Honey Extraction Equipment

[Murox]

I don't know, I've never actually weighed a drawn frame.

But Randy Oliver says
"Overall, it required the feeding of the equivalent of about a half gallon of 77% syrup in order to fully draw out a single deep comb of wax-coated plastic foundation."

That's syrup used when getting the bees to draw a new box but they use the same amount of honey when drawing at any other time.
I know it's not the same frame but his page on drawing foundation has lots of info re honey:wax ratios.

Thanks. I was just curious ~ I guess a half gallon syrup is around 2.5 litres ish.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't know how much people sell wax for but is it really 8x the price of honey?

Nowhere near, three or four times would be more realistic - and only then if you are lucky - recycled comb would not be touched by people purchasing it for cosmetic purposes

 

[Repwoc]

I guess a half gallon syrup is around 2.5 litres ish.

4 US pint = 1.82 L

 

[North End Bees]

Nowhere near, three or four times would be more realistic - and only then if you are lucky - recycled comb would not be touched by people purchasing it for cosmetic purposes

Last year I realised I was short of spare drawn brood frames so put a box of foundation above the QE on a couple of hives during the lime flow.

The cappings made beautiful candles and I used the drawn frames to swap out some old ones.
If only I'd known about the cosmetic wax thing!

 

[enrico]

I assume if you use a heat gun you can't retrieve the cappings for melting and resale?

You assume right!

 

[IndiBee]

Well they do draw quickly (and fill it with brood).
But if you give the same bees drawn frames in a super they'll fill them with honey just as quickly.

I don't know how much people sell wax for but is it really 8x the price of honey?

So much depends on what I do with it and who I sell it to.
I am selling completed products to fashionable maisons, in a business started by my my late father inlaw. So I have history, existing ralationships and customers who do not want to cut corners.
But even smaller beekeepers are doing the upsell on wax - see here - the key is 'natural bees wax' - no mention of how much wax in each product (so it goes a very long way!).
One key phrase that is so important to customers right now is "All our suppliers enhance the sustainability of products and processes"
If I can absolutely match that statement, my business constantly opens up to a much bigger world.
It is no good buying cheap beeswax for a product and having to apologize later if something is found in it.
I MUST be able to guarantee the process, start to finish is sustainable.

 

[Amber]

Do

Get rid of the knife and use a hot air gun. It just pops the cappings open. Cuts out loads of mess.
A manual extractor is always a handy backup even if you later upgrade to electric. Make sure you get one that will do brood frames as well.one day you will wish you had!
E

Does the heat gun heat the honey up to a higher temprature? Do not have an extractor yet but why us it helpful to have one for brood frames? Although maybe used rarely are there other benefits?

 

[North End Bees]

Do not have an extractor yet but why us it helpful to have one for brood frames? Although maybe used rarely are there other benefits?

Drawn brood frames can be like gold dust and never available when you need them.

If you put a brood box as a super (so above QE) in a flow they'll draw and fill the lot in short order.
You could use the filled frames for nucs, etc. as is, but if you can extract them you can then use the drawn frames wherever/whenever needed.

 

[enrico]

Do

Does the heat gun heat the honey up to a higher temprature? Do not have an extractor yet but why us it helpful to have one for brood frames? Although maybe used rarely are there other benefits?

No it is barely on the frame for long. Just long enough to pop the cappings. There is an air space between the wax and the honey so no damage to the honey that I have ever seen

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There is an air space between the wax and the honey

Not always and if not, the heat gun doesn't work

 

[enrico]

Not always and if not, the heat gun doesn't work

Totally agree, I always have an electric knife handy. If you are careful transporting comb through I rarely need it

 

[Swn58]

Secondly don’t use self spacers in the supers

Yes....can be a bit fiddly!

 

[Garry R]

Tried an electric carving knife for uncapping for the first time and wanted to share. Excellent. Tried it with the reciprocating blades. The honey was too thick so a bit overloaded. BUT with the single blade no problem and a nice flat cut. Any dips not reached just use the uncapping tool. If any thick parts just take you time. Don't know if make makes a difference but this is model my wife has been hiding from me for years. (Now will live in the bee shed!!)

 

[Erichalfbee]

Tried an electric carving knife for uncapping for the first time and wanted to share. Excellent. Tried it with the reciprocating blades. The honey was too thick so a bit overloaded. BUT with the single blade no problem and a nice flat cut. Any dips not reached just use the uncapping tool. If any thick parts just take you time. Don't know if make makes a difference but this is model my wife has been hiding from me for years. (Now will live in the bee shed!!)

We need a video to see how easy it is

 

[JamezF]

You know, I'd never thought of using an electric carving knife. I'm sure I saw an old one hanging around the workshop the other day.

I guess when you've got to a scale that an electric carving knife just won't, errrm, cut it, a chainsaw is the next step up the evolutionary ladder?

James

 

[judy12]

Completely agree with Ian. Wasted my money on an electric uncapping knife - awkward, hard on the wrist and not a patch on a good strong bread knife stood in a deep jar of very hot water. As to self-spacers, I alternate narrow and wide plastic spacers which give a good depth of comb.

 

[Garry R]

Not my video I hasten to add. But it's about this easy.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...B20C80C0EFE39B04244DB20&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

[peterbees]

Just starting my 2nd year (thankfully hive overwintered ok) as a new beek and thinking about honey harvesting equipment. I'm only likely to get up to 3 or 4 hives as it's a back garden hobby and wanted some advice please.

Uncapping knife - serated but not electric as more likely to burn honey?

Extractor tank - seen a good home made one with storage box, wire cake tray and mesh that I will build.

Extractor - 3 or 4 frame manual on market from £60-£300+. Seen one online (Kwasyo) for £150, but hard to tell if it's much better than lowest £ or worse than highest £? They all look the same.

Strainers - double stainless steel rather than plastic.

Settling/storage tank - 10l-25l. I'm in an urban area (parks and gardens nearby) so unsure how much honey I might get, but don't want to be extracting for days on end so was thinking one 25l.

Any views or top tips would be very welcome. I've read alot about flames here so would rather not have so much of that .

Our beekeepers' association in Conwy, north Wales hires out extractor kits to members. See Honey extractor kits for hire This is an easy way to get started. Other BKA's probably do the same.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not my video I hasten to add. But it's about this easy.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...B20C80C0EFE39B04244DB20&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

That, Gary, is a revelation. My frames are so badly uneven I end up using mostly an uncapping fork. I think it's time I bit the bullet and evened them up. Next year.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Other than a commercial capping machine I’ve tried most the methods but give me a decent knife anytime. But not silly bread knives or a piddling thornes uncapping knife with tiny handle, that makes it hard/painful to grip after a period with a silly short blade that makes deep frames a pain in the rear. Get a large commercial bread knife or carver, they have long blades and large handles. Available from catering suppliers. Secondly don’t use self spacers in the supers 10 frames is good. Plenty of cell to cut and wax to salvage not scraping wooden frame.

I found a couple of 1950s vintage bread saws at our local car boot sale. 50 pence each. Works a treat for me.