Why do you want to waste all the honey?
eh?Why do you want to waste all the honey?
Interesting. Nothing comes up on a beesource search for hmf. BBKA says that temperatures above 49deg may cause a rise. Does anyone else have any thoughts about this?In order to give a good answer I want to know, what you want to do with that honey (and wax). Do you want to consume it? The melting of whole combs is a practice that became outdated an aeon ago. It is not recommendable if you want to use it for human consumption, because heating honey to the point that wax melts, will increase the Hydroxymethylfurfural content (HMF, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxymethylfurfural) which is considered toxic to both humans and bees. It also decreases the storage life of honey.
It doesn't tell me whether this aspect represents a problem for me, or whether careful use will be ok, or how to test whether it is ok. Those are the things I need to know.Honey is not the same as sugar. One difference are the acids which are needed to produce HMF. Heating sugar alone doesn't produce HMF. Read the wiki article, it basicly says it all.
I don't doubt you are right, although as I'm going for the cut comb market that'll make some difference. But I don't have a budget this year for a better machine, and I only have 30 or 40 supers to deal with (most of my colonies are this year's nucs and swarms, and have been making wax - as well as comb for cutting). I also have a touch of rape in most them to deal with... so its a solution to a here and now problem, and something I'm looking into as perhaps part of a future operation. Bear in mind I can probably knock up something for under £100 and half a day's work...Are you talking about melting everything out of the frame (wax and all)? Wax melts around 145F do you really want to heat your honey that high? I honestly believe that you need to rethink this concept.
I'm leaving quite a bit on, they have the end of the chestnut, clover, wild marjoram, ongoing bramble, willowherb, dandelion, thistle and ragwort, other odds, later ivy. Unless the weather is terrible I don't plan to feed much. Those that don't manage their stores well will be out.Hope you got your winterfeed for 70 colonies ready. That is about 1,500 litres of syrup. You need to feed soon.
At this moment my understanding is that melters are run at 40 degrees C. and pasteurisation begins to occur at about 65 degrees C.Could you just crush and strain like usual, then melt the wax at 145F degrees and collect the additional honey and sell it as pasteurized honey?
Seems this would allow you to salvage the extra, and sell it as what it is, and the customer is informed and has a choice.