# fermented syrup



## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

My bees take the fermented as well as they take the fresh.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*To stop the fermentation.*

I know of a similar situation.
We added the Randy Oliver's thymolated syrup formula to the fermenting syrup, more granulated sugar, and fed the bees. 
The thymol also knocks out the fungus _A. niger_ which grows easily in light syrups.
:thumbsup:The thymol also is proven to get into the heomolympth of the bee larvae and prevent the reproduction of the Varroa mites.
Good Luck

Regards,
Ernie


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

Bees will still take the fermented syrup.you can also add more sugar.Good luck


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Rob,

I would be very carefull. Do you plan on coming to the almonds with those bees? 

If you were asking this question in the late spring I would agree with the other posts, but we are almost in Oct.

Bee Carefull. 

Keith


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## seamuswildhoney (Jul 24, 2008)

*Drunken Bees*

There is a flower out there that has fermented nectar in it naturally. The bee goes first to the nectar and gets a little tipsy, falls into the pollen, comes around a little and flies to the next flower (or bar) and does it all again. Its all part of the divine plan. Of course the brewmaster of the nectar has a little more skill than us. I wonder if the bee gets a hangerover?


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Syrup wine*

Alcohol IS TOXIC to bees. Maybe it's just fermenting on top and you could vacuum it off? Unless you thinned it way down earlier in the year I doubt it's all bad. Condensation or a little rain water on top?


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>> have a large amount (1000 gallons) of syrup left over from spring.

Id throw it out. The cost of 1000$ surip isnt worth the cost of your bee stock. My chief bee guys tell me surip left over from fall to use in spring is okay, but spring to fall is not advised. Surip, HFCS, degrades over time with warm temperatures. ITs HMF values increase and becomes toxic. Storage under cool conditions retard the HMF degradation. I am not sure if the principle holds true for sucrose, probably not, so it depends on what surip your talking. But Id say, if it smells spoiled, throw it out. Especially when you start considering gut diseases like Nosema, and the added stress the surip would cause the bees, if you get my drift


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## pahvantpiper (Apr 25, 2006)

Thanx for all the input. Yes I am going to the almonds and my bees look too good right now to chance anything. I'll probably swallow the pill and throw it all away. OUCH! This was a semi load I got in the spring and just couldn't get it all fed. It's a 50/50 blend of hfcs and sucrose. I think I'll start blending my own sucrose from now on if I can find the right equipment. That way I can do smaller bathces. Does anyone know the right temperature of water to mix with sugar? Thank you.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Have you thought about setting up a distillery and making it into moonshine? :shhhh:


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

Probably not worth the trouble, but adding lemon juice and boiling it for 20 minutes would boil out all the alchohol and invert the sucrose. If you were worried about any yeasts surviving the boiling, you can add thymol after it cools.


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

pahvantpiper said


> Does anyone know the right temperature of water to mix with sugar? Thank you.


I mix mine up at 1:1 (I'm in FL, so 1:1 is all I need, but you could change the ratios for 2:1 if you need)

I have a big pot I use for beer brewing, and I use an outdoor propane cooker. I bring 50 lbs of water to a boil, then turn off the heat and mix in a 50 lb bag of sugar. Stir for a couple minutes, cover and leave it overnight.

I do this in the evening after bees are done flying so I don't have any company. In the morning I add some HBH and bottle it up in 1 gal jugs. It's about 10 lbs per gallon, so 10 jugs is just right. I put them on the truck and carry them out to the bee yards.

It is quick and easy. Still it is probably too small an operation for a commercial guy, but it is so fast and easy, I think you could do this every night if you needed - that is 700 lbs of feed a week.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Troy said:


> pahvantpiper said
> 
> I mix mine up at 1:1 (I'm in FL, so 1:1 is all I need, but you could change the ratios for 2:1 if you need)
> I bring 50 lbs of water to a boil,


I've never needed boiling water for 1:1. For small batches hot tap water is sufficient. I'd guess that 160 - 180F should work. Now, 2:1 is an entirely different matter. For that I'd do as Troy suggested.


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## tedstruk (Jul 18, 2008)

Pasturize it. heat it to 140 or something like that. The temp dissapates the alcohol, and does not harm the honey. If you are going to toss it, send it to me!


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

beeman, you are probably right in that boiling is not strictly necessary for a 1:1 mix - it is just easy.

I don't need a thermometer, and because it is just water, I can't burn it either. I just light it up and come back later and it is boiling. 

Once I forgot about it for like an hour and though I had lost a little water (not much as I had a lid on it) it was fine. I added a little more water and was ready to add the sugar.


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