# Honey Density?



## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

A few days ago I filled the half-full honeybear i keep on my desk with a fall extraction. The early summer extraction was a lot lighter colored honey than the fall honey. I always tip my honeybear over so the honey is at the lid for easy dispensing. 

After a day or two the darker colored honey settled to the top of the bear, so I turned it over and after a couple days the darker honey all settled again to the top. 

I was surprised to see the different colored honey separating and settling like oil and water in the container. Obviously the lighter honey is more dense as it settles to the bottom. 

Question: Do you suppose that is due to the moisture content? The type of nectar (which gives it the color tones, right?)?


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

honey is hydroscopic so dryer honey would pull moisture out of wetter honey, until everything was in equilibrium. My guess, it darker honey has more solids in it, which would be less dense and therefor would float.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I suspect that Harley actually means that honey is "hygroscopic". 
http://jee.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/5/660



"Hydroscope" is an optical device for viewing objects under water ...  http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hydroscopic


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

So this is mostly likely due to the moisture content? That makes sense. I have turned the jar over again, and the lines are blurring -- meaning the colors are combining more and more and there is less and less distinctive shades between the two. 

I suspect it is more moisture content than nectar type. Have no empirical evidence, but from observations of this one bottle, that is my hypothesis.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

The honey that I bottle gets eaten so fast that there isn't time for such observations.  
Still am pretty sure that bees buzz.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I suspect that Harley actually means that honey is "hygroscopic".
> http://jee.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/5/660
> 
> 
> ...


auto correct on my phone LOL


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

I've seen the two words used interchangeably so much that I thought they were synonyms. It's a wasted day if you don't learn something new.
Bill


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

between 11.7 and 12 PPG. That's oilfield talk for pounds per gallon - like drilling mud


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