Api melter for heather

[mbc]

I bought a hand held Mountain grey one from an auction, didn’t cost much, still with the original instructions (looks from the 60s!). Might be a collectors piece…but it’s a real pain using it, so slow. Much prefer the cider press.

Do you ever warm yours to reduce the risk of fermentation? I was reading Michael Badgers book on Heather last night and he recommends warming for this reason but other experienced heather men (eg the late Colon Weightman) says not to.
Be interested in what you do?

I keep the extracting room uncomfortably warm with a dehumidifier running and measure each buckets moisture with a refractometer and only pop the lids on when the most watery honey at the top is down to 18%, if it's a bit wet it gets stirred up and left 8n the warm room with dehumidifier running until its OK to seal.
I've still had one or two buckets of heather blow over the years, it's finicky stuff!

 

[Poly Hive]

Many years ago I went to a roup at Aboyne and the guy selling up had a home made loosner. I had photos but over time they have been lost but he used an old electric singer machine to move the loosner up and down and pushed the comb forwards to cover the side then of course he would have turned it over and repeated but at least he took part of the labour out of it. Just a thought for the mech minded here.

PH

 

[elainemary]

I keep the extracting room uncomfortably warm with a dehumidifier running and measure each buckets moisture with a refractometer and only pop the lids on when the most watery honey at the top is down to 18%, if it's a bit wet it gets stirred up and left 8n the warm room with dehumidifier running until its OK to seal.
I've still had one or two buckets of heather blow over the years, it's finicky stuff!

That’s interesting thanks. I ran a dehumidifier in our smallest spare bedroom last year (with the heating on full blast in that room) & got my heather down to 20 from 23 in a couple of days!

 

[elainemary]

Many years ago I went to a roup at Aboyne and the guy selling up had a home made loosner. I had photos but over time they have been lost but he used an old electric singer machine to move the loosner up and down and pushed the comb forwards to cover the side then of course he would have turned it over and repeated but at least he took part of the labour out of it. Just a thought for the mech minded here.

PH

This is the Mountain grey perforextractor I bought at auction for about a £1. Not sure if you will be able to see the instructions that came with it. The board you’re supposed to clamp a frame onto, to steady the frame, whilst using the perforextractor wasn’t part of the auction lot, so this is my ‘Heath robinson’ adaptation.
On the instructions it says the original price was 45/- (postage 1/-) seems quite a lot! It talks about using a centrifugal extractor rather than a radial type with it.
I keep it for historical interest but haven’t had much success using it!
On the back of the instructions there are various testimonials (see pic if you can read them)
eg “I have used a Perforextractor now for four years with great success and loaned it out to so many friends that it has become damaged. Kindly forward another” C.H.W., West Hartlepool. I’ve often wondered if this was a comment by the late Colin Weightman (a contemporary of Brother Adam & often pictured in books having ‘summit’ bee meetings with him)
Elaine

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

There was one of those for sale a few years ago, had belonged to Mrs Jones, wife of Wynne Jones.
£5 the asking price, very nearly bought it to donate to the local association.

 

[Markthebuilder]

Written by a far more knowledgable man than me

“One of the reasons some packers like to use heat in processing is that it stops fermentation in thin honey by killing the yeast. The yeast in honey will be dead in 8 hours when held at 125˚F, 30 minutes at 145˚F, and 1 minute at 160˚F. 100˚F or greater will slow fermentation, but honey stored for any time at these temperatures will show a noticeable deterioration of quality in other areas.”

 

[Poly Hive]

Provided the honey is sub 21 % moisture it keeps fine. I sold thousands of jars of it at that and ASFAIK not a one exhibited issues as never had a negative comment or complaint. A dehumidifier is a great asset and is pretty handy in the house especially if you (bad bad move though) dry washing inside. Fastest way to grow mould....LOL

PH

 

[Curly green finger's]

Written by a far more knowledgable man than me

“One of the reasons some packers like to use heat in processing is that it stops fermentation in thin honey by killing the yeast. The yeast in honey will be dead in 8 hours when held at 125˚F, 30 minutes at 145˚F, and 1 minute at 160˚F. 100˚F or greater will slow fermentation, but honey stored for any time at these temperatures will show a noticeable deterioration of quality in other areas.”

I wonder if it would keep if kept on the cooler side to?
Not fridge temps of 2-3c but higher at say 6-8c?

 

[Wilco]

I wonder if it would keep if kept on the cooler side to?
Not fridge temps of 2-3c but higher at say 6-8c?

That may retard (slow, sorry just wanted to be able to type 'retard', simple things for simple minds...) fermentation but won't stop it- that's why things can still go mouldy in the fridge. Also likewise for secondary fermentation in winemaking, cool temperatures supposedly promote slower fermentation which helps develop flavour (e.g. Wine cellars) so yeast can definitely still cause issues at low temperatures (or at least multiply so when warmed up again it's in a better position to rapidly ferment and explode some jars).

 

[Curly green finger's]

That may retard (slow, sorry just wanted to be able to type 'retard', simple things for simple minds...) fermentation but won't stop it- that's why things can still go mouldy in the fridge. Also likewise for secondary fermentation in winemaking, cool temperatures supposedly promote slower fermentation which helps develop flavour (e.g. Wine cellars) so yeast can definitely still cause issues at low temperatures (or at least multiply so when warmed up again it's in a better position to rapidly ferment and explode some jars).

Cheers that's funny I hear the children saying that you retard.
Thanks for that and thinking about from my times I've made wine you are right.

 

[Into the lions den]

Iv been told that alot of commercial heather men heat the heather to 60 to stop it fermenting

Never heard of such a thing. Would seriously imp[air the marketability of the crop to the main buyers who want unheated honey as far as possible with close to zero hmf at the point it enters their system.

What happens after that point is another matter altogether...

 

[Garry R]

In the dim distant past when living in Scotland and got heather homey I cut out the comb and mashed it up in a bucket. The mashed honey and wax comb was poured into a nylon filter and the top tied. I had a vertical spin drier all sterilised of course and this was lined with a stainless steel mesh. Pop the bag into the spinner and switch on. Honey flowed into a bucket already filtered and ready to jar. The filter and all honey/wax was spun to dryness. This led to a lovely creamy honey and a bag full of bone dry wax for foundation making. Only down side was the loss of comb but great honey but not a huge loss on the 30% comb change guide lines. No heating and flavour loss issues

 

[elainemary]

In the dim distant past when living in Scotland and got heather homey I cut out the comb and mashed it up in a bucket. The mashed honey and wax comb was poured into a nylon filter and the top tied. I had a vertical spin drier all sterilised of course and this was lined with a stainless steel mesh. Pop the bag into the spinner and switch on. Honey flowed into a bucket already filtered and ready to jar. The filter and all honey/wax was spun to dryness. This led to a lovely creamy honey and a bag full of bone dry wax for foundation making. Only down side was the loss of comb but great honey but not a huge loss on the 30% comb change guide lines. No heating and flavour loss issues

Plus if you use a Smith cutter and scrape back to the midrib you keep the frame and the foundation for the bees to clean up & build again next year. My mentor is lending me his heather spinner this year, he says the same as you, it leaves the cappings bone dry.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Never heard of such a thing. Would seriously imp[air the marketability of the crop to the main buyers who want unheated honey as far as possible with close to zero hmf at the point it enters their system.

What happens after that point is another matter altogether...

I've been reading and brother Adams would warm Heather honey if needs be 130 degrees and not for any length of time.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've been reading and brother Adams would warm Heather honey if needs be 130 degrees and not for any length of time.

Celsius or Farenheit?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Celsius or Farenheit?

I’m sure Murray doesn’t pay much attention to what Brother Adam did to his heather honey. He didn’t supply Rowse for a start

 

[Curly green finger's]

Celsius or Farenheit?

130 f converted is 54.44 c

 

[Curly green finger's]

130 f converted is 54.44 c

True dani, but a good read and worth learning from Heather and heath men..
As I don't know that much about heather colony preps etc, and extraction.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

130 f converted is 54.44 c

I know that - but which were you talking about? although either is a tad high for honey, one would totally obliterate it

 

[Curly green finger's]

I know that - but which were you talking about? although either is a tad high for honey, one would totally obliterate it

I'll re-read the section by br adams.