Why is the water content below 17% in honey?

Why is the water content below 17% in honey?

For most beekeepers, we simply let the bees tell us when the moisture level is around 17-18%. This is when the bees cap off the comb to prevent the honey from absorbing any moisture.

Why is moisture content important in honey?

Once the nectar thickens to approximately 17.6% or less moisture, they cap the resulting honey. Moisture content is mission-critical. Honey is hygroscopic, meaning that it easily absorbs moisture from the surrounding atmosphere. Impatient beekeepers will pull the frames of honey before they are capped.

What moisture content does honey ferment?

Yeast can cause fermentation in high moisture honey Some bee books will tell you that fermentation will only occur in honey with a moisture content of 18.6% or higher.

Does honey ferment at 19 percent?

Honey with a moisture content above 19.5 percent will likely ferment. To prevent fermentation, most commercially handled honey is heated to pasteurization temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit and held at this temperature for 30 minutes to kill the yeast spores.

What happens to honey with too much moisture?

Consequences of excess moisture in honey: fermentation When honey has excess moisture, there is a greater chance that it will ferment. The fermentation of honey occurs when microscopic yeasts, present in the air, flowers, soil … Thus there is a greater risk of fermentation: The temperature is high.

Can you reduce water content in honey?

In addition, heating stingless bee honey can reduce Lead content in honey. Using modified simple honey water content reducer device (SHWCRD) on temperature of 40°C in 3 hours can reduce water content of stingless bee honey (Heterotrigona itama) up to 6% of initial water content.

Is there water in honey?

Honey is a sweet, natural substance produced by bees from the nectar or secretions of plants (1, 2 ). Honey is made up of approximately 80% sugar and no more than 18% water. The exact amount is determined by the bee species, plants, weather and humidity as well as processing (1).

What is the pH of honey?

between 3.5 and 5.5
The pH of honey ranges between 3.5 and 5.5 depending on its botanical source, the pH of nectar, soil or plant association, and the concentration of different acids and minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium and other ash constituents [2, 15].

Is it safe to eat fermented honey?

Fermented honey is generally safe to eat, but keep in mind its taste will change noticeably. While fermentation from the natural presence of yeast doesn’t make honey unsafe for consumption, other bacteria or microorganisms could.

What happens if honey has too much moisture?

How do you know if honey is fermenting?

The first indication that your honey is fermented is the smell. Honey’s acidic content increases throughout the fermentation process, giving off a smell like that of wine. When honey is fermenting, its appearance will change, and bubbles will start to show up. In some cases, you will also see foam on the top layer.