[Csee]

This weekend I bottled some honey and noticed that there is a foam on the top. What did I do wrong and how do I prevent this in the future? Uncapped, strained and bottled.

 

[arthur]

it might just be very small air bubbles rising to the top.

Some filtering processes are design to remove air, and improve clarity.

But I only strain my honey.

Just my uninformed opinion.

(I'm assuming that your honey smells and tastes ok, and doesn't show any signs of bacteria growth due to lack of sugar content)

 

[11x]

same thing for me. i strained 2&1/2 gallon and bottled it. the airbubbles gather at the top. it should settle in a few days. if the bottles swell up than you have a problem. i would say it is just air.

 

[beedeetee]

You need to let it sit from a few days to a week before bottling it. The foam won't hurt anything, but if you want nice looking bottles you need to let the air and wax float to the top before you put it in the bottles.

I eat the honey/foam layer on toast...mmmmmmm.

 

[Csee]

Thanks for the replies. Bottles not swelling and tastes great! I did try the foam and it is really good but in the future I will let it sit for a couple of days for appearance sake in the bottles.

 

[StevenG]

Actually you let it sit a couple days in a bucket or tank before you bottle it. The foam rises to the top of your storage bucket/tank, you scrape it off and use it youself, as some do, or toss it. Then you bottle the honey. Some folks don't care to open a jar of honey and discover foam on top.

 

[Ted n Ms]

I just spoon it off and put it on a buttered biscuit.....pretty good. :shhhh:

 

[scdw43]

Plastic wrap or wax paper will remove it if you want it off of the top.

 

[Robbo]

I tried this after reading it a few times. I used some cling film wrapped around my hand - didnt seem to work real well to be honest. How is this done?

The foam is little air bubbles that cant break the top surface tension apparantly?

 

[Alex Cantacuzene]

Patience!

 

[Robbo]

I treid patience but got sick of waiting

 

[scdw43]

Put the plastic wrap on top of the honey and just lift off foam. Wax paper works too but not as good.

 

[sqkcrk]

How much foam are we taling about in your case? Was the honey warm or cold when you bottled it? Was the honey warm when you put it into the bottling tank?

Foam is air that has gotten into the honey, of course. So, if the honey falls a great distance into the tank that you are bottling out of, while it is warm, you will have air in your honey.

I warm my honey and then strain it. Then let it sit in the buckets over night, which lets it cool some. Then, the next morning I pour it into my tank and warm it again to bottle it. Only the last of the tank has foam in it. Which I usually don't put into the jars.

You may have a smaller bottling unit.

 

[bradley39482]

another good idea, is to take a spoon and scrape off the honey into a mason jar and feed back to the bee's, this is what i do, and it tends to help them to be more stimulated to go and work! just my opinion.