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mkut · 08-22-2011, 07:53 PM

I've made a few meads now, all using clear honey. I was thinking of trying it with set honey. Has anyone else tried using this set honey, if so are the final results different?

**fatbloke** · 08-23-2011, 08:21 AM

No difference. Set honey is just processed slightly differently. As soon as you heat the container in warm water, it reverts to liquid (same for honey that's crystallized).

If its set honey, its probably been blended for eating. so you'd be better placed, looking round for a decent varietal honey or better still, some raw honey from alocal bee keeper.

**biochemedic** · 08-26-2011, 08:46 PM

I'm glad fatbloke knew what 'set' honey was...

**fatbloke** · 08-27-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biochemedic

I'm glad fatbloke knew what 'set' honey was...

Generally, in the shops here, the honey sold for eating is either runny or set.

As far as I understand, the set honey is just processed so that it's a lot thicker, about the consistency of jelly or jam, so that it can be dug out of the jar with a knife to be spread on bread/toast/etc.

How it's actually done, I don't know, but I'd guess it's a little heat treatment and aerating with something, air? a gas ? I don't know, just that if you compared 2 jars of the same but one is set the other still runny, then the set one will look lighter in colour and of course it's solid as well.

Insomniac · 08-27-2011, 08:49 AM

I think its the runny honey thats treated. Unprocessed honey starts runny but will solidify after about a month. To keep it runny for longer it is heated to break down the crystal structure completely. If you can get honey from a beekeeper then you probably should, its much better and often cheaper too.

**fatbloke** · 08-27-2011, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insomniac

I think its the runny honey thats treated. Unprocessed honey starts runny but will solidify after about a month. To keep it runny for longer it is heated to break down the crystal structure completely. If you can get honey from a beekeeper then you probably should, its much better and often cheaper too.

Ok, did a bit of hunting around, as it seems that there's a little misconception about what's what.

Now I'd have thought, that crystallised honey is just that. Honey that's been stored long enough for the crystallisation process to begin naturally. It would seem that there are also some honeys that will do this quicker than others i.e. Oil seed rape/Canola, is a honey that's famed for being a PITA and crystallising quickly, sometimes even still in the comb.

What's referred to as "set" honey is somewhat different. It's smooth in texture, not gritty like crystallised honey. It also seems that to produce the "set" honey, you'd take some that is already set and "seed" a batch of runny honey. This is then churned/stirred, to help it form more set honey, which it would seem, is just seeded then churned to help it start to crystallise, but with much finer crystals than honey that's solidified through age. It (the set stuff) has that smooth, almost butter like texture.

Which is what I'm trying to explain i.e. the difference between crystallised naturally, which is gritty and "set" honey which is "manufactured" to be solid yet smooth textured.

Ah ha!

I've found a clip

that explains it... Hopefully you'll be able to play it to see what I'm on about....

tweake · 09-10-2011, 10:25 AM

excuse the lateness.

we call it creamed honey. the clip is fairly basic. we add "seeding honey" then its mixed but also we have a machine which basically whips the honey. the honey is also cooled to make it set.

runny honey can be a few different things. some honeys will stay liquid for a long time naturally. others will go crystalline quickly. some shops will simply heat the jars up. otherwise they can flash heat it which also slows down the crystallize process.

proper raw honey can be a bit of a pain as it contains quite a lot of wax in it.
filtered raw honey is better but often its not much different from set honey.