[NewbeeInNH]

I extracted in early spring (dead out hive) and it's great but I noticed in the jars there is now a thicker honey settling at the bottom. It's almost like 2 layers of honey - a real thick layer on the bottom of maybe an inch, lighter in color, and then the rest of the honey above that looks normal. Why is that?

 

[Tigger19687]

sugar syrup maybe ??

 

[Cloverdale]

Two different honeys that didn’t blend together. I’m not sure if it is caused by the different viscosity of the honeys or not.

 

[NewbeeInNH]

I don't think it could be sugar syrup because I didn't do any supplemental feeding in that hive. They had a lot of honey stores in there. I'm wondering if it's crystalizing, and that's why it's separating. It probably froze at some point in the winter, depending on when the bees died. Every single jar has this lighter colored and more solid layer on the bottom.

 

[bushpilot]

No idea why, but I'd flip the jar for a few days, and call it good.

 

[Akademee]

Without a picture, it sounds like, to me, that it may just be crystals forming and settling out.

 

[odfrank]

Did you heat it in any way?

 

[GregV]

I observe this also in some jars of my raw, unheated honey.
Largely thick honey; a band of runny honey on the top.

 

[Gray Goose]

the specific gravity of the 2 different honey are likely different.
the heaver "settling" under the lighter.

Still ok to use warm slightly and stir.

GG

 

[psm1212]

What you are describing is often associated with fermentation, which would indicate that your honey has too high of a water content. That is not necessarily the case, but among some of the things that come to my mind when you see honey separating.

 

[Amibusiness]

Or crysyallizing. Our honey often crysyallizes "from the bottom up". And at 15 or 16% i don't think it's fermenting.... When things crystallize the solid precipitates out and sinks. When our (unheated) honey does this it is usually all crystallized within a few weeks. Totally fine to use or sell, if you have an educated market. Chain stores prefer heated honey as it is shelf stable. Imo "real" honey crystallizes and is more enjoyable....

 

[AHudd]

If yours looks likes this, it is crystallizing. Ours, also does from the bottom up, most of the time.

I hope this helps.

Alex