In a message dated 96-06-17 22:40:55 EDT, [log in to unmask] (John Taylor)
writes:
 
>>Sure, the bees will take up some pollen into the supers, usually only the
>one
>>just above the brood nest.  I find that this is discouraged quite a bit if
I
>>use queen excluders (plus I don't get *any* brood in the supers, which I
>find
>>disgusting to try to extract around).  If you have pollen in your
extracting
>>frames, it is especially important to balance them well when loading the
>>extractor, but otherwise it is really no problem.
 
>Does it just get filtered out then?  I was under the impression that
>it would 'stain' the honey . . . or is that just a problem if you're
>going for that nice light honey?
 
   Pollen in the frames makes a heavier frame, and it will not spin out.  The
extractor will "walk" around.  I just did some custom extracting and we had a
dickens of a time getting the extractor balanced. There was a lot of pollen,
some brood, and some brand new frames made from foundation, all mixed with
old, dark comb.  The ones with brood (mostly drone) we don't run through the
uncapper, but just use a scratcher to uncap the honey part.  The brood stays
put.   Some was also crystalized (overwintered).    We got what we could.
 The outcome was delicious, and quite light, too.
 
   I don't think pollen will stain the honey, though it tends to make it more
cloudy.  But I don't believe the pollen content in the honey comes from the
pollen already packed in the cells.
 
   Pollen in the honey is demanded by many consumers.  They don't want the
fine filtering of supermarket honey, so as to save the pollen.  "Raw" honey
has a shorter shelf life, as it will crystallize quicker.