Honey processing Help

[bee crazy]

Hi People

I thought i would ask what people think the best peice of Equipment is for filtering and jaring honey. I'm thinking of spending some money on a Danna appy melter but thought i would ask what other people use.

 

[kighill]

If you can pre-plan your honey harvesting.

Prepare your room for harvesting.

Newspaper on floor, bowl of warm water for handwashing, clean cloth for wiping down, settling tank or bucket and everything else you may require.

I use a double strainer which is available on flea bay. I also use a small strainer on the tap leading from my extractor to remove large particles prior to reaching the double strainer.

If all is prepared you can then remove the supers straight from the hives, having removed the bees the honey should be warm enough in the combes and flow freely.

Ps I have just noticed you have 80 colonies, my suggestion was for someone with only a few bees.

Provided you are not extracting huge amounts.

 

[Poly Hive]

This is not for the little guys and girls.

Extract into buckets you label as dirty and keep them for same.

Build/convert deep freeze into honey warmer.

Warm dirty honey to just shy of wax melt point.

Run through spin drier and filter mesh of your choice. Mine was (from memory) 400 micron. From spinner into buckets kept for clean honey. Allow to set and do with as you will. I creamed.

Buy a small bottling machine as it will save you hours of frustration and mess.

Invest in spectacular jars and labels to match.

PH

 

[bee crazy]

Hi Kighill


i have a honey house where i do all my spining and jaring my problem is getting a good consistency in the jar and i have been told a appi melter is the way forward.

 

[Red Bee]

Hi bee crazy

How much honey have your bees produced? I noticed from your previous posts that you expanded to 80 hives quite quickly, has it gone ok?

 

[Poly Hive]

http://www.erista.hu/eng/swienty-dana-api-melter_t568_m242.html

read the blurb and having been in your shoes and had the teeshirt et all would I buy it? Not at any price. I will guess you are looking at the top side of £900 if not more and I can do all that it does with what I posted above at a modern cost if you include some fancy wiring for the warmer for say £300 with change for the champers.

I would also suggest you look for a tank and pump.

PH

 

[bee crazy]

Thanks PH

I have heard of a pump/sump but not sure what they are? i'm reaching about a tone and half of honey and in the next few years more and want something that will make it easy.

any ideas would be grand

 

[Poly Hive]

I think you might want to go and visit a proper honey farm, ie one with several hundred hives who extract filter and bottle as to get to that stage they have been through the same curve as you are facing.

Believe me I learnt a shed load by getting to know a Bee Farmer who showed me many ways to avoid the pitfalls.

At the point you are at I would suggest you need a tank, a pump, a warmer, and a damn good bucket system, and there is a huge jump from buckets to drums and if you are talking staying at the 2 ton level buckets will serve you very well. Oh and another essential is a bucket rest so you can leave the bucket upside down draining into the tank while you do other things. So are good stiff spatulas to clean out the buckets to minimise wastage.

PH