Extracting honey questions

[nessieb]

Hi all,
last year was my first (small) honey crop and I found the extraction process a bit of a nuisance.
Basically I extracted it using a lovely motorised radial extractor into buckets which was fine. Next step was filtering it out of the buckets through a strainer into a settling tank and then jarring it up. Filtering it seemed to take FOREVER because I dont have a warming cabinet and my house isn't very warm.
This year I've already got 5-6 supers ready to extract the last ones on have had foundation drawn and been filled in 10 days! So...
1. Is there a better way of doing things?
2. How long can you leave honey in buckets before filtering/straining it?
3. Is it better to keep piling on the supers or extracting now and again at the end of season (bearing in mind I borrow an extractor)?
4. How long should you leave it in a settling tank?
5. What do you do with your sticky wax cappings?

Thanks very much

 

[Swarm]

Mine goes through a coarse sieve into tubs. Only through fine sieve when jarring. Honey into jars a day later. I still have some of last years honey but unlike you, not much this year to replace it.

 

[Poly Hive]

Provided the tubs have a decent lid honey can sit for long enough.

The secret weapon that is needed for processing honey is warmth. The best think you can do is to coarse filter whilst extracting and then put the first bucket into a warming cabinet. When it is warm, not hot, but comfortably warm it will run through a fine filter no bother, and why? Because the clogging crystals of sugars are no longer there.

As for the cappings. Wash them with clean water, drain that off and use as the start for mead, then melt the wax and either exhibit or trade in for foundation.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

1 and 2) I agree with PH up to a point. That point being whether the honey was granulating at the time of extraction - this is predominantly down to OSR honey - so making minimal warming and filtering a bear. I usually sieve (coarse and fine) into buckets and leave to granulate; filter later.

3. Is it better to keep piling on the supers or extracting now and again

Definitely a case of extracting OSR soon after capping if possible as it will granulate on the hive. Later crops are generally a one extraction job at the season end. Chasing round to return supers to the hives requires an extractor room that is bee-proof really.

Cleaning the extractor several times loses several small amounts of honey, which will add up.

4. How long should you leave it in a settling tank?

Again OSR, at your peril, unless soft setting it (and then, not so long!). I leave others to settle at least a couple days. Depends on air going up and any solids going down, and so may depend on whether sieved or filtered and also the temperature and depth of the honey.

5. What do you do with your sticky wax cappings?

Let the bees clean them up, then when done, melt as best quality wax.

 

[Adie]

Place cappings in a collander/coarse sieve in a bowl and leave for 2-3 days - all the honey drains off into the bowl.

 

[Baggyone]

If you can, take supers off in evening, put in room with fan heater on overnight. Honey will go through fine and coarse sieves at the same time. I put mine straight into 10kg settling tanks with taps on and then jar when required.

I do have a warming cabinet though as it's the only way sometimes.

baggy

 

[nessieb]

Thanks,
I dont have any OSR in my area that I know of and it wasn't a problem last year when I just did one extraction at the end of the season, the honey was just really thick.
So If I put it through a double strainer straight out of the extractor into buckets how long can I leave it like that before filtering it properly, settling etc. bearing in mind I dont think there is any OSR?

 

[susbees]

Place cappings in a collander/coarse sieve in a bowl and leave for 2-3 days - all the honey drains off into the bowl.

....as long as your room temperature is around 30˚C rather than 13...Wish a certain German supplier had brought my/some extractor cappings bags to Harper Adams. Grrrrr....

Wets went back on yesterday, cappings in suspended animation and not in a mead mood...

 

[psafloyd]

As for the cappings. Wash them with clean water, drain that off and use as the start for mead, then melt the wax and either exhibit or trade in for foundation.
PH

Or buy some cheap (but real) vodka or rum and soak the cappings in there. They come up a treat and the resulting drink is quite spectacular. it convinced a sceptical brother of the benefits of check rum. Think Glayva/Drambuie in terms of its consistency.

Oh, and by cheap, I mean own label stuff that is only fit for cooking with. It transformed a bottle of Sainsbury's Basics dark rum (plastic bottle, to boot) into a liqueur fit for royalty. Well, me, anyway. And as a single malt man, I'm kind of fussy.

 

[Drew]

Or buy some cheap (but real) vodka or rum and soak the cappings in there. They come up a treat and the resulting drink is quite spectacular. it convinced a sceptical brother of the benefits of check rum. Think Glayva/Drambuie in terms of its consistency.

Oh, and by cheap, I mean own label stuff that is only fit for cooking with. It transformed a bottle of Sainsbury's Basics dark rum (plastic bottle, to boot) into a liqueur fit for royalty. Well, me, anyway. And as a single malt man, I'm kind of fussy.

Which particular Single Malt is that concoction close to??

I am not doubting that Honey mixed with "Gutrot" would improve the Gutrot but that is almost beyond imagination......

The vodka I can get my head round but..........

 

[psafloyd]

Which particular Single Malt is that concoction close to??

I am not doubting that Honey mixed with "Gutrot" would improve the Gutrot but that is almost beyond imagination......

The vodka I can get my head round but..........

Drew, my point is I will not drink any old crap, not that the concoction tasted like single malt. How could a vodka or rum possibly taste like malt?

The vodka is my preferred infusion. I had several bottles of Stolichnaya in the cupboard and now I have only one. Excellent vodka plus wax cappings = excellent honey flavoured vodka.

 

[MandF]

I agree. I have done this with vodka a couple of times, and sainsburys dark rum once. Both drinks can be drunk neat after.

If I ever get to extract this year I will try a different alcohol I think.

One thing to note, I leave my cappings to drain for several days - the sooner you do it, the more honey and sweeter the alcohol is. I prefer mine less sweet.

Honeyed vodka and ginger ale = delicious!

 

[nessieb]

My husband is going to make me a warming cabinet - I know what you mean susbees I'm in Powys so similar temp to HA I imagine!
So in case he doesn't get round to it fairly soon....
How long can you leave coarse strained honey in buckets before warming and filtering it properly?
Thanks everyone

 

[Poly Hive]

Provided you have a good lid pick a figure.

I am currently eating heather honey that is at least 10 years old. Lovely!

PH

 

[Mothman]

Having a few bottles of Cheap Gin left over from making Sloe Gin last year, does this work with Gin?

 

[MandF]

Not sure, as dark rum is derived from sugar/molasses etc, so honey is a natural partner, and vodka is generally neutral. Gin has botanicals, which depending on what they are, may or may not work.

However, I have seen cocktails with gin & honey (and lemon juice), so it probably will be ok, if a bit limiting (in terms of mixers/cocktails). You can always try with a little of your honey and some of the gin - stir it in and have a taste

 

[Drew]

Drew, my point is I will not drink any old crap, not that the concoction tasted like single malt. How could a vodka or rum possibly taste like malt?

The vodka is my preferred infusion. I had several bottles of Stolichnaya in the cupboard and now I have only one. Excellent vodka plus wax cappings = excellent honey flavoured vodka.

Sorry mate - I thought your point was that that honey turned cheap old crap rum into something that a discerning drinker considered to be ambrosia!

I think I'll stick to the Stoli version - as you say excellent vodka plus cappings = excellent flavoured vodka.

 

[Baggyone]

I have found that the addition of honey and a bit of lemonade transforms the most hideous of alcoholic poison.