# Is there a way to remove moisture from honey ?



## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

We pull our spring crop mostly uncapped and knock the moisture content down as much as we want by doing the following (in our honey house or it could be an closed/warm room in a house)

1) Stack the supers so they are jogged to allow maximum air flow in a closed room
2) Use a typical basement dehumidfier (our $125 goldstar has been going for 6 years) and run it on high. Make certain to empty it daily.
3) Raise the temperature to around 85-80 degrees ( in warm weather the Dehumifier will do this or you could use a small electric heater) Warm air will hold more moisture.
4) Place a window fan on top of the stack of supers and run on medium. 

We have a ceiling fan for air circulation but we are usually drying 50 - 100 supers at a time.

We make sure to check the honey daily as it will dry quickly when conditions are right.

Usually takes about 1-2 days to lower the moisture in a stack of 10

We've also dried honey in the clarifier (200 lbs at at time) using the this method and it only takes one night to drop it a couple of percentage points.


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

I stacked them about 5 supers deep, and put a 18 fan on top for a week, figured I was good for sure. I was wrong...


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

BGhoney said:


> I stacked them about 5 supers deep, and put a 18 fan on top for a week, figured I was good for sure. I was wrong...


The dehumidifier solves this problem. Works well. Just make sure the room is sealed so that you aren't pulling in humid air. 

My last batch I had 60 supers stacked in such as way so that they alternated one way and then the other. I had 4 fans plus the dehumidifier running. It took around 3 days to get the moisture down to 18% or lower. Some of it had been as high as 21%.

I personally think its more difficult to remove moisture after its been extracted.


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

Dan and Joel, thanks for posting that! I have a dehumidifier and will do that in the future.


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

Hey, It was my question

I'm going to try and heat it on low, maybe 110 uncovered and see if it drops.

I may have to pick up a dehumidifier next year, sometimes they just won't cap on my schedule.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

mr williamson writes:
I personally think its more difficult to remove moisture after its been extracted.

tecumseh replies: difficult and expensive. although I have never seen one myself (except in an ad here or there) there use to be a bit of fairly expensive looking equipment that would remove excess moisture. when the locals here discovered the tallow flow around houston texas there was a number of schemes employed to lower moisture in wet honey. the name I noted associated with the moisture reduction machinery had (according to a tale told to me) captured one of the first bumper tallow crop only to have the high moisture ruin a large number of barrels of honey. 

also... an air condioner will also remove moisture from the air.


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

I personally think its more difficult to remove moisture after its been extracted.[/QUOTE]

I agree, the best time is when there'a large surface area (inside the supers), capped or uncapped, for dry air to flow over.


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## carbide (Nov 21, 2004)

Dehumidifier in a closed room with the temperature at 85-90 degrees, that's the ticket!


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

I figured out a way, I put 2 gallons at a time in a 5 gal bucket, stuck that inside my 8 gallon plastic wine bucket, my american harvester food dehydrator top fits right inside it. Turned it on to 115 degrees stir it twice a day and in 3 days dropped it from 19 to 17.5 I checked it the honey only got to 93 degrees. The dehydrator goes alot higher but I didnt want to chance cooking the honey. Its not to bad for a few gallons, wouldn't want to have to do a barrel.


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