# honey turning to crystalized sugar honey



## moday (Mar 28, 2008)

Trying to take the honey out of our bucket with the valve that we put the honey in after the extractor a couple months ago and the 3-4 gallons have solidified.

Any idea why or how to remedy?

Currently have it in a make shift double boiler but how long until it crystalizes again? Days, weeks or months? This may work for today but not sure of the reason why it happens or how to prevent?

Maybe it's just what honey does....

thanks, moday


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Yes. It is what honey does.

In small containers, slow low heat will help it liquify.

Recrystalization times will vary.


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

i have a 1LB plastic jar of honey.in which it started to crystallize. I choose a pot deep enough for the entire jar to sit in.i filled the pot with enough water,to come up to the neck of the jar.then i heated the water to a almost boil.then i turned off the fire.removed cap from the jar.and placed it into the hot water.and then let it sit untill the water and honey was at room temp.no more crystallized honey.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Some kinds of honey crystallize faster than others. Some crystallize at different storage temperatures. Just do what the others said with putting the jars or smaller amounts in warm/hot water until it liquefies again. So what if it crystallizes in the future...just rinse/repeat.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you store honey at room tempture it will stay loquid longer than if ypou store it in a cool place.

Different honeys crylistlize at different rates.

You can wrap a 5 gallon pail with a garden hoes fill it with hot water let it set till cool then do it again and you can liquifie the whole bucket.

 Al


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

Like alleyooper stated , garden hose, or seed mat from greenhouse around it will work. We use an old refrigerator with a light bulb on the bottom and place the honey above it.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Decades ago my new wife thought our honey had spoiled, lol.
"Honey, honey doesn't go bad."
Honey is about 70% sugar and 20% water. If the water begins to evaporate the crystals will form.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have a stainless steel tub that holds three 5 gallon pails. Set pails in and fill with water below topof pails. Plug in the emersion heater and set temp to 85F.
Honey will be come liquid in 24 hours.

https://www.kelleybees.com/immersion-heaters.html

I also got a pail heater at an auction sale.

https://www.kelleybees.com/round-pail-heater.html


 Al


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## #1 WV BonBonQueen (Sep 16, 2018)

When I was taking a Beekeeper class, I was told that it crystallizes because it has more water in it. Not because of anything you did when you extracted. 
I personally believe that when a beekeeper feeds his bees sugar/water to keep them going in the end of spring, before extracting it is what causes honey to crystalize. Now that is just my opinion, nothing against anyone who does this. Was just something that I decided that I didn't choose to do. Bees will remove the water from their honey by standing at the doorway, and flapping their wings, and if we feed them loads of syrup, then I would imagine it would be harder to remove all the water from said syrup. 
JMHO 
Also be sure to not heat it too much for when you heat it, it kills the great bacteria that is in it that is good for you. Not too sure about how hot it should be or not be. 
Happy New Year.


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

#1 WV BonBonQueen said:


> When I was taking a Beekeeper class, I was told that it crystallizes because it has more water in it. Not because of anything you did when you extracted.
> I personally believe that when a beekeeper feeds his bees sugar/water to keep them going in the end of spring, before extracting it is what causes honey to crystalize. Now that is just my opinion, nothing against anyone who does this. Was just something that I decided that I didn't choose to do. Bees will remove the water from their honey by standing at the doorway, and flapping their wings, and if we feed them loads of syrup, then I would imagine it would be harder to remove all the water from said syrup.
> JMHO
> Also be sure to not heat it too much for when you heat it, it kills the great bacteria that is in it that is good for you. Not too sure about how hot it should be or not be.
> Happy New Year.


Agree with what you and others said about not overheating. All honey will crystalize . I think that spring, fall and dearth's feeding doesn't effect the honey since much of it is used. Fully agree that it probably isn't advised to feed while they are on a flow. As with you, these are only my thoughts


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Most experinced bee keepers will not feed suger syrup when they have honey supers on.
Why in the world would you do that? if you want to extract sugar syrup save the bee step and just put it in jars for later use.

Normal honey to be extracted fully capped will have around 16% moisture and some times as high as 19%.

" honey refractometer unit will measure the moisture in your honey from 12%-27% in half percent increments."

Not a real pricy instrument but if you want to make sure your mosture content is low buy one.
https://www.amazon.com/Refractomete...=B073Q22CQW&psc=1&refRID=RAHFZN0AW2ZSDTK60CMA

I have a small room in the honey house I can stack about 10 honey supers in and run a dehimidifer for 24 hours and bring the moisture down about 5 points before I extract.

 Al


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## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

I'd suggest just bottle as soon as you can after extraction. For that matter extract as soon as you harvest as honey can crystallize in combs... rendering is pretty much useless except next years bee feed if still in frames. As I'm terribly busy with work at harvest season and have had crystallization issues when I finally get a couple free days, I've started taking supers to an extraction service.

Years ago I purchased a Maxant water jacketed bottling tank, it's basically a dbl boiler and set for a low temp as to not damage or pasteurize the honey. Works great. Worth considering if you do a lot of it... I'd offer to sell it but apparently my local extraction service is retiring so I need to find a way to make time.

Friends plug in a car battery warmer around their 5 gal pails over night prior to bottling, that may work for you.


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## Steve in PA (Nov 25, 2011)

After you get it melted, you can make creamed honey with it. Since it is already crystalizing that would be a way to use the crystals to your advantage. I make creamed honey out of what is left that I didn't sell or give away but December.


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