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Mead Lovers Digest #1453
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1453, 27 December 2009
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1453 27 December 2009
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: Dealing with crystallized honey (Mike Faul)
RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1451, 8 December 2009 (Christopher Schug)
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Subject: Re: Dealing with crystallized honey
From: Mike Faul <mfaul@faul.net>
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:34:26 -0800
I regularly have 55 gallon drums that have solidified especially if I
leave them over the winter in the warehouse. I built a 'hot box' that I
pum heat from the heating system into to raise the temp up. It takes
days to a a week or two to melt it.
Mike
Rabbit's Foot Meadery
> Subject: Re: Dealing with crystallized honey
> From: bill keiser <bk2@sharpstick.org>
> Date: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:21:55 -0500
>
> I got a 5 gallon pail of blueberry honey a couple years ago that wassolid
> crystallized.
> I propped it up on a plastic crate, put a frame of something on top (i
> forget exactly what) that overhung and left some head space over the
> bucket. I put a small light bulb (15 watt or so?) in the crate below and
> draped a large blanket over the whole thing. In a few days, the honey was
> completely liquid.
> Bill Keiser
>
>
>> I've got a 5 gallon bucket (~60 pounds) of honey here which has
>> crystallized and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to deal
>> with it. I'm probably going to break it down into 4 15 pound batches,
>> but it's going to be tough to dig it out the way it is. Can I just dig
>> out chunks and use them by weight or is there maybe a way to soften the
>> whole thing?
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Pat
>>
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Subject: RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1451, 8 December 2009
From: Christopher Schug <chrisschug@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:06:40 -0600
I have used crystallized honey. It might be a little more work to get it to
dissolve, but not too much more than getting liquid honey to dissolve. As for
measuring by weight, I think you will still be in the same ballpark. However,
measuring the gravity of your must is more important than the the weight
of the honey. When using honey in bulk (liquid or crystallized), I just
keep adding it and mixing it until I hit my desired starting gravity.
The pitfall of using crystallized honey is that the concentration of water
is no longer uniform. Part of the crystallized honey might end up with
enough moisture for wild yeast or spoilage organisms to take over. If the
honey smells alright, I would go ahead and use it, but you might want to
add a dose of sulfite to take care of any potential, unwanted organisms
before adding your yeast.
> Subject: crystallized honey
> From: "Dennis Kennedy" <DKennedy@baltimorecountymd.gov>
> Date: Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:03:56 -0500
>
> All,
> No one completely answered Patrick St. Jean's question, and I am curious
> about it, too. Can one use crystallized honey by just scraping it out
> and using it by weight? If so, are there any pitfalls?
> DAK
>
> Subject: Dealing with crystallized honey
> > From: "Patrick St. Jean" <stjeanp@pat-st-jean.com>
> > Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:33:31 -0600
> >
> > Hi everyone,
> > I've got a 5 gallon bucket (~60 pounds) of honey here which has
> > crystallized and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to deal
> > with it. I'm probably going to break it down into 4 15 pound batches,
> > but it's going to be tough to dig it out the way it is. Can I just dig
> > out chunks and use them by weight or is there maybe a way to soften the
> > whole thing?
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Pat
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1453
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