Bought a bag from a different supplier one time, swore it was anthracite based on how clean it burned, spent three hours trying to weld with it before I figured out it was just really well-screened bituminous that had been stored dry. @sandrat24, that was the same week I found out my forge floor had a crack running five inches deep from all the clinker buildup I'd been ignoring. Cold mornings I just started using a hairdryer to force air through until the coal caught, looked ridiculous but it worked.

I mean that actually makes me wonder how many noise complaints over the years have been caused by regular household stuff. Like imagine the person who thinks their neighbor is learning the violin but really it's just an old blender trying to chop ice. Or the person who swears someone's running a full band practice when it's just their roommate's subwoofer rattling through the wall. Idk, maybe it's just me but our appliances really do make some surprisingly musical sounds sometimes. My dryer has this rhythm that almost sounds like a bass drum if you're half asleep and not paying attention.

Did you pull the fill plug and check the oil color before handing over the cash?

Jump right into it - this is one of those things where people forget that learning something hands-on is totally different from the fantasy version in your head. I mean, I've noticed this everywhere lately, not just with bees. My buddy signed up for a weekend "off-grid survival course" thinking it would be like a camping trip with snacks, and ended up having to start a fire with sticks for four hours in the rain. Another friend took a pottery class because she wanted cute mugs for Instagram, but spent the first session covered in wet clay that smelled like a basement. It's like every hobby has this hidden cost that nobody warns you about, whether it's getting stung, blisters, or just feeling dumb for a while. The honey tasting part sounds cool though, maybe next time he should just buy honey from a class that doesn't involve opening the actual hive.

Skip the tea, just eat some prunes next time.