Quickest way to dissolve sugar

[Oandy]

Hi to save time, Gas, electric,coal, logs, ect i use boiling water then pour the amount that is required onto the sugar in a pan. Then use a soup type ladle in a circular rocking motion to crush sugar crystals which speeds up the dissolving, the idea of the cicular rocking motion is the crystals stay in the centre of the pan so less area to chase crystals I must try to start off with bring the cold water to the boil with the sugar already added but stir with ladle in a circular rocking motion maybe quicker but i wont have to stand over a hot stove all day as the wife says. If i use boiling water first. I must try to get the wife to make syrup for the bees as i am a lazy so and so but i dont think i will have much luck. What do you do to save time and energy. Regards Andy.

 

[DorsetB]

"What do you do to save time and energy"

I get the kids to do it.

Not really - in winter I either put a large pan on the woodburner with the correct amount of water in, let it get warm/hot without boiling, then just before going to bed tip the sugar in, give it a stir, and leave it on the woodburner as it warms down overnight, and it's all ready to go in the morning.

In summer I fill two buckets with the right amount of water, leave in the sun, pour the sugar in the next day, put the lid on, leave for a day or so. The lids are tight-fitting so no problems with bees, wasps, flies, sometimes the odd ant though.

None of the above use any additional energy, but are obviously not going to help if you are in a hurry. If I am organised enough, I often make up 2:1 syrup in July or August, then bottle up in 2L bottles, add Thymol, and put in shed ready to go.

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

I find that a drop of Angostura Bitters, followed by a healthy measure of gin dissolves a sugar cube very quickly and satisfactorily - a drop of soda water makes the whole thing into a most palatable drink!

Or have I missed the point again?

 

[plumberman]

Since you are starting off with boiling water (as most would do), how are you saving energy?
Likewise, whilst I appreciate crushing the crystals increases the surface area available to dissolve, good ol' fashion stirring does the job for me quickly enough.

 

[psafloyd]

Put it in your mouth. Useless for large batches of syrup, mind.

 

[sukis-dad]

Hi

I have a gallon plastic bottle and I put in the sugar pour in boiling water and then shake the bottle while I am watching the tele. Dissolves quite quickly.
This works for me.

 

[madasafish]

Put pan on gas cooker full of water. Start heating. Add SMALL amount of sugar slowly and start stirring. When first lot of sugar dissolves add some more.. and stir more. And so on.,

Usually all dissolved long before water boils..


PD I just use a wooden spoon..

Tales about 2 minutes to make 4 litres.

 

[Finman]

.

WHY you feed sugar in the middle of summer, and in a great hurry? Hoping a big yield?

 

[Hivemaker.]

.

WHY you feed sugar in the middle of summer, and in a great hurry? Hoping a big yield?

Because the bee's are starving,no rain,no nectar from flowers.

 

[Erichalfbee]

And up here in the North West we have had one or two sunny days amidst 5 weeks of rain. Four of my five colonies are getting syrup.

 

[Andy Coleman]

Talking to our bee inspector, he prefers to use fondant if needed to keep a colony ticking over during a gap in the flow.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Talking to our bee inspector, he prefers to use fondant if needed to keep a colony ticking over during a gap in the flow.

Sensible man,so do I.

 

[Rosti]

Some caution with regard fondant. I have had fondant on a couple of newly caught swarms (last 2 weeks, did so because I am working away at the moment - so limited bee time). Inspected today and found that it has been so hot that the fondant has dried to a brick (and that was inside an upturned plastic container so evap losses as low as they'll be). Fondant clearly not a panacea either. Fortunately they were doing fine despite.

With regard sugar mixing, don't mess about, save the planet and some energy some other way. Hot water just off the boil, over-sized container for the quantity being mixed, hand blender, zap it for 30 secs, leave to cool while you do something more interesting!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Strange your fondant drying out so quick Rosti,i've used around half a ton of it recently,just placed on top of crown board...not covered with anything...and no drying out problems at all.

 

[Nose Ma]

Hot water from the tap onto the sugar, stand on the Aga overnight (the water and sugar, not the beekeeper)

 

[Rosti]

I may have pushed my luck Hivemaker. It looked okay but it was some stuff that was hanging around from last season and had been opened. It looked fine but perhaps it was already on it's way?

If you can't gaurantee you'll have time to tend I think I'd still rather have a hardened fondant than a mouldy syrup!

 

[Finman]

.
Syrup making is too difficult to me. - Inspector needed!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Maybe I'm missing the point here but I just pour the sugar into a bucket, pour a kettle full of water over it, stir for about 30 secs and it's done.

Maybe you are talking about doing larger quantities.
I don't bother doing it in large batches as I find it takes longer to cool, needs decanting and then sits around for longer before I get round to using it.

 

[m100]

I can't recall the quantities now but I mix mine in a 2 gallon stainless bucket.

2/3 the quantity of water, straight from the hot tap at about 60 deg C, dump the required quantity of sugar in, stir for a minute or two, then add the remaining quantity of water needed and stir for another minute. Leave it half an hour and a quick stir gets the last bits dissolved. I then pour it straight into the feeder at about 30 deg C.

If I'm making a really big batch up I decant into plastic 'honey buckets' after I've added the cold water.

No need for boiling water or excessive times to cool.

 

[kighill]

Mixing Sugar

The method which works for me is to place the required amount of hot water either from the kettle or tap (winter/spring feeding rates) into an old Kenwood food mixer.

Turn on the mixer and pour in 1kg of sugar directly into the water whilst mixing.

If making large batches I initially put in twice the quantity of water required adding one bag of sugar, this results in a very quick mix. I then add a second bag of sugar to make the correct strength.

Whilst mixing/pouring sugar I re-boil the kettle to save a little time.

I have tried other methods i.e. boiling in a huge pan (50 litre pan, takes up four rings on the stove) I had to stand on a chair to mix it.

Placing hot water and sugar into a 5 litre water bottle and shaking.

Placing hot water and sugar into water bottle and leaving in the car for my erratic driving to do the shaking.

The Kenwood is my preferred choice.