Capped or Uncapped?

[MrB]

Just been looking at some honey extractors sold by thornes and in the 'Details' window there is a link 'using our radial extractors'
The description in this link starts by saying place uncapped frames in the cage.

https://secure.thorne.co.uk/popup/extract19.htm

Is this normal practice? does it make any difference if it is a radial or tangential extractor?
What does everyone else do, capped or uncapped?

Thanks

 

[Tom Bick]

Radial extractors tend to be bigger and hold more frames also tend to be electric with tangential you have to spin the frame a bit then turn the frame round in the extractor to extract the other side of the frame you may have to repeat this to fully extract the frame.

You have to uncap the frames first to get the honey out

I have that extractor and its good for me although its a bugger to clean

Hope this helps

 

[MrB]

Radial extractors tend to be bigger and hold more frames also tend to be electric with tangential you have to spin the frame a bit then turn the frame round in the extractor to extract the other side of the frame you may have to repeat this to fully extract the frame.

Yes i am aware of all you have said above.

You have to uncap the frames first to get the honey out

the question is why do they say you dont uncapp?

Thanks

 

[MrB]

Ok, just spoken to thornes and they tell me that there is no need to uncapp to use any of the extractors, but obviousley uncapping gives a helping hand.
they suggest that the forces involved are sufficient to force the honey out of the cap!
Maybe sufficient to destroy the frame as well!

Any more thoughts?

Thanks

 

[VEG]

You will HAVE to uncapp the honey frames or the honey wont come out. You can try to do it but the frames will blow out because of the weight of honey on the foundation. Thornes giving out bad info there in my opinion.

 

[MrB]

Thanks VEG

You can try to do it but the frames will blow out because of the weight of honey on the foundation.

Thats what i was thinking.

 

[Finman]

.
Ihave never hear that some one can extract uncapped honey.

Important is to get combs +35C warm that it comes out nicely and go through sieving process.

One way is to take from hive and exctract at once.

 

[m100]

What they told you is a load of rubbish It's an extractor not a high speed centrifuge.

But that wording you quoted doesn't say

"Place the capped frame into the extractor"

Uncapped frame = frame with no capping over the cell containing honey, either because the bees couldn't be bothered, or the cells aren't yet full, or the honey has too high water content, or after the bee keeper removed the capping (see below)

Capped frame = frame with wax capping over the cell containing honey
stopping it being exposed to the atmosphere and mechanically preventing it coming out.

Uncapping = action of removing wax capping

 

[Finman]

.
This is what they say:
Using our Radial Extractor

Place the uncapped frame into the extractor, the top bar lug located in the "D" section of the bottom ring and the other end between the upper forks.
Ensure that the cage is evenly balanced.
Rotate the machine for several minutes slowly and then gradually increase the speed until honey can be seen leaving the comb freely. Continue to spin for 2-3 minutes, increasing to maximum speed on the electric machine or approx. one hundred turns on a manual machine.

 

[oliver90owner]

I prefer to let the bees cap the honey before removal from the hive, but often OSR honey can be taken partly capped, rather than risk it granulating on the hive.

Regarding either type of extractor one would always load the machine with un-capped frames. Perhaps that extra hyphen might make the reading of the instruction that much clearer.

Certainly the frames would blow out if spun at high speed whilst still capped; it can happen with granulated honey, even with an uncapped frame.

Their only real errors were stating turns without time for speed of rotation (but is easily assumed to be 'per minute') and why they have 'radial' instructions on a clearly tangential machine.

So a case of mis-reading English, maybe?

Regards, RAB

 

[MrB]

.
This is what they say:
Using our Radial Extractor

Place the uncapped frame into the extractor, the top bar lug located in the "D" section of the bottom ring and the other end between the upper forks. .

Finman/m100
Many thanks for pointing out the fact that i cannot read !
it does indeed say uncapped.
not even the guy from thornes picked me up on that. but he did say it was not neccessary. strange advice from thornes.

 

[Finman]

but he did say it was not neccessary. strange advice from thornes.

What ever, but soon you will notice how usefull capping is if you want honey from your extractor