water in honey

[sean]

should water get into your honey can anything be done to maintain/restore the quality?

[Sean Kelly]

Do you mean water that the bees put in with it or did you accidentally pour some water in your honey?  If the water content is high (check with a refractometer) in the comb, bring the supers inside the house, stack them stagered, and get a couple big electric fans to blow around them.  This will help evaporate the water in the comb.

If you meant water poured in the honey it's self, then I'm not sure what to do.  The only thing I can think of is put some yeast in it and make some mead!!!   :-D

Sean Kelly

[sean]

i was refering to water poured unto/into honey. Some construction work is being done on the house i have a drum(about 30 gallons of honey) that should be sealed. It was covered with a plastic sheet but i have some workers/friends here who cant go thruogh the day without some sweet water as they call it. They took off the sheet but didnt put it back on. Suffice it to say rain fell. I dont think water got but it got me wondering "what if it happens in the future?"

I suppose i better start reading up on mead :-\ 

[Sean Kelly]

Ouch, that sucks.  30 gallons?  Man, that's a lot of mead!!!!
Yeah, not sure how to save that if it did get tainted.  But if water got in it, it'll most likely ferment from the natural yeasts in honey anyway.  So, making some honey wine would naturally be the best option since It'll go bad anyway.  Unless someone has a better answer.  Personally I'd make a ton of mead, but that's why I got into beekeeping in the first place anyway.

Sean Kelly

[Bennettoid]

Maybe you need some help drinking 30 gallons of mead?

I have some spare time.

[Sean Kelly]

Heck yeah, I'm there too!  Fly down to Jamaica, drink some of Sean's chilled Mead on the beach... sounds awesome!

Hey Sean, wasn't one of the other guys from our forum gunna meet up with you or something?  Did that ever happen?  Did I miss the thread?

Sean Kelly

[Greg Peck]

Honey is heavier then water so would think that you would have been able to see it on top if there was a substantial amount in the drum. If water did get in I think you would need a lot of really effect the moisture content of 30 gallons. Why dont you just carry the drum in side it probably only weighs 360 pounds  :-D

[Brian D. Bray]

Honey is heavier then water so would think that you would have been able to see it on top if there was a substantial amount in the drum. If water did get in I think you would need a lot of really effect the moisture content of 30 gallons. Why dont you just carry the drum in side it probably only weighs 360 pounds  :-D

Honey absorbes the water fairly evenly.  Water applied to honey will be disfused throughout the honey and the honey becomes thinner, having a higher water content.  Water in the honey will have a tendency to make it ferment, hence the mead comments, but some type of slow dehydration process, such as pasturization, might work.

[Greg Peck]

Over time I know it does I was just saying that shortly after it happened I think you would see water sitting on top of the honey.

I think leaving the drum unsealed is a little risky as honey will absorb moisture from the air (it will also get rid of moisture if the humidity level is real low). So if you have high humidity around, over time your honey could absorb enough moisture to go ferment also. I dont know how long that would take but it could happen.

[sean]

Heck yeah, I'm there too!  Fly down to Jamaica, drink some of Sean's chilled Mead on the beach... sounds awesome!

Hey Sean, wasn't one of the other guys from our forum gunna meet up with you or something?  Did that ever happen?  Did I miss the thread?

Sean Kelly

 

Yeah but i havent reached florida as yet. My aunt and a cousin were supposed to have put me up but neither could get the time off from work to take me around(like i needed a chaperone) but both were here in in may for a funeral so i understand. i'll be there in july instead. And guess what i am about a mile from one of the popular beaches on the south coast - "Hellshire" famous for its fried fish & festival. Oh, konasdad was here but chickened out on coming to my side of the island :evil:

Greg, the drum is sealed, i was just curious as what could be done if..