Honey from previously brooded comb VS virgin comb.

[Crofter]

What do you think a blind taste and color test would determine in comparing honey from previous brood comb compared to honey from frames that had never had brood in them.

I have seen opinion vigorously against any thought of honey from brooded comb, while others state that it makes no discernible difference in colour or taste.

What are your practices and thoughts?

[LazyBkpr]

Interestingly enough.. this was discussed at the meeting last night..

   The CLub president, an old school beekeeper said that it depended entirely on the comb and its age and use.
   Old black comb with cocoons would darken the honey and perhaps give it a more bitter taste. Combs used a little, but not yet very dark didn't seem to make any difference.
   I have stolen honey comb to use as brood comb, but I haven't used brood comb as honey comb, so beyond the statement above I have nothing else to base a comparison.
  I have read, that not using an excluder, a queen will sometimes lay in a honey super, but that by the time the super begins to fill with honey and be capped, that brood will have emerged, and the cell will be back filled so there is nothing to worry about...   my thought in reading that, was of the coccoon. Varroa trapped between coccoon and cell wall, and the Varroa defecating in the cell, and my mind said...  ewwwwwwww

[Perry]

I don't run excluders as a matter of course, but when I find a queen up in my honey supers I put her back into the brood chamber, put on an excluder and let any brood hatch out and have the cells back-filled with honey. It takes more than one brood cycle to really start to darken your comb. Those frames that have had this happen get placed in positions #1 and #2 for the next season so they are up against the outside and not as attractive to the queen. I have never noticed any difference in taste, but then I have never made a point of keeping that honey separate from the rest. If you strain your honey anyways you should never end up with mites etc. in there to begin with.

[barry42001]

I have always used excluders to keep queen out of the honey supers and because I always run full depth Supers, the frames are perfectly interchangeable. to get the bees started to work on a new super, I will often bring frame or two of sealed brood up into the super, placing foundation in their place.
I've never used darker comb for extracted honey.

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[Crofter]

What I have gathered is that house bees go in and tear out as much of the cocoon and garbage as they can and then use propolis to smooth up and polish the cell so it is smooth for the next larva. Propolis is partially soluble in honey so the longer it stays in contact the more is absorbed; colour and a heavier taste. I spun out a few frames from the brood nest because I needed some drawn comb and I thought the honey was a bit darker and slightly heavier taste. Mind you it was probably still only a year or so old comb. Pollen content might be a bit higher too if the comb was ever in the brood nest.

[riverbee]

i had to laugh at lazy.....
"my thought in reading that, was of the coccoon. Varroa trapped between coccoon and cell wall, and the Varroa defecating in the cell, and my mind said...  ewwwwwwww"
 

i don't know the answer to your question frank, but my practice is typically, to use a queen excluder, except when foundation is to be drawn in the honey super.  i leave it off until the foundation is drawn and have had queens lay up in it when i have not kept a close eye on it.  as perry said, the queen is shooed back down, the excluder goes on, and the bees take care of the brood, and when hatched out they clean and polish the cells up for honey storage. and like perry said it does take more than one brood cycle to darken the comb.  i also don't like the queens laying up there because i can get some wacky comb built, or lots of drone cells.

[pistolpete]

Most of my honey comb has at least some areas with a bit of lightly used brood comb.  I don't really notice any difference.  And since my honey tends to be really white, I'd notice.  What I've always wondered is whether honey from brand new comb takes longer to crystallise.  It would make sense to me that brand new comb would have no seed crystals to kick start the process, but I have no idea if the bees will polish the comb before they start filling the cells, or if they go over top of the left overs from the previous year. 

[apisbees]

good question Pete, The answer depends on what is happening in the hive when the supers are returned. If little or no flow is on, the bees will consolidate the honey and move it. If the supers are re applied when there is a good flow the bees are drawn to the wet cells and will add nectar to the cells and start refilling the comb. Bees move honey and nectar from cell to cell, dehydrating it and consolidating the honey, filling cells so they can be capped so even that honey in nice white comb could have been in brood comb for a time. You are more likely to get leaching while crushing and straining honey out of brood comb than when it is extracted, because of the way the bees polish the cells with a bit of propolis. with crush and strain you are exposing the honey to the torn and broken cocoons where when it is extracted not all the honey comes clean off the cell sides. I don't worry if the combs in the supers are dark old brood comb. I will put old comb I want out of the hive in the honey super so i can pull it after extracting the honey out of it. Floral source has more effect on color and taste in my opinion.

[LazyBkpr]

Interesting perspective Apis, thanks!!  Makes sense!

[Woody Roberts]

When I was doing crush and strain I just cut around any brood areas and left them on the comb. It's common for me to have a small half moon of brood oon the middle frames at the very beginning of the year.

Since I now extract I just don't uncap the dark comb and for the most part it stays put.