# Becoming Cloudy...



## BCB (Aug 21, 2016)

We recently extracted a couple of frames of goldenrod honey. We removed the caps and stood the frames up on a cookie sheet in the over. We brought the oven up to around 115° in an attempt to help the honey flow a bit better…

The honey we salvaged was fairly clear but has started to become cloudy. Is this extremely small particles of wax or is crystallizing already?...

Will heating the honey in a jar, via water bath, to pasteurization temperature help clear the honey? Might that allow the wax, if that is what the problem is, to more easily go to the top of the jar where it can be removed after it cools?...


Thanks…BCB


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

If it's crystalized warm it to 100 degrees should clear it up. 

It could also be fermented honey if it was on the thin side, uncapped is usually thin. Small bubbles can cause cloudiness. Warm fermented honey to around the same temp can sometimes stall/delay the fermentation. It's still fine to eat just not to sell or gift. I make tea, mead and wine with my thin honey.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Usually you want the honey to settle - if you want "clear" honey.
Bubbles, bits of stuff, wax, etc. - lighter stuff floats to the top and you can skim it off (looks kind of like a white scum), heavier stuff sinks to the bottom.

If it is crystallized then, as flowerpot said, heat it - but try not to go over 100F.
Good honey does not need pasteurization - in fact to truly pasteurize you would have to heat it quite hot - it would discolor and the taste would suffer greatly.


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## BCB (Aug 21, 2016)

Here is a pic of a small jar that I put into a water bath and took it up to 110 degrees or thereabout...

There is still plenty of small particles in the jar. They don't seem to want to float to the top--maybe too small to overcome the thickness of the honey?...

If crystals, I would have thought they would have gone away, at least while the honey was warm...

I wonder what size filter a person could allow this to drip through?...

Thanks...BCB


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## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Hate to say it but it doesn't look like goldenrod honey to me more like sugar syrup. Goldenrod honey is darker just so you know.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

The honey itself has to hit about 104F to melt the crystals. Yeah - I know, I recommended nothing higher than 100F - had to look up the exact temp.

From all your descriptions I doubt it is crystallization. The settling takes a while. I am wondering if you have melted the wax and mixed it into the honey.

It does look kind of light for goldenrod. But that doesn't mean it isn't honey - or even goldenrod honey (could be mixed).

I would ask if you fed syrup this year - but that has nothing to do with your question... even a syrup would clear.


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## BCB (Aug 21, 2016)

Nope, nothing fed to the bees...

I put the super on just as the goldenrod was blooming...

If it is sugar water or syrup, they got it someplace other than here...

Thanks...BCB


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Usually when honey crystalizes the crystals build up on the bottom I don't see that in your picture.

Not sure a warm bath is long enough to re-liquefy, I use a heating pad or electric blanket for about 12 hours, to deliver constant low heat. Once warmed; If it's fermented bubbles will foam at the top, if it's crystals they will dissolve. 

A refractometer will tell you if your honey is too thin. Someone at your local bee club should have one you can borrow.

https://www.amazon.com/Refractomete...qid=1508330419&sr=8-12&keywords=refractometer


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## BCB (Aug 21, 2016)

I put a quart of the honey in a crock pot and regulated the temperature to stay around 110 or thereabout. I kept it that temperature for 6-7 hours and then shut the crock pot off and let it cool overnight…

The honey still had the same appearance the next morning—cloudy. So, it would seem the honey is not crystallized…

I did take the little contain shown in a previous post up to 160 degrees for a bit and let it cool slowly. It never cleared either. So, I am thinking if it were wax, it would have melted and at least disappeared until it solidified again, or moved to the top of the jar…

A mystery to me it is!!!...

Not a good 1st harvest for a 1st year beekeeper. Kind of discouraging…

I put the quart jars of honey in my cupboard and closed the door—out of sight, out of mind it is said. Maybe I will look at it in a few weeks and see what has happened to it if anything…

I see that Mann Lake sells a set of strainers--200, 400, and 600 microns. What are the odds that this honey would even begin to run through those strainers. I would think water might have a difficult time going through those!!!

But, the honey is tasty for sure…

Thanks…BCB


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

I didn't think it looked or sounded like crystallization.
Any chance you have melted the wax and mixed it in? (Really the picture looks like a heavy liquid attempting to blend with a thin liquid)

Just for the sake of trying - maybe let it cool to room temperature. Then strain it through some cheese cloth.

I've used the set of strainers. I strained through 200 and 400 fine. 200 goes fast getting out larger stuff, then a bit slower through the 400 but comes out good enough for me. 600 will not work (at least not for me) without warming the honey well.

In the end though - you've eaten some and are still alive to say it tastes good. Enjoy


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I have yet to extract my honey so I really don't have a clue what your problem is other than I see most people strain it and it appears that you did not. But I bet your first year honey will be the best tasting honey you have ever had. J


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

My goldenrod honey is light colored just like yours and if not heated it will crystallize in a few days.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

goldenrod honey crystallizes easily. Cloudy appearance is likely small crystals.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

With all the heat that poor bottle of honey has been given - if that honey is still crystallized, I would toss it before it set up like cement in my digestive track.


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

This far into this and rather heroic efforts have been made to decrystallize it, it doesn't seem to be fermenting, the bubbles would get larger as fermenting proceeded and finally rise, besides it would probably smell yeasty. So I am led back to your original post where you mention use of a cookie sheet. If it was my cookie sheet there would be likely to be the remains of flour or cornmeal, dusted on to prevent something from sticking, and that might have adulterated the honey.
Bill


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Looks like crystallization or microbubbles. Dry, cooler honey will to do it faster, only takes a day or two. Whenever i extract i keep the honey and room atleast 80f if not hotter. Never extract cold, its alot slowler. 

As a rule of thumb i always strain and check moisture before bottling. Bulk honey goes into buckets to settle...debubble.


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