All About Honey#
1 . What is the chief concern with harvesting honey?
To avoid fermentation (yeast growth and spoilage)
2 . How does the beekeeper avoid fermentation?
Don’t harvest honey until it is “ripe”
“Ripe” means the bees have removed enough water from the nectar to avoid fermentation
3 . When is honey considered “ripe” and ready for removal from the colony?
When the water content is less than 18.6%
4 . Is it reliable to assume that when the honey is capped, it is at or below 18.6%?
Yes, this is generally true, however, in humid areas honey may be more than 18.6% after it is capped.
5 . What does it mean that honey is hydrophilic?
Honey will absorb moisture making it hydrophilic. If capped or uncapped honey is left in a humid environment, without the bees, it will absorb water and may change the water content above 18.6%. Once honey is extracted it should be sealed or bottled as soon as possible to avoid issues.
6 . How do you measure the % of water in honey?
With an instrument called a refractometer
Without an instrument, gently shake the comb to see if honey rains out. If it does, the honey is not “ripe” and is not ready to harvest.
7 . When is the appropriate time to remove moisture from honey?
After supers are harvested, but before the honey is extracted.
8 . If you want to remove excess moisture from honey, (to get at or below 18.6%) how would you accomplish that?
Take your harvested honey in the frames or supers before you uncap it, and place in a room which is warm. Turn on a dehumidifier and check two or more times a day to measure the moisture content with a refractometer. This method may take a few days. When the honey has reached the desired moisture content, go ahead and uncap and extract the honey.
9 . What is a fume board and what is its purpose?
It holds a repellent that drives the bees into a lower super so that honey can be harvested without bees on the frame.
10 . What is an “uncapping” knife and how is it used?
The uncapping knife is used to cut off the wax capping from each side of the frame. Use a “sawing” motion to remove the cappings.
11 . What is the supposed advantage of using a “hot” uncapping knife instead of a “cold” knife?
The hot knife melts the wax as you cut and makes it easier and quicker to cut the cappings off.
12 . What is another method to get the cappings off? What is the disadvantage of using this tool?
You can use a capping scratcher. The disadvantage is that it fills the honey with small wax particles that plug filters downstream in the process and may cloud honey.
13 . What is an “uncapping tub” and what are its advantages?
It allows you to brace a frame while cutting, and catches the cappings from the frame into the tub. It usually has a valve that allows the honey to flow out from the bottom of the tub.
14 . What is the difference between a “radial” extractor and a “reversible” extractor?
In a radial extractor, the frames are fit like spokes of a wheel and honey is removed from both sides at once
The reversible extractor extracts one side at a time and the frames need to be removed and reversed.
15 . What is the main advantage and disadvantage of a “reversible” extractor?
Advantage: Less expensive and therefore probably best for the small scale and hobbyist beekeeper and can spin anywhere from 2-6 frames at a time.
Disadvantage: You have to remove each frame and spin the other side requiring twice as much handling time and if you spin it too fast, the weight of the unspun side of the frame causes the frame or wax to break.
16 . Who regulates what is required on a honey label?
The Georgia State Department of Agriculture regulates the minimum standards for food labels. It is highly uniform across the country and requires the following on the label:
What is in the jar - HONEY
Address and contact information of the producer
Weight of the honey in the jar in both grams and pounds
17 . What Is “raw” honey?
Raw honey is honey that has not been pasteurized or finely filtered.