How Much Does A Gallon Of Honey Weigh?

Harvesting honey and having enough spare to sell is surely an exciting prospect for any freshly minted beekeeper.

The thing about honey is that it is not uniform, as there are various types and they all weigh different amounts per volume. So, whether you opt to sell your honey by the bottle or cut out pieces of the raw comb filled with honey, there will be some guidelines to adhere to.

As a general rule, honey weighs 12 lbs per gallon, the density, water content, purity, and of course the variety of honey are all factors that can make minor changes to the density of the honey and in turn, can influence the weight of honey per gallon.

So, the smartest way is to grab a scale and weigh out the honey to determine the real weight.

Weighing honey should be simple once you understand the process. This article aims to answer questions you may have about the weight of honey.

There Are Two Types Of Gallons?

First things first. When it comes to a gallon, this pesky unit for measuring volume or amount of space something occupies, often confuses people. A gallon of milk, water, or paint will always be the same amount of liquid, but will not weigh the same.

Why do you ask? – Mostly because US gallons are different from the imperial gallon. In the United States, a gallon equates to 128 fluid ounces, also known as 3.785 liters. In the United Kingdom, and places such as Canada and some Caribbean countries, a gallon is 4.546 liters.

But there is more… A gallon has more than one meaning in the United States because the United States also has a measurement for dry ingredients.

A dry gallon in the United States measures 4.404 liters. The fluid gallon is therefore 14.1% smaller than the dry gallon, while the imperial fluid gallon is 3.2% larger.

We know that you are already getting dizzy from all of this ‘gallon extravaganza,’ so we decided to use American gallons to keep a standard of understanding in this article.

Do you know how many bees would have to work their entire lives to make a gallon of honey? If you’re interested check out this article, How Much Honey Does A Honey Bee Make In Its Lifetime?

Is Weight Really Required On Honey Packaging?

Apart from determining the weight of honey, which differs from the amount in milliliters, it is a legal requirement from the US Food and Drug Administration to include the net weight of the product that is being sold.

Both in pounds/ounces, as well as the metric weight in grams, should be included on the lower third of the front of the label.

It is also important to include the country of origin when it comes to honey.

In South Africa, there have recently been investigations into the purity of honey as it came to the foresight that many honey products sold as pure honey were mixed with syrup and sugar water.

This problem seems to be a global one. Honey of a single origin is generally much more trustworthy than honey originating from numerous countries.

Even better is to support a local beekeeper that can supply you with raw and unfiltered honey.

What is Honey Density And Why Does It Vary?

The density varies between different types of honey. If a gallon (3.79 liters) of honey is dense, it may weigh even more than a gallon of less-dense honey.

But why does the density of honey matter? Why should you bother with it?

The density is often the telltale sign of how pure the honey is. It is essential as it determines the number of chemicals in the honey. So, denser honey is essentially purer.

A single drop of pure honey will stay on your finger, while contaminated honey will start spreading and spilling. You can also test the purity with a glass of water.

Pure honey will sink when dropped into the glass.

Another method to check the purity of honey includes the flame test. If you dip a match into pure honey and strike it, it will still burn.

Heating honey will also provide answers as contaminated honey will become bubbly or foam when heated. Pure honey will caramelize quickly.

Factors Influencing The Weight Of Honey

There are various factors that could influence the weight of honey. Here are a few of them:

Moisture Content
Temperature
Monofloral Honey Vs Polyfloral Honey
The Method Of Storing Honey
The Purity Of The Honey

1. Moisture Content

Moisture content in honey affects the weight of the final product. The higher the moisture content, the heavier the weight.

The moisture content of raw honey is ideal when it is less than 14%, while good quality honey should be processed with less than 20% water content, ideally 17-18%.

It is measured with a refractometer, a device that weighs the content of a solution such as honey by the refraction of light. To get the optimal results, it is important to ensure your instruments are calibrated.

The water content in honey comes from moisture content in the air and will reduce with time as the bees work. It will influence the ability of the honey to stay fresh and avoid fermentation. This is why it is not a good idea to harvest your honey too early.

Various types of honey also have different moisture content.

For example, clover honey has a water content of 23%, which is okay, but other types will start fermenting at this measurement.

Methods to remove moisture content include using a humidifier and a fan in a small room.

2. Temperature

Heat is another factor that influences the weight and quality of your honey. It can have an effect on the enzymes, color, flavor, and scent of honey.

Because temperatures fluctuate between seasons, honey weight can therefore also vary. This can also vary between different regions.

In hot summer months, there is generally more humidity in the air, leading to the build-up of moisture content in the honey.

Heating honey is also a method to remove moisture, but of course, this can influence the quality of the honey if temperatures rise too high. Temperatures inside hives are maintained at about 35 degrees Celsius. We have written a comprehensive article about how bees maintain this temperature even during winter. The article is called, How Do Bees Survive The Winter?

3. Monofloral Honey Vs Polyfloral Honey

As the name suggests monofloral honey comes from a single source of flowers. It is also known as varietal honey. Polyfloral honey comes from multiple sources of flowers and the flavor profile, color, texture, and density will be different between seasons and locations.

However, although less so than polyfloral flowers, even the same type of flowers can differ from one season to the next. Monofloral honey can range in color, aroma, and density. One factor that causes this is rainfall. If the rainfall has been low then lower quantities of honey are typically produced and typically they will have a stronger flavor profile.

As a general rule, monofloral honey will be more consistent in density and therefore weight. While polyfloral honey will vary a little in density and weight between locations and seasons.

You might be surprised by how many varieties of honey are out there. If you are interested check out this article we have written, 13 Honey Varieties You Should Discover.

4. The Method Of Storing Honey

The way honey is stored can influence not only the quality of the honey but also the weight.

The best method to store honey is in an airtight container or glass jar, out of direct sunlight.

Moisture that enters containers that are not airtight will cause extra moisture to enter the jar. Keep your honey in a room with a consistent temperature else it can change color.

If you are interested we do have a related article on this topic. The article is called, Does Honey Expire?

5. The Purity Of The Honey

The purity of honey is essential to determine the quality of the honey.

Denser honey is essentially purer while honey with added substances or more water will be of worse quality and generally lighter due to the reduced density.

Pure honey will not run from your finger, but if other elements such as syrup or sugar water are added, it will become runny.

As mentioned before, there are various tests such as the flame test or using a glass of water to test the purity of honey.

As a beekeeper myself I am a big believer in supporting your local beekeeper. This way you know that the honey you are buying is not adulterated. Always ask if the honey you are buying is raw and unfiltered. Check out this article we have written to find out exactly what I am talking about, What Is Raw Unfiltered Honey?

Different Honey Weights Per Gallon By Honey Variety

Because of their origin, temperatures, the humidity in the air, and of course the types of bees, different kinds of honey have slightly different weights.

In general, honey will always be near 12 pounds per gallon but can vary slightly.

Here are some examples of honey variation in weight between a few honey types.

Honey type	Characteristics	Plant	Weight per gallon	Weight in Kilograms
Acacia	Light and clear with a rich floral aroma	Robina pseudoacacia flowers	12 lbs	5.44kg
Alfafa	Spicy with a scented, though to a mild aroma	Purple and blue alfalfa flowers	11.44 lbs	5.18kg
Aster	Thick honey that crystallizes fast, light in color, sweet-smelling. Tastes best raw	Aster flowers	More than 12 lbs	5.44kg
Avocado	Buttery and rich	Avocado flowers	12 lbs	5.44kg
Basswood	Mild and delicate, floral aroma, light yellow	Basswood or linden flowers	12 lbs	5.44kg
Buckwheat	Dark in texture, high iron, and antioxidant content,	Buckwheat flowers	12 lbs	5.44kg
Wildflower	Mixed from random flowers. Always varies in taste. Anti-microbial properties.	Random flowers	Not more than 12 lbs	5.44kg

Honey Weight Per Gallon Compared To Other Substances

A gallon of honey can weigh significantly less, or more, than other substances as the density differs.

Did you know that the densest material available out there is mercury? It is thirteen and a half times denser than water.

Here we look at some other fun everyday substances and compare the weight of each to that of honey per US gallon.

Substance	Weight per gallon in pounds	Weight per gallon in kg	Characteristics that influence it, if any
Honey	12 pounds	5.44kg	Varies slightly between different honey varieties
Syrup	11 pounds	4.98kg	This is the minimum required weight to be legal
Water	8.34 pounds (3.87kg)	3.78kg	This is at room temperature
Milk	8.6 pounds	3.9kg	Fat and nutrient content could vary slightly, for example, full cream milk to that of 2%
Wine	Approximately 8.4 pounds	3.8kg	The wine consists mostly of water, however, the density may differ due to different grapes, as well as different fermentation processes.
Gasoline	Ranges between 0.71Kg/L to 0.77Kg/L in commonwealth countries and approximately 6.073lb/gallon in the United States.	2.7kg in the United States	Weight varies due to the different additives added to the crude oil in different countries. For example, detergents are used to reduce carbon buildup in engines, and dyes and ethanol are added as well.
Diesel	Roughly 7 pounds per gallon in the United States, and a little over 7 pounds per gallon in Canada.	3.17kg	Diesel weight will also vary slightly with temperature variations.
Paint	Varies between 6 and 12 pounds	2.72-5.44kg	The type of paint will influence the weight. Oil-based paint will be different than latex or acrylic or enamel paint.
Mercury	112.95 pounds	51.23kg	Mercury is the densest element found naturally occurring on earth.
Propane	4.24 pounds	1.92kg	According to a former senior engineer, the weight will vary depending on whether it is under standard sea-level atmospheric conditions as a gas or in a pressurized vessel where it becomes a liquid.

If you are curious about how these weights compare to other measurements, this handy converter will assist you in converting your substances into the weight you require.

The Wrap Up

There are many factors that go into the weight of honey. Because it is a natural substance, the density will differ due to water content, purity, and the type of flower the honey was created from.

Although different types of honey will have different weights per gallon, the purest honey will weigh approximately 12 pounds per gallon.

Because the weight of honey can differ, it is always best to buy, or sell your honey by weight, and not by quantity.