in a kind of Inverted "V" cross Section. Hope this helps. 😎 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2023 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@lagrangebees]

I made some hot pepper infused honey as an X-mas gift, brought the moisture level to almost 20%. so I poured the honey into a pan and set a box fan on top. took about a day and it went down to 16.5%

[@rtxhoneybees]

That's pretty much where I ended up.

[@geeksjm876]

Hi, just the fan? No humidifier?

[@lagrangebees]

@@geeksjm876 just the fan, worked well because the average humidity was low enough in my house

[@jimmysneighborhoodbees]

Slow & steady. It will get there.

[@rtxhoneybees]

Thanks Jimmy. That batch is done. Time to move on to the rest. At least the next will still be in the frames.

[@garden7799]

Why does my honey turn rock hard within 2-3 weeks ....

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

I pulled supers and extracted through May and June and the honey was 14.5 percent. It really slowed the whole process down. I figured it was the spring drought we had contributed because it was so dry. Where are located? Just subscribed.

[@rtxhoneybees]

The honey I had the problem with was early capped honey in Central Texas. I thought I was ok just pulling capped honey but that wasn't the case. Later pull was capped and uncapped. I was able to dry the uncapped down to about 16% and my total is averaging 17.5. You sure made a lot of honey for a drought year.

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

@rtxhoneybees It was a perfect storm with plenty of water early to grow the flo and then no rain for a over a month and the bees had nothing to do but collect nectar and swarm. I ran out of supers. Actually pulling off more spring honey now to get them set for summer and fall and so I can deal with mites. Good luck with your bees in Texas.

[@KajunHomestead]

Where did you get all that moisture , we dry here in Louisiana . 🤣🤣🤣 lol , I walked outside this morning and was soaking wet in ten min. Its crazy .

[@rtxhoneybees]

Im from Louisiana originally. You have to keep turning around so moss doesn't grow on your north side! It was 79F and 97% humidity when I got to the farm on at 8am Saturday morning. Then it got hot!

[@russellkoopman3004]

It might have been easier to make mead - if only we could sell it. Your labor of love payed off but I doubt you will make that mistake again.

[@rtxhoneybees]

You are right about that! If the capped honey I have in the closet now (2 days tonight) by tomorrow night, I'll uncap some and stick it back in there.