# Foam: skim it off or leave it?



## idlemere (Sep 25, 2017)

About a week ago, I strained 40ish lbs of honey through a 400-micron honey filter and into a food-grade bucket with a honey gate at the bottom. Yesterday I did the bottling, and I noticed that the top of the honey in the bucket had a bit of whitish foam on the top. I ended up bottling everything but set aside the last few bottles with the foam. Is it tiny wax particles? Should I have skimmed it off? I was going to sell most of the honey at a holiday bazaar put on by the company I work for, but I can just set these jars aside as my personal stash if the foam is not acceptable. All of the frames were capped, so I don't think it is related to moisture content.


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## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

It´s some wax ( or pollen if you have no queen excluder on) residues, no problem, but some people don´t like it and it´s more likely to ferment.
Next time you can put a piece of pergament paper on top of the honey. The "foam" sticks to the paper and you can pull it off. You can try this with your bottles too.


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## idlemere (Sep 25, 2017)

Thank you! I don't use an excluder, so may be some pollen in there too. I could market the honey as extra-raw with more beneficial properties! But I do worry about it fermenting. I will give the paper a try.


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## SWM (Nov 17, 2009)

When honey falls from the strainer into the bucket, it causes a certain amount of air to be mixed with the honey. As the honey settles the air rises to the top and that causes the foam on top. The foam is mostly cosmetic, but best to avoid on top of jars. It can be avoided by doing exactly what you did...pour and let it settle, then bottle from the gate at the bottom. You can remove it before bottling as described above with plastic wrap.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I also do the plastic wrap. Then I put the plastic on a plate and rub my biscuits in the honey... The foam is just a matter of presentation. The honey looks much better without it. It tastes just as good as the rest of the honey...


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## idlemere (Sep 25, 2017)

I tried using the plastic on one of the jars and it worked but was kind of tricky with the narrow opening. I think I'll pour all of them back in the bucket and use the plastic before re-bottling. I tried the foam and it is in fact delicious! Thanks for the advice.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

If honey for yourself - just eat the darn thing. Foam or no foam.

If people look for "pretty looking foods" - let them have pretty looking dyed sugar syrup. 
That's what they eat anyway and don't know any better.


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## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

GregV
he ( she) said he (she) wanted to sell it. There is nothing wrong with a learning process and to produce a nice product.

My first honey harvest had some bottles with foam on top. The foam fermented, which was no problem to me I love fermented honey. Mix it with garlic and hot pepper and such. 
But after selling some bottles the customers´honey fermented too , later at their home and they did not know what is was or why it was. Best way to loose some customers or the start of bad talk.


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I read a story some where about these Russian beekeepers in some remote area were all living to an extremely old age, over 115 years of age and apparently were still active. Some scientists who studied them were inclined to believe it was from the honey they consumed. As they were poor they sold all their best honey and kept for themselves all the dregs like the foam, unclear honey and all the stuff at the bottom of their buckets. Now as I am also poor I also sell all my best honey and keep for myself and give away those last 2 jars of honey from the bottling bucket. Actually I am so tight I squeak when I walk.
Johno


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

johno said:


> I read a story some where about these Russian beekeepers in some remote area were all living to an extremely old age, over 115 years of age and apparently were still active. Some scientists who studied them were inclined to believe it was from the honey they consumed. As they were poor they sold all their best honey and kept for themselves all the dregs like the foam, unclear honey and all the stuff at the bottom of their buckets. Now as I am also poor I also sell all my best honey and keep for myself and give away those last 2 jars of honey from the bottling bucket. Actually I am so tight I squeak when I walk.
> Johno


Why not.
They just eat the old brood honey combs with all the perga mixed in (and drone brood mixed in too in summer).
Of course, people scoff at me for saying this because that does not look pretty. 
Oh well, don't have to believe. 



> Combs full of beebread (fermented pollen) are always the first to sell out (as cut comb), and inspire the most exuberant customer reviews. If extracted, they boost honey’s pollen count – the quality sought after by a growing number of consumers.


Source: https://www.beeculture.com/selling-honey-20-pound/


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

SiWolKe said:


> GregV
> he ( she) said he (she) wanted to sell it. There is nothing wrong with a learning process and to produce a nice product.


I just said what MB also said -


> It tastes just as good as the rest of the honey...


Double standards again?


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## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

:scratch: MB? Double standards? What do you mean? I posted about selling stuff to customers and about their reaction. Personally I don´t want to lecture customers, I want them to be happy.
Most of them don´t want honey looking like that and most of them want "white pure" capped combs without pollen.
They only know pollen in the dried "clean" state. I know of some thinking the wonderful dark honey tastes like old shoes. They only want to taste "sweetness".

You have to find your special circle of customers, the paleozoic orientated will love to eat all coming out of a hive, no matter how it looks , pupa encluded. I have those customers too.















This is how I use my fermented honey, if I don´t make mead or heat it to stop fermenting:









You can offer your fermented honey like that, I did and got nice reactions. @ johno, how about keeping a little of your bottom honey prepared like that?


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## idlemere (Sep 25, 2017)

SiWolKe said:


> This is how I use my fermented honey, if I don´t make mead or heat it to stop fermenting:
> 
> View attachment 43691
> 
> ...


Wow! What do you put in there? Looks interesting!


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

Hey Sibylle I do not even eat yogurt which I claim is rotten milk, there is no way I am going to eat rotten honey.
Johno


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## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

johno :lpf: 

idlemere,
we discussed it here:
https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?339113-Fermented-honey


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## antbitme (Feb 22, 2016)

SiWolKe said:


> johno :lpf:
> 
> idlemere,
> we discussed it here:
> https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?339113-Fermented-honey


Thank you, that was a very entertaining thread! 
I do have sage, thyme, rosemary and garlic all growing in my garden. Maybe I’ll trade the bees a capped frame for an uncapped one so I can try this out.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> I also do the plastic wrap. Then I put the plastic on a plate and rub my biscuits in the honey... The foam is just a matter of presentation. The honey looks much better without it. It tastes just as good as the rest of the honey...


The “foam” on the Autumn honey which was recently extracted, which is the reddish honey from the Japanese Knotweed plant, has the consistency of Marshmallow Fluff, not “foam”. Is this consistency caused by the extracting process? Deb


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## jnqpblk (Apr 7, 2015)

Once I extract and allow the honey, wax, and bee body parts flowing from the extractor through a double metal screen into a bucket with a gate near the bottom, I let the honey settle for a few days. Everything in it (but there ain't much left after straining, and is likely mostly pollen or foam, and only visually unwanted in customer product jars) will rise to the surface, allowing for the jar-ing of pure honey from the bottom gate.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

I have a few customers who want any foam left on top. 

Tom


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