Honey Room - design hints and tips

[BeezerGoode]

After a number of years beekeeping, the number of hives has increased to the point at which I'm considering setting up a dedicated honey room (fortunate to have an outbuilding approx. 3.5x3.5m, with power and water, that I can use).

14 hives running at the moment if we include some splits/captures from this year that are just getting established, around 2/3 of which are remote, and don't plan on going much bigger (but I was only ever aiming for 3 hives in the first place!).

Have got a large radial extractor, various buckets etc, and planning to add a larger settling tank or two. Uncapping is the main bottleneck at the moment and still done by hand and then straight into the extractor, which slows things down.

What I'm thinking I need is:
1) A dolly to stack full supers on;
2) A deep uncapping tank/tray (so I can be uncapping whilst the extractor does its thing)
3) Extractor --> sieve --> bucket
4) Tank
5) Some shelving to keep jars handy for bottling/avoid excessive reaching when bottling;
6) A dolly to stack extracted supers ready to go back out.

Can have decent lighting and am thinking about adding a bee-proof extractor fan and vent to keep the place cooler.

I'm sure there's loads of stuff that I've missed or things that I need to consider in the setup that others will immediately spot, so any hints/tips/suggestions would be really appreciated!

 

[blackcloud]

Absolutely everything fully wipeable,a radio,bottle of valium and a lock on the door.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Absolutely everything fully wipeable,a radio,bottle of valium and a lock on the door.

Bloody hell that sounds like a blast you having a party over there.

 

[blackcloud]

For some inexplicable reason I once installed fibreglass loft insulation on the hottest July weekend possible.
I still have Vietnam-style flashbacks.
But given the choice between that and extraction day Id be up the ladder like a scalded monkey.

 

[Curly green finger's]

After a number of years beekeeping, the number of hives has increased to the point at which I'm considering setting up a dedicated honey room (fortunate to have an outbuilding approx. 3.5x3.5m, with power and water, that I can use).

14 hives running at the moment if we include some splits/captures from this year that are just getting established, around 2/3 of which are remote, and don't plan on going much bigger (but I was only ever aiming for 3 hives in the first place!).

Have got a large radial extractor, various buckets etc, and planning to add a larger settling tank or two. Uncapping is the main bottleneck at the moment and still done by hand and then straight into the extractor, which slows things down.

What I'm thinking I need is:
1) A dolly to stack full supers on;
2) A deep uncapping tank/tray (so I can be uncapping whilst the extractor does its thing)
3) Extractor --> sieve --> bucket
4) Tank
5) Some shelving to keep jars handy for bottling/avoid excessive reaching when bottling;
6) A dolly to stack extracted supers ready to go back out.

Can have decent lighting and am thinking about adding a bee-proof extractor fan and vent to keep the place cooler.

I'm sure there's loads of stuff that I've missed or things that I need to consider in the setup that others will immediately spot, so any hints/tips/suggestions would be really appreciated!

Water proof sockets and lighting , what ever shed/ shipping container you get ? Have the floor on a slope with sealed marine ply which you can pressure wash everything down .
Everything in my container is removable nothing fixed other than the lighting and sockets.

Storing capped supers make sure you have a strong tray underneath to catch drips same as capped supers.

You pointed out about uncapping I’m doing it manually with a folk / knife nowt wrong with that .
But having a good uncapping bench with the tray sloping with a unscrew able filter a good option .

 

[Curly green finger's]

For some inexplicable reason I once installed fibreglass loft insulation on the hottest July weekend possible.
I still have Vietnam-style flashbacks.
But given the choice between that and extraction day Id be up the ladder like a scalded monkey.

The only reason I don’t like extracting is I’m not looking at frames of bees but sticky frames after frame after frame .
Flashbacks like youve been watching Cheach and Chong

 

[BeezerGoode]

Thanks - fortunate to have a drain in the middle of the floor, but hadn’t considered making the sockets waterproof. There’s only a few to go in, and easy to do, so probably makes sense.

As for lofts… Hate working in them! Core drilling for extractor ducts being even worse than laying insulation…

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

put in a double sink (or a single with separate hand washing basin) will be one less thing for the EHO to whinge about when you register the premises.
And hot water

 

[Curly green finger's]

put in a double sink (or a single with separate hand washing basin) will be one less thing for the EHO to whinge about when you register the premises.
And hot water

Aye a sink and hot water probably the most important.

 

[BeezerGoode]

Already has a sink, hot water being added too (high flow instantaneous unit) as part of the plan.

Is a double/separate handwash absolutely necessary? If so, I might need to tweak layout slightly but that’s easily done at this stage.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Already has a sink, hot water being added too (high flow instantaneous unit) as part of the plan.

Is a double/separate handwash absolutely necessary? If so, I might need to tweak layout slightly but that’s easily done at this stage.

Without any separate hand washing sink (I have a 1 + 1/2 stainless steel drainer) you are unlikely to get a 5 rating from any EH inspection.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Without any separate hand washing sink (I have a 1 + 1/2 stainless steel drainer) you are unlikely to get a 5 rating from any EH inspection.

you will, but they don't half get their knickers in a twist over it.

 

[BeezerGoode]

Thanks, will add one.

Rating has never been important for me as honey has just been getting given away, but am now getting so much that it makes sense to look at selling some.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unless you are selling it in a street market/food fair etc. you are not obliged to display it, neither is EH obliged to inform anyone of your rating - just that you are registered so it's imatesticle anyway

 

[protheroe]

I haven't seen EH since 2015 and i didn't get a food rating then.Letter received after visit stated everything was fine and they haven't been in touch since.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I haven't seen EH since 2015 and i didn't get a food rating then.Letter received after visit stated everything was fine and they haven't been in touch since.

I got my first rating in August 2019 then another in 2021 so I’m due for another visit in the next month or so!