Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Rabbitdog on May 23, 2005, 01:27:53 pm

Title: Bad honey
Post by: Rabbitdog on May 23, 2005, 01:27:53 pm

This has been a very unique spring in my part of VA.   The bloom period for everything seems to have been up to 50% longer than usual.  Black locust bloomed heavier and longer than even the oldest of the old timers can remember.  I normally get very excited about early spring honey and it usually is very light colored and sweet with very little acid aftertaste.  However, this weekend I pulled two supers of capped honey for extraction and got a shock.  The honey was very dark.  It tasted fair but had a noticeable bitter aftertaste.  It's not fit for human consumption as far as I'm concerned.  Maybe it can go back to the bees.  How???
I am wondering if anyone else has pulled honey yet and experienced similar problems.  Any idea what would be the cause of the bitterness?

Title: Bad honey
Post by: Michael Bush on May 23, 2005, 02:31:40 pm

You can give it back to the bees if you like.  Buckwheat honey is that dark and tastes a bit like molasses.  Around here the bitter honey is usually not honey but honeydew collected off of aphids.

Title: Bad honey
Post by: Miss Chick-a-BEE on May 23, 2005, 02:40:32 pm

Could it be honey from the fall? I forgot the name of the stuff usually harvested by the bees - sourwood?

Anyway.... it's darker, and stronger. My husband hated it, and said he could smell it in the house for days giving him a stomach ache.

Beh

Title: Bad honey
Post by: SherryL on May 23, 2005, 08:25:09 pm

As for feeding it back to them.....

Just like you would sugar water, but water a little it down so they can take it.

Title: Bad honey
Post by: jathomas on May 25, 2005, 11:43:15 am

You weren't medicating any of your hives recently, were you?

Title: Bad honey
Post by: lively Bee's on May 26, 2005, 12:01:31 am

sourwood honey is sweet with no biter after taste