Solid rape honey

[GRIZZLY]

I inadvertantly let my bees completely cap 4 complete supers of rape this year. To my amazement I found the honey to be still liquid - certainly enough to extract and not solid as I expected. After extraction I put it in buckets in my warming cabinet with the temperature set at 40 degrees. I left it in the cabinet for 2 days and then put it thro' the coarse and fine filters fitted to my settling tank with a 400 mesh filter cloth backing the fine filter. the whole lot rapidly filtered as it was still quite warm from the heating cabinet. I ran it into clean buckets to store and with one lot into a bottling bucket fitted with a tap. The bottled honey set but was a buttery creamy colour instead of the usual stark white you get with normal rape. I guess they must have been working the hawthorn plus some other things. The flavour is quite distinct - certainly different from previous years rape honey.

[Mellifera Crofter]

If it's already crystallised in the frame you'll need to melt it out Kitta. ...

I've only just got round to melting out the crystallised frames. I cut the combs out of the frames and put them in a tub with a tap so that I can draw off the liquid honey as Rosie had suggested. It was still a struggle and I had to keep clearing the bottom filter that got clogged up really quickly. I don't know whether it was getting clogged with honey crystals or bits of wax.

My question now is, is it safe to give the honey/wax that remained behind in the filters to the bees? It's been in the warming cabinet at about 40 degrees Celsius. Or should I just put the lot in the low oven and then use the honey for mead or something? (I've never made mead.)

Kitta

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi kitta is your giving it back yo the same hive that should be OK
I think chalk brood sometimes gets spread by feeding cappings back

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks, DR. No, all the cappings are mixed. It did not occur to me to worry about chalk brood - but I don't think any of my colonies suffer particularly from chalk brood to be a problem ...

What I'm uncertain about is the heat I've used in the warming cabinet - will the honey that's been subjected to heat of about 40 degree Celsius for a day or two be harmful to the bees?

Kitta

[The Drone Ranger]

Should be fine I think to feed back but the mead sounds good to me

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks again, DR. I'll give the bees some, and make mead with the rest. Kitta