# Weight of Honey



## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

I would venture to guess that the 18.5% moisture honey will be about 13.352 ounces heavier than the 16.5% honey. So if you put the five gallon pails of honey on the scales and the 18.5% weighs 62.5 pounds, I figure the 16.5% will weigh 61.7 pounds.

Anywhere close??


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Wrong. The higher the moisture content the lighter it is by volume. A gallon of water weighs less than a gallon of honey. Since different moisture contents change the weight per volume you need to "calibrate" each run of honey when bottling to ensure you have the proper weight to match the label.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

The density of honey is pretty variable depending on Temp and of course water content.... but at 75F it is about 1.4 gr/L - that is quite a bit more dense than water at the same temp.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

The 16% honey will be heavier than the 18%. But I cannot say how much.
Now, if you can tell me how much a 5 gallon pail of pure sugar weighs (not granulated, that has too much air between the grains. It would need to be a solid like oldfashioned rock candy) then perhaps we could answer the question.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I don't know why knowing what a bucket of sugar weighs has to do w/ this. I thought that this was a pretty simple question, but apparently it isn't and either no one knows, no one knows how to figuere it out or the person who knows isn't saying or hasn't read the Thread.

Thanks anyway y'all.


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

I don't have time to double check my thoughts here and sit down with serious math, but let's try this:
Making the assumtion that the 18% H2O honey weighs 60# for the 5 gallon container, 10.8# is H2O
The same container of 16% H2O honey would have about 9.6# of water.

Taking the differrence and estimating the honey at an average 1.5 SG, then about 1.8# more honey is in the 16% container. This is a quick poke and I'm sure there's an easier way to calculate. Close? If not, I really don't care


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

OK - I did try to be precise and had to make the assumption that the honey was at about 75F and I get a heavier weight of 4.22 lbs for the 16.5 percent water honey. Pretty sure this is accurate...... but I have been wrong before.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

Alright, I got bored and did the actual calculations. Assuming that the moisture content is by volume, not weight AND ignoring the weight of the bucket completely. 

If 18.5% weighs 60lbs then 16.5% (same volume) would weigh 60.45lbs. So a delta of less than 1/2 pound. Better have an accurate and calibrated scale for this.

Fuzzy


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Hmmm - thats 10X my number. I better go back and check my decimal points (sounds like me). There just can't be a 4Lb delta - your answer makes more sense.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Fuzzy said:


> Alright, I got bored and did the actual calculations. Assuming that the moisture content is by volume, not weight AND ignoring the weight of the bucket completely.
> 
> If 18.5% weighs 60lbs then 16.5% (same volume) would weigh 60.45lbs. So a delta of less than 1/2 pound. Better have an accurate and calibrated scale for this.
> 
> Fuzzy


Wow, is that right? I believe you. I was suere that there was something wrong w/ the scale when what looked to me like what should be 62.5 lbs came up 67lbs. I need to geta set of weights of known weight and calibrate that sucker.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Mark,
That is a 4.5 lb difference. Sounds like my calculations might be right. Maybe I did not make a decimal area.... I certainly rechecked and could not find it. So you weighed a 18.5% bucket at 62.5 lb and a 16.5 at 67 lb.... right?


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

OIC - Talk to myself a bit here. IC what I did. I calculated the weight for two 60 gal barrels.... not what Mark was talking about. When I changed to 2 5 gal barrels, well I get the 16.5% bucket being 0.42 LB heaver... ahh - now I can rest.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

Just to double check I tried another calculation to verify. But then it became obvious and easy to explain.

In 5 gallons there are 640 oz of liquid.
The difference between 18.5% and 16.5% is 2% delta.
So 2% of 640 is 12.8 ounces of water. About 3/4 of one pint. 

Now I weighed equal volumes of honey and water and the ratio for my honey is 1.5:1
So, you are going to replace 12.8 ounces of water with 12.8 ounces of honey. That comes out to be around .4 lbs delta. 

Enjoy -- Fuzzy


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

hpm08161947 said:


> Mark,
> That is a 4.5 lb difference. Sounds like my calculations might be right. Maybe I did not make a decimal area.... I certainly rechecked and could not find it. So you weighed a 18.5% bucket at 62.5 lb and a 16.5 at 67 lb.... right?



No, not really. I was trying to find out what I wanted to know w/out revealing all of the details, because I didn't think they were needed to get the answer I was looking for.

I don't know the moisture content of my honey.


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