extracting

[denise washington]

hi can you tell me if my honey is ready for extracting,had a look today all frames are lightly capped even got comb on q/e
thanks denise

 

[itma]

If its from Rape and its mostly capped, it needs extracting rather promptly after coming off the hive.

It sounds as though you should be giving them another super ... and inspecting the brood box. If that is so full of honey as to impede the queens laying, the next stage is swarming. Best to check!

 

[denise washington]

thanks for advice have got a super ready to put on and all the frames are nearly fully capped
thanks for advice
denise

 

[enrico]

Hold a frame flat over the hive, with a sharp downward motion and a sudden stop see if any 'honey ' comes out onto the top of the hive. This is a good field test, if not it should be ok, for £ 20 you can by a refractometer which you put a tiny bit of honey on a glass slide and hey presto it gives a moisture content, if below the mark on the honey refractometer then it is fine for taking off. The only two real differences are heather and rape. Rape needs to come off almost before it is capped fully(no comment finman! ) so if it is OSR then waste no time!
E

 

[denise washington]

thanks enrico i have not got a refractometer only one for testing salt for marine fish done the shake test and it seems ok so going to extract it now thanks for advice
denise

 

[Cazza]

Interestingly, Clive De bruyn takes his OSR off for extraction before it is capped at all.(The frame he showed us was just about to start being capped by the look of it.) He uses the shake test.
I figure if this is good enough for him, it's definately good enough for a pleb like me,
Cazza

 

[denise washington]

hi thanks all for your advice but now can you tell me what colour osr honey should because mine looks different from what you buy from shops
thanks denise

 

[Jimmy]

My OSR honey always starts a pleasing 'honey' colour before setting when it changes to resemble the colour of lard.

 

[denise washington]

hi jimmy this i have got looks a very pale yellowish colour put it tastes great is that colour it should be when first extracted
thanks denise

 

[YorkshireBees]

hi thanks all for your advice but now can you tell me what colour osr honey should because mine looks different from what you buy from shops
thanks denise

OSR honey when extracted looks like normal honey afaik (maybe a little paler than some darker honey). The difference is that after a few weeks in the buckets it will set rock hard.

After that stage it can be dealt with a number of ways to make softset or creamed honey.

I have attached a couple of photos of it being extracted last year.

 

[Shabro]

OSR honey when extracted looks like normal honey afaik (maybe a little paler than some darker honey). The difference is that after a few weeks in the buckets it will set rock hard.

After that stage it can be dealt with a number of ways to make softset or creamed honey.

I have attached a couple of photos of it being extracted last year.

I wish mine ran that freely last night

 

[YorkshireBees]

I wish mine ran that freely last night

Timing!

Oh and a warm dry room for extracting!
I had the heating on and was sweating in a t-shirt!

 

[denise washington]

hi yorkshirebees thats made me feel better looking at your pictures of your honey mine is the same colour. i was thinking have i took it out of the hive too early but it was all fully capped so thanks for the pictures.
thanks denise

 

[YorkshireBees]

hi yorkshirebees thats made me feel better looking at your pictures of your honey mine is the same colour. i was thinking have i took it out of the hive too early but it was all fully capped so thanks for the pictures.
thanks denise

Your welcome.

It you want to be sure you can help me extract mine tomorrow

Just put the clearer boards on this morning.

 

[denise washington]

hi i would love to help you but on a weekend i work 12 hour nites but anytime after that i will be willing
thanks denise

 

[dclewis]

My OSR honey last year came back from analysis as pfund 3, thats what I think is described as water white. Pollen in honey found to be 98% OSR so could be described as monofloral, if one wanted to boast that its OSR rather than "spring" honey!

 

[psafloyd]

Your welcome.

It you want to be sure you can help me extract mine tomorrow

Just put the clearer boards on this morning.

I

HATE

YOU

 

[MuswellMetro]

I

HATE

YOU

well hate me as well, i've just taken a few supers of OSR honey off and i am extracting it now, think some of it might be apple though as quite dark in the centre two frames

 

[melias]

Your welcome.

It you want to be sure you can help me extract mine tomorrow

Just put the clearer boards on this morning.

Wow! What's the larger box above the supers?

 

[psafloyd]

well hate me as well, i've just taken a few supers of OSR honey off and i am extracting it now, think some of it might be apple though as quite dark in the centre two frames

Oh, I do, Muswell. I do...