I suppose it must be the time of year,  but in my local beekeeping
magazine an article has been written by a friend of mine,  Bill
Clark,  on just the subject of honey and ripening.
 
In short...
 
Fermentation is Preventable!
 
Fermentation is caused by certain yeasts that can tolerate higher
sugar concentrations than ordinary yeasts,  and which tend to
accumulate in the atmosphere of the extracting room,  on the
equipment and on combs - especially on wet stored combs.
It is safe to assume that all honeys contain yeasts,  though there
can be wide variations in numbers per gram; from less than 1 to
100,000.  The highest counts are found in honeys with the highest
water content;  eg. from partially sealed combs containing unripe
honey.....
 
No matter how high the yeast count,  if the moisture content is 17%
or less then that honey will not ferment in a year.  Between 17% and
18% it will be safe if the yeast count is not more than 1000 per gram
of honey..  From 18% - 19% the count must not be more than 10 per
gram.
 
How is the moisture content to be measured?  By a refractometer!
These are not cheap,  costing about =A3100 in the UK.
 
Bill suggests that dehumidifiers can be very effective for reducing
the moisture content of honey in the comb.  I suppose that few
beekeepers in the US will have such a need for such an household item,  bu=
t in
the damp and mirky UK  they are not uncommon.
 
Apparently a small dehumidifier will reduce the moisture content of 7
or 8 Dadant supers by 3% - 4% in about 4 days.
 
Also - where fermentation occurs it usually follows granulation as
the moisture content of the liquid component is increased.  Storage
below 10 C will give a good measure of protection against
fermentation.  Avoid the range 11-15 C unless you want to encourage
granulation.
 
Commercially honey may be heated to around 64 C for around 30 minutes
to destroy yeasts and so prevent fermentation.  But this process is
bound to affect the quality of honey adversely.
 
Bill also suggests that it is not a good idea to extract from any
unsealed combs at all.  I have extracted from sealed combs with a few
partly unsealed combs - maybe 25% unsealed.  I have kept some of my
honey for 2 -3 years and some of it has fermented!
 
Best wishes
 
Joe Hemmens (thank you Bill Clark)