Cleaning honey extractors

[Parsonage Bees]

Thanks PB.
Had to replace the steel gears, bearings and fasteners with nylon gears and stainless nuts and bolts. But also must improve cleaning procedure.
This food safety management system sounds like a risk assessment with mitigation actions. Discovered I needed a risk assessment to have a stall at a Christmas market to sell afore mentioned 100lbs of honey.
Seriously considering leaving supers of honey on the hive next year and only extracting for friends and family. Enjoy having bees. Not being a food producer.
. . . . Ben

 

[Repwoc]

so if you store your equipment dry and with the lid closed (I put a wrap of pallet wrap cling film around mine when putting away) it will remain a clean surface.

So would you rely on it remaining clean or do you clean it again before using it next?

 

[PeaBee]

So would you rely on it remaining clean or do you clean it again before using it next?

Definitely clean before use.

 

[Repwoc]

Definitely clean before use.

So the chemicals are superfluous and only contribute to pollution.

 

[PeaBee]

Not really. They mean its clean before its stored. So not likely to get the issues of build up of mould etc that can occur in stored equipment. But if you feel you dont need to then dont bother.

 

[Repwoc]

Washing honey out of an extractor is easy just using clean water, because the honey is very soluble in it. In addition, all tap water in the UK is chlorinated, a process originally introduced (in Lincoln) to kill water-borne typhoid, so presumably effective enough for cleaning a honey extractor before storage.

Mould only grows where there is something for it to feed on. If there is no food, then there will be no mould. Personally, I would prefer thorough washing to remove the honey to masking the problem with a chemical spray.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Guessing it could have been around the time the 2004 regulations came in?
It is a really difficult balancing act sometimes. Where I work we have many 500 year old plus buildings with food businesses in them and you need to balance what business are able to do (financial, practically and in listed buildings etc) with ensuring the food they produce is safe and hygienic.

The shop didn't "produce" food. The guy sold fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned and packaged food, wrapped bread, milk in cartons, various packaged detergents and cleaning products, the usual handy oddments like cotton, needles, Elastoplast, assorted pet foods and birthday cards. I've probably forgotten a few of their lines but it was typical of the village shops of that era. As I say - sorely missed and much petrol/diesel burnt driving to reach alternative shop now (although there is now a filling station that has started selling some of the prepacked lines the ex-shop did).
Looking back a few more years as a child we had two mobile shops that called twice a week selling both food and oddly enough paraffin (you hoped he served your cheese before filling your paraffin container for the Aladdin heater or the cheese tasted funny - we survived eating it of course). A fish man called round local villages every week selling wet fish out of the back of his van (our family used to buy smoked haddock and Scarborough Wuff). We also had two separate butchers that called on different days of the week to sell meat from their vans. These have ceased trading as people now buy hygienically packed plastic wrapped meat or fish from a supermarket although they complain about plastic waste and have lost much of their immunities. That's modern life

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looking back a few more years as a child we had two mobile shops that called twice a week selling both food and oddly enough paraffin (you hoped he served your cheese before filling your paraffin container for the Aladdin heater or the cheese tasted funny - we survived eating it of course). A fish man called round local villages every week selling wet fish out of the back of his van (our family used to buy smoked haddock and Scarborough Wuff). We also had two separate butchers that called on different days of the week to sell meat from their vans.

We had the lot around here - two vans selling oil, cleaning stuff etc (one would call out as he arrived 'OIL! Parafeeeeen Parazoooone!) two butchers I recall (one always kept all the chicken feet as he removed then at the point of sale and gave them as a treat for people's dogs), then another one picked up as they finished, then there was Len Hastings (dry groceries) and the fruit and veg man 'Jackie fruit' the round started pre war with Jackie Smith and his horse and cart, the Jackie fruit I remember was his son Roland, lovely man, had a vintage Volkswagen pickup truck, always in pristine condition with all the fruit and veg on display like a Covent Garden display, my father told me he had a 'spare' van in the garage Roland worked all hours - down to Swansea at first light to collect fresh stock from the wholesalers, then still out on his rounds until late each night - he slept in a chair in the kitchen and that's where they found him one morning, slipped away in his sleep - those vans must have been worth a fortune. Two Bakers delivering door to door, Moelwyn (MOLL) Rees Lucknow bakeries and Roberts Bakery opposite our shop on the square - the last generation who was a baker there was David the baker, Welsh father, Jewish American/Welsh mother! We also had Gareth Jones the Corona pop man (his daugher and I share the same birthday, Gareth sadly died during the first lockdown) We also had a lady going around selling clothes and kids toys!.
and of course never forget Guisseppe (Jo) Carpanini our village Italian cafe owner and icecream maker. Award winning icecream and loved by us Kids as he adored us, everyone said that for most children in the valley, their first words were not Mam or Dad, but Jo! His daughter lived next door to Brynmair so I was the first to learn of his death, I admit I stood on the side of the road and cried, I was in my forties!

 

[PeaBee]

Washing honey out of an extractor is easy just using clean water, because the honey is very soluble in it. In addition, all tap water in the UK is chlorinated, a process originally introduced (in Lincoln) to kill water-borne typhoid, so presumably effective enough for cleaning a honey extractor before storage.

Mould only grows where there is something for it to feed on. If there is no food, then there will be no mould. Personally, I would prefer thorough washing to remove the honey to masking the problem with a chemical spray.

A good thorough wash with water is probably sufficient I just dont think a spray and wipe before putting away does any harm. As I use a pressure washer for the initial blast of getting the honey out it also gives me peace of mind as the pressure washer is used for general pressure washer tasks so I can't guarantee its fully clean.

 

[user 819]

A hose down with clean water and left to dry is all that is needed, then cover the top with an elasticated cap/cover till needed again.

 

[Arfermo]

As an EH officer I would be unlikely to take environmental swabs or samples of honey when doing a food hygiene inspection or following a complaint (unless there was a very specific reason). However I would be looking that food business operator was using appropriate cleaning processes/products on food preparation surfaces and equipment before use and putting it to storage. The reason I would expect the extractor to be cleaned and given a sanitise spray prior to cleaning is pretty self evident, as the equipment has most likely been out of use for months. At the end of use washing with water could be adequate prior to storage but a spray and wipe wood be preferable to inhibit any microbial action (once saw an association extractor full of black mould after being washed (poorly I asume) and then stored. As to the expense a 1Litre of spray from booker with the correct BS EN cert costs less than £3.00.
Most honey is near enough sterile due to the high sugar and low water and other properties And it is a very low risk food. But I am sure we have all seen fermentation, so under certain circumstances it is able to support significant microbial growth, though that is a quality not safety issue. The viability of C. botulinum spores to survive in honey is well documented.
There was a paper I read recently (name escapes me but I have it on my lap top so can post reference later) that documented how good hygiene practices in honey production can significantly lower the count of C. botulinum in honey. Which that in itself is reason enough in my opinion. I think my line of work probably makes me more cautious than most, but regularly seeing the effects of people thinking "it will be ok" when it comes to food processing make me keen not to cut any corners and probably be a bit belt and braces when preparing a food product for sale myself. The chances of any harm from using just water to clean an extractor are very very small. But if using a correct cleaning/ sanatising spray removes the chance of things like black mould forming in a nook, cranny or screw thread that could find it way into a jar of honey or if it keeps the Clostridium botulinum count to as low as possible it's worth an extra few minutes of effort. I dont have it to hand but think the BFA food hygiene guidance makes similar recommendations with regards to clean products.

H&S has created thousands of jobsworths but probably cost the economy a lot more in puerile regulations that outlaw common sense eg bloody hard hats everywhere one goes. Bah humbug!!

 

[PeaBee]

Yep bloomin 'elf&safety

 

[pargyle]

A hose down with clean water and left to dry is all that is needed, then cover the top with an elasticated cap/cover till needed again.

I wrap the top of my extractor, before storage, with pallet wrap after cleaning and drying. I clean with just water and I usually find that a hose pipe is more than sufficient with a washinh up brush. I don't think I can ever remember finding any mould on my extractor when it comes out of storage but I always give it a good wash again inside the drum before I start extraction. I'm really fortunate with my previous manual and current electric extractors as they both come apart very easily - just two nuts - and the cage comes out.

Pallet wrap is so useful for lots of things as well as wrapping things prior to storage - sending parcels - wrapping anything that needs to be protected from moisture. Brilliant stuff and a roll lasts a long time in domestic use - industrial cling film !

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Triplast-4...1639300886&sprefix=pallet+wrap,aps,180&sr=8-5

 

[Tony Slater]

I’m currently selling my 150 lb honey crop at the door (£6 for 12oz by the way). The jars bear the botulism warning.
The thing that worries me most is the possibility of the honey being contaminated with solid objects, such as very small pieces of glass, metal or wood. The only “treatment” the honey gets after extraction is that it is strained though a double stainless steel sieve. This takes out any solid matter apart from micro sized objects like pollen. I am extremely careful about the jars and lids and they are washed very carefully.
I wash the extractor outside with a hose pipe. Dislodge wax adhering to the extractor. After rinsing off most of the residual honey fill the extractor right up with cold water allowing the wax particles to float out. Leave overnight and by morning all the remaining traces of honey will have dissolved. Empty out the extractor and rinse again. Don’t use hot water until all the wax has gone as this just makes the wax smear and possibly trap contaminants. I then air dry it and store it in its original box. I don’t use any sprays. It’s always spotless the following year but I give it another rinse before using it again.

 

[user 819]

I don't use pallet wrap as it is single use, my large size elastic tote covers have a few years use each.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Pallet wrap is so useful for lots of things as well as wrapping things prior to storage - sending parcels - wrapping anything that needs to be protected from moisture. Brilliant stuff and a roll lasts a long time in domestic use - industrial cling film !

I agree. Good stuff
But don’t send parcels abroad wrapped in it. Customs just send them back.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

All the extractors I have seen have lids, so little chance of any 'contaminants' getting into the extractor during storage anyway, so, unless you store it in the same shed as the chickens live (I've seen some of the second hand offerings at auctions).
Clean it well after use, dry it, store it then clean it again just before use - no need to waste any plastics or flush any chemicals down the drain.
Another handy tip - the hose you use to clean the extractor should be exclusively for the extractor, not just you bog standard garden hose.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think most people rinse, dry and cover till the following season then rinse before use. Seems to be sufficient.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I agree. Good stuff
But don’t send parcels abroad wrapped in it. Customs just send them back.

I noticed, especially in Africa that in every airport there is somebody offering to wrap your suitcase in clingfilm before you fly for 'safety and security' as if it would discourage customs officials from inspecting said item. I warned my oppo when we were coming back from Johannesburg after our Lesotho placement no to wrap it. He wouldn't listen and promptly got 'pulled' at Heathrow, it's one of the indicators we use to suspect skuldiggery, and the hassle he had getting the wrapping off to open the case was amusing. Luckily we were travelling home on separate trains so I let him to it

 

[Tony Slater]

All the extractors I have seen have lids, so little chance of any 'contaminants' getting into the extractor during storage anyway, so, unless you store it in the same shed as the chickens live (I've seen some of the second hand offerings at auctions).
Clean it well after use, dry it, store it then clean it again just before use - no need to waste any plastics or flush any chemicals down the drain.
Another handy tip - the hose you use to clean the extractor should be exclusively for the extractor, not just you bog standard garden hose.
[/QUOTE

why do you need a separate hose?