pouring up honey

**SunnyBee** · 10-09-2012, 09:39 AM

how long do you let your honey set before you pour it in to bottles? i strained it 3 times with a paint straner. it has been sitting for a week and creamy-yellow foam is still coming to the top. i poured up a 2 lb plastic bottle out the bottom with a gate valve. it gets air bubbles in it but they go away in about one hr. there is still some of the foam settling on top. this is the 2nd big crop for me (10 gal) and the first time it only sit 3 days and i never had foam in the bottles. the first time i only straned 2 times. the honey is the same thicknes in both batches. any help??

**jayoung21** · 10-09-2012, 10:33 AM

how warm is the honey? cold honey takes a lot longer to settle out. I would look up on beesource how to warm honey with a 100 w light bulb. It wont take much, mid to upper 90s F (normal hive temps) will get it settled and flowing good and all the foam will go to the top. You may still have a tiny bit in the bottle but shouldnt be much at all if any.

**SunnyBee** · 10-09-2012, 11:59 AM

it is in my house, 78-80F. i guess i could put it out side in the sunshine. then bring it back in to bottle.

**StevenG** · 10-09-2012, 12:08 PM

I extracted my honey, ran it once thru a strainer, let it sit...my house it about the same temp as yours, maybe a bit cooler as the honey is in the basement. I use the strainer cloth available from the bee supply houses... paint filter probably just as good. I would think you'd only need to strain it once. In my 100 gallon tank I skimmed a half-inch of foam off the top of the honey. No big deal. Then bottled.

It is much easier to skim the foam in the storage container once, than in each individual bottle.
Regards,
Steven

**Sam Fugate** · 10-09-2012, 04:43 PM

On my last harvest, I only strained once. From the extractor to my storage bucket. If you are not in a hurry to bottle, let it sit for a day or two. All the smaller wax particles will come to the top. My storage bucket has a valve on the bottom. The honey comes out very clean.Trick is to tilt your bucket while filling your bottles.