Honey extractor cleaning

[Jordy]

I have read that it is wrong to clean extractors & equipment using hot water.
Why not? What else is there? Is it because of melting wax getting everywhere?
Cheers beeks.

 

[drstitson]

yes - cold water otherwise wax melts and gets everywhere.

 

[Poly Hive]

as above. Use HOT water at your own risk, a seriously bad move.

COLD water makes it very easy.

PH

 

[Heather]

Hot water?? You will have the wax there for life. Cold powerful jet of water soon shifts all.

 

[Jordy]

Thanks for the replies beeks...an imminent disaster averted. I would automaticly have used
the good old boiling water/washing up liquid method. How about cold water with sterilzing tablets added (or am I being a bit ocd here?).

 

[Andy Coleman]

I just extracted some today - having scraped the film of honey of the sides and floor of the extractor (too precious to waste, must hav got another couple of pounds!) I gave it a hose down with quite a powerful cold jet in the yard, then some warm water with a little washing up liquid and used a dish washing brush to get bits and pieces out, then rinsed again with hose. Cleaner than when I started. Before using it (rented from local assoc) I also stripped it down and gave the metal work and drain tap a thorough clean, it wasn't exactly dirty but I get the impression it hadn't been un-bolted for some time!

 

[barratt_sab]

Cold water jetwash for me. It works a treat and you can have fun making a water turbine too.

As regards sterilisation, I have ended up taking the same approach as I do with the cider press and associated kit.

I used to meticulously sterilise the whole lot and then pour apple juice into the barrels - along with bits of leaf, twigs, dead bugs, live wasps etc. I now take the view that there doesn’t seem much point cleaning the press and barrels to a higher standard than the apples that are going in them.

 

[Jordy]

Cold water jetwash for me. It works a treat and you can have fun making a water turbine too.

As regards sterilisation, I have ended up taking the same approach as I do with the cider press and associated kit.

I used to meticulously sterilise the whole lot and then pour apple juice into the barrels - along with bits of leaf, twigs, dead bugs, live wasps etc. I now take the view that there doesn’t seem much point cleaning the press and barrels to a higher standard than the apples that are going in them.

That's cleared that up then. I'm glad I asked as I was about to turn my kitchen into something of a steam room with kettles, pans, etc boiling over. Phew!
Again, thanks folks.

 

[Finman]

Hot water?? You will have the wax there for life. Cold powerful jet of water soon shifts all.

HOT AND HOT

there are several hot levels. 55C is hot to skin but it does not melt bee wax.
Another proplem is resins. Beeswax has a melting point range, of 62 to 64 °C (144 to 147 °F).

If you let the extractor dilute in moist over night, it is easy to clean.

It is not difficult and life teaches more.

Cold water makes honey to glue.

.

 

[barratt_sab]

It's probably worth saying that I take a more careful approach with the jars that the honey is going into (and the bottles for the cider too for that matter).

There are some thoughts on cleaning jars here:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3647

 

[sawdstmakr]

Jordy,
Keep in mind, soap and water are not what makes cleaning dishes or the extractor safe. It is getting it clean enough to allow all of the parts to dry. Once the bacteria dry out they crylistize and this destroys the cell walls. That is what kills the bacteria. The salt we use in foods like pickles does not kill the bacteria, it only makes it work so hard that all it can do is remove the salt from its cell. Soap does not kill bateria either.
Jim