Heather starting to flower.

[protheroe]

You will soon find out when you try extracting it.if you extract at full speed and half is left in the combs then it's heather

 

[Hivemaker.]

Time to upgrade.
[

Get one of these....http://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/cappings-screw-press-honeywax-separator-100kgh/

...would go well with your two new honey dryers.

 

[Thymallus]

Get one of these....http://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/cappings-screw-press-honeywax-separator-100kgh/

...would go well with your two new honey dryers.

I'll may have to get it's bigger brother, it can only handle 100kg/hour. But thanks for the link.

 

[Thymallus]

Thymallus... can I borrow you heather press?

You can join the queue.

 

[Goodwood]

can anyone experienced in heather honey processing tell me whether it is worth letting pressed honey stand in a warm place?
Or is it simply a case of get on and jar the stuff whilst it is still runny after pressing?
I realsie it will jellify if let standing and would need agitation before jarring, but i wondered if it might encourage a lower water content if left for a while?
I have not started yet but clearer boards are on...

 

[Thymallus]

Check the water content before extracting to see if it needs any drying before extracting. Easier to dry a large surface area than the top of a bucket.
Mine has been unusually watery this season. Some capped has been giving between 22-23% water, which is just okay. Some uncapped down to 28% water.
I didn't want to use a fan heater as they can generate quite high temperatures so I solved it by not buying 2 expensive drying machines (thanks for the links though HM), but using my blown air heating system in the caravan set on a low heat setting. Basically built a "U" with 3 breeze blocks on the floor to capture the blown air with a sacrificial super on top of these with empty frames in case it got too hot!. Better to melt empty combs than full ones. Large pile of uncapped supers stacked on top of this.
48 hours later water content on uncapped has reduced in all frames down to 20% or slightly less. Only one frame on verge of collapse otherwise all good to go. Currently allowing all to cool down and extract tomorrow. I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked.

Goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway..... put something waterproof on caravan floor before doing anything!!! Just in case.

I'll be bottling some and storing the rest in buckets. There is a limit to how many jars I want to fill in a day.....and yes I do know about automatic bottlers HM (http://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/automatic-honey-bottling-line/)
But 6K is 6k too far.

 

[Goodwood]

That sounds a cunning set up Thymallus
I will test it when i remove tomorrow and go from there.
I bet your caravan was smelling lovely after that heather honey chimney...
Thanks a lot for advice

 

[preyingmantos]

Ive just started stripping 80 out of 110 colonies that went up to the heather (north derbyshire and wales). Since a picture is worth a 1000 words here is the total crop so far...

 

[protheroe]

Ive just started stripping 80 out of 110 colonies that went up to the heather (north derbyshire and wales). Since a picture is worth a 1000 words here is the total crop so far...

Nice.you should get a good couple of tablespoons.

 

[preyingmantos]

I was hoping to use the agitator we just spent a couple of grand on. In this case a drawing pin will suffice.

 

[B+.]

Since a picture is worth a 1000 words here is the total crop so far...

Thats more heather than I got. Theres none around here.

 

[snelgrove]

Wasn't a tremendous season on the heather but I got approximately 20 pounds per colony

 

[biglongdarren]

I brought mind down last sunday morning from the mountains and had 7 supers from 7 hives, plenty in the brood boxes but left that for them, a few of the supers are cut comb all drawn out from starter strips.

Darren

 

[Hivemaker.]

Just dusting off my old heather press, the woodworm is getting worse.
Time to upgrade.

Very similar in design to the Templeton press, which can also be used as a wax press.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maTcxjhkB4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXtE3b7gUZI

 

[Thymallus]

Very similar in design to the Templeton press, which can also be used as a wax press.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maTcxjhkB4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXtE3b7gUZI

Good to see a few of these old antiques still around and functional.....that's the presses, not the beekeepers...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Good to see a few of these old antiques still around and functional.

Clean yours up with some boiling water and carry on using it.

 

[Thymallus]

It has seen good service by me and more than repaid the the tenner I gave for it. Alas age and woodworm are now making it too fragile to exert much pressure with it. It is giving off alarming creaks and groans.

 

[For want of a better word]

It has seen good service by me and more than repaid the the tenner I gave for it. Alas age and woodworm are now making it too fragile to exert much pressure with it. It is giving off alarming creaks and groans.

OOH ERR Misses!

Is that snow on the horizon??

Nos da