# How do you Liquify Granulated honey 5 gallon buckets



## bentonbee (Jan 31, 2007)

I am looking for some ways to improve my honey handling. I store my honey in 5 gallon buckets. Of course it granulates. I have typically put them in a old chest freezer with a light bulb to heat it to liquify it. Then I poor it in my Walter T. Kelly grocers tank. The problem I am having is the honey darkens. Am I heating it too long? Or too hot?
What temp do you do this work at?
Thanks
Mike


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Too hot. My old freezer is equipped with a thermostatically controlled power strip to plug in a fixture with a 100 watt bulb. I set it at 103F and in about three days your bucket should pour.


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

I have a old wash tub (metal) that i can set on my stove, fill with several inches of water and set the bucket in it. Set on simmer and stir every half hour. mine was melted in about 2 hrs.


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## bentonbee (Jan 31, 2007)

schmism said:


> I have a old wash tub (metal) that i can set on my stove, fill with several inches of water and set the bucket in it. Set on simmer and stir every half hour. mine was melted in about 2 hrs.


Schmism, that is pretty fast. Does it darken the honey?


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## bentonbee (Jan 31, 2007)

Vance G said:


> Too hot. My old freezer is equipped with a thermostatically controlled power strip to plug in a fixture with a 100 watt bulb. I set it at 103F and in about three days your bucket should pour.


Vance, yes I am doing it too high of temp, I need to get a thermostatically controlled power strip.
Thanks
Mike


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I built this and it has worked very well for me. Usually takes about 3 days for a 5 gallon bucket.

http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Bucket-Heater_20100726.pdf


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I built one like psm1212 but with a front door instead of opening on top. I use a temp controller from honey run.


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

bentonbee said:


> Schmism, that is pretty fast. Does it darken the honey?


Nope, I monitored the temp with a infrared thermometer to ensure I didnt get to hot. mine werent full 5 gal. They were buckets with 45lbs in them


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## GaSteve (Apr 28, 2004)

These work well for buckets and won't darken the honey. It works better if you mount it toward the bottom of the bucket.


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


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## Beebeard (Apr 27, 2016)

I use a light bulb at the bottom of a stack of supers with a lid. Temp control is easy with a thermostat controlled outlet. I use one that is for controlling the temperature of seedling heat mats. They are about 15 bucks, and have a little probe you can hang in the box or even put in the honey. Narrow programmable range of something like 85-115f, which is perfect for honey.


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## Live Oak (Oct 11, 2008)

These work great. Wait for them to go on sale. 

https://www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-al.../heaters/round-pail-heater-120-volt-100-watts


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

From what is said here & elsewhere, the less time it takes to warm & cool honey, the less any damage occurs. A thermostatically controlled box, with ~150 watts of HEAT ( from incandescent bulbs) "does the job" on a 5 Gal bucket in about 24-36 hours. CF & LED bulbs give off less heat actual heat, so more are required. Once the heat reaches whatever desired temp, rapidly "cooling" it (back to ~95*) does little damage (darkening), yet allows plenty of "flow" for re-bottling.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

I had planned on making one. When I found myself needing one right away I had to improvise; One 100w light bulb with plug, placed in an empty deep with two top bars (just the top bar from frames), place them in position 3 and 7 in the super. Then place two empty deeps on top. That's it. place your five gallon bucket on the top bars. use a lid or piece of plexiglas. 

I use a temp gun, usually by the time it gets to 105 it's close to done. 

It's so simple and efficient, I decided not to make a warmer that I have to store when not in use. When all the box are full of bees I usually don't need to melt honey, in the fall/winter when I need a melter I always have extra boxes.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Live Oak said:


> These work great. Wait for them to go on sale.
> 
> https://www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-al.../heaters/round-pail-heater-120-volt-100-watts


ML is having another 11% off, If you trust ML's heating element for 100 bucks, search, several threads; burning out, many less than a year.

I have used the same 100 w light bulb on almost 20 buckets so far this winter, and it's still going.


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## bentonbee (Jan 31, 2007)

Thanks all for your input!
You are a blessing.
Mike


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

My-smokepole said:


> I built one like psm1212 but with a front door instead of opening on top. I use a temp controller from honey run.


I did the same thing two years ago. I used a single electronic thermostat UNTIL the relay hung closed and heated 5 gallons to over 130*F. The honey was dark and tasted very differently than the gently heated honey from past batches so I had to feed it to the bees. Lesson learned was use two thermostats in series. If one hangs closed then the other should save the honey from being overheated. 
By heat box is about 20 cu ft.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

All my honey from last season has crystallized. Some honey is in 8 oz plastic bears, some in quart canning jars, and some in 5 gallon buckets. This is the first year my bees have produced enough honey for me to have to warm it to remove the crystals. I am warming the honey to 105 degrees using a thermostat and a light bulb in a cooler. My problem is that for the honey in the plastic bears and quart jars that are packaged and ready to sell, most of the honey is liquid and clear and there is what looks like sediment on the bottom. I filter my honey using a 600 micron filter. Is this pollen that made it through the filter that lands on the bottom when the honey is warm and thin? Any suggestions on what to do with this? Has anyone else encountered this?


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## cici235 (Jan 28, 2021)

I know this an older thread but I thought I would contribute my idea. I placed my bucket in a large trash can. I filled the trash can with water until it's a couple of inches below the top of the 5-gallon bucket. I lower my Sous Vide circulation device to the proper height in the water and presto I have a thermostatically controlled water circulating honey 5-gallon honey bucket warmer. I did have to position the Sous Vide device between the bucket and the trash can to hold it in place.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

cici235 said:


> I know this an older thread but I thought I would contribute my idea. I placed my bucket in a large trash can. I filled the trash can with water until it's a couple of inches below the top of the 5-gallon bucket. I lower my Sous Vide circulation device to the proper height in the water and presto I have a thermostatically controlled water circulating honey 5-gallon honey bucket warmer. I did have to position the Sous Vide device between the bucket and the trash can to hold it in place.


Excellent idea! Never heard of that. I once tried to do something similar in a bath tub, but trash can is much better. 

I have an opposite problem that I am going to use your idea on. I pasteurize before creaming with the Dyce method. The Dyce method requires you to quickly cool the honey after heating to 160F for 15 minutes. Trash cans would make excellent ice baths for the 5 gallon buckets. Thanks for posting.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

Just remember the honey is destroyed above a certain temperature.

Cannot be called "raw" at that point.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

username00101 said:


> Just remember the honey is destroyed above a certain temperature.


Elton Dyce disagrees.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

Well, That method calls for pasteurization of honey.

read more here: https://www.betterbee.com/images/Creamed_Honey_Kit_Instructions.pdf


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

Using Sous Vide is a great idea. If you have been looking for an excuse to get one here is your chance. We got one at Christmas time and now we use it all the time. Ever since we got it I've been itching to give it a try for honey warming. All you need is plastic tub big enough to hold a 5 gallon bucket. The tub doesn't have to be taller than the bucket, 3/4 of the height is good enough. Tubs in that size are less than 10 bucks at the blue or orange home centers. Fill with water, submerge the Sous Vide to depth, and set it at at 105°F (40°C). You positively won't overheat the honey that way.

(You probably don't want to submerge a bucket with a gate valve on the bottom unless you are completely positive the gate valve fully seals against water and have tested it.)


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## cici235 (Jan 28, 2021)

username00101 said:


> Just remember the honey is destroyed above a certain temperature.
> 
> Cannot be called "raw" at that point.


I purchased some "food storage honey" several years ago and believed it could never go bad. Worst advice ever. It darkened and separated so badly that it was mas more like molasses than honey. What a shame. Next time I'll know better to keep it in the coolest part of the house. My circulating Sous Vide devise was very effective and super easy to set up. If you are unsure what I"m talking about it looks like this device. A great way to cook chicken breasts. You can cook at lower temps for longer times pasteurizing the food. https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-...2&sr=1-1-0304cd0d-f9fd-4ddc-b2dc-9bd9c73622fc


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

there's no difference between honey and "food storage honey". 

What you had was adulterated Chinese honey w/corn syrup.


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## Johnnymms (Feb 7, 2020)

psm1212 said:


> I built this and it has worked very well for me. Usually takes about 3 days for a 5 gallon bucket.
> 
> http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Bucket-Heater_20100726.pdf


How closely can you keep the temp in the low 100s with the dimmer switch? I like this design but I am debating if I need a thermostat controlled switch, or if the dimmer can dial in the correct temp.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I put mine on an ink bird thermostat. Got it from Amazon for less than $30. Here are some pictures of my set up.








This is the ink bird. Top number is actual temp. Bottom is setting. I just turned it on for this picture, so its cold. 








Exterior. You see the dimmer switch on the left.








Interior. There is a piece of flashing just above the bulb so that the bulb does not burn the bottom of the bucket. You see the ink bird probe on the left. I use several slats to hold the bucket, or spread them for jars. Also, the supports are sized to fit frames. A little scared to try that, but you could, if you were careful and kept a close eye on it.


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