Reducing the moisture content

[thorn]

I've taken the honey from my country hives, but the town bees are being very slow to cap. There are two or three full, but not wholly capped supers on each hive, and all of them with very few frames fully capped and most only half capped.
I checked the moisture content in a few frames yesterday. On one frame it was 16.2 in a capped section, and 23.1 in the central, uncapped area.
My bee buddy has suggested we put the supers on a stand, with a mesh floor under and another on top (entrances blocked to protect against wax moth), and run a fan heater on cold beneath the stack for a day or two.
What do you think? Might it work?

 

[masterBK]

Use a dehumidifer (borrow it) as ideal for the job

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've taken the honey from my country hives, but the town bees are being very slow to cap. There are two or three full, but not wholly capped supers on each hive, and all of them with very few frames fully capped and most only half capped.
I checked the moisture content in a few frames yesterday. On one frame it was 16.2 in a capped section, and 23.1 in the central, uncapped area.
My bee buddy has suggested we put the supers on a stand, with a mesh floor under and another on top (entrances blocked to protect against wax moth), and run a fan heater on cold beneath the stack for a day or two.
What do you think? Might it work?

It will work with a dehumidifier in a little room. It might take a week
It's how I used to do it before I got a Supers Heater from Abelo

 

[Eyeman]

My buckets go into the honey warming 'fridge' set to 36-40'C. Buckets are 60lb lid is off and small wedge place to keep top of fridge door slightly open allows humid air to escape. Latest one went from just over 21% cold to just under 19% hot in 7 days. When it cools it will drop another 1\2 %. Also samples taken from top of bucket so average % will be even less,

 

[victor meldrew]

My buckets go into the honey warming 'fridge' set to 36-40'C. Buckets are 60lb lid is off and small wedge place to keep top of fridge door slightly open allows humid air to escape. Latest one went from just over 21% cold to just under 19% hot in 7 days. When it cools it will drop another 1\2 %. Also samples taken from top of bucket so average % will be even less,



View attachment 16055

Hang a cloth over the gap. It will do two things ! It will prevent the ingress of dust etc.
Plus it will help to wick the moisture away !


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[Beefriendly]

It will work with a dehumidifier in a little room. It might take a week
It's how I used to do it before I got a Supers Heater from Abelo

Best thing since sliced bread. Took four supers of uncapped from 23% down to 19% in 48 hours.
Currently bringing another 4 supers of very runny heather down into legal limits. Reckon it's already paid for itself in rescued honey.

For buckets I use the abelo heated creamer because it stirs the honey around. I had a rogue batch of capped honey that turned out to not be legal....it is now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Best thing since sliced bread.

Plus, with that method, as well as taking ages to absorb moisture, sticky bread plays hell with the toaster

 

[Eyeman]

Hang a cloth over the gap. It will do two things ! It will prevent the ingress of dust etc.
Plus it will help to wick the moisture away !


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I'll give it a try.
Thanks

 

[thorn]

It will work with a dehumidifier in a little room. It might take a week
It's how I used to do it before I got a Supers Heater from Abelo

Is that the £325 trolly?

 

[Beefriendly]

Seems to have shot up in price since I bought mine. Yes, it is now £325.
As it's now "saved" me a few hundred lbs in weight of honey it has easily paid for itself.

Can also be used as a warming cabinet as well. Just build a poly hive on it with a couple of brood boxes.

They also reckon you can use it to de-crystallize set honey in the comb, I've yet to attempt that.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is that the £325 trolly?

Yep

 

[victor meldrew]

Yep

My fridge carcass with heater will have to do . I’m not made of money !


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[Millet]

I've taken the honey from my country hives, but the town bees are being very slow to cap. There are two or three full, but not wholly capped supers on each hive, and all of them with very few frames fully capped and most only half capped.
I checked the moisture content in a few frames yesterday. On one frame it was 16.2 in a capped section, and 23.1 in the central, uncapped area.
My bee buddy has suggested we put the supers on a stand, with a mesh floor under and another on top (entrances blocked to protect against wax moth), and run a fan heater on cold beneath the stack for a day or two.
What do you think? Might it work?

I did exactly the same as you last week.. uncapped/capped moisture level high... 16% to 24%
What i did was place the three supers on a open mesh floor with chocks of wood to take the floor higher..i then put a fan heater on a low setting for four days aimed at the right spot.. i also put a sheet of open mesh floor on top of the stack to stop the wasps and bees taking a free lunch..
It has worked a treat for me and i have just jarred my last 20 jars of running honey at 18% moisture..

 

[Amari]

I've taken the honey from my country hives, but the town bees are being very slow to cap. There are two or three full, but not wholly capped supers on each hive, and all of them with very few frames fully capped and most only half capped.
I checked the moisture content in a few frames yesterday. On one frame it was 16.2 in a capped section, and 23.1 in the central, uncapped area.
My bee buddy has suggested we put the supers on a stand, with a mesh floor under and another on top (entrances blocked to protect against wax moth), and run a fan heater on cold beneath the stack for a day or two.
What do you think? Might it work?

My method: calcium chloride which is used to dehumidify boats and caravans. I put a tray of crystals in my warming cabinet with two honey buckets.

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=597964&postcount=10

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kontrol-Mo...sr=8-1&keywords=calcium+chloride+dehumidifier

 

[Curley]

Seems to have shot up in price since I bought mine. Yes, it is now £325.
As it's now "saved" me a few hundred lbs in weight of honey it has easily paid for itself.

Can also be used as a warming cabinet as well. Just build a poly hive on it with a couple of brood boxes.

Being a Yorkshireman myself I made my own similar(super, two greenhouse heaters controlled by a STC1000 and a fan - no wheels (yet)) but almost certainly not as good as the Abelo. I use it primarily as a warming cabinet with empty broods/supers and a roof of kingspan, but also to keep supers warm prior to extraction, the whole process going much better with supers kept warm.
The only problem I have is that any slightly damaged combs tend to drip honey down, into the works. How does the abelo one handle honey/nectar dripping down when it has warmed it up?

 

[Beefriendly]

Removable tray in bottom and easily accessible ss covers over fans.

 

[Curley]

Thanks Beefriendly . Makes sense - the warm air flows round the sides of the tray?

 

[Beefriendly]

Air flow is throughout the supers. I place and empty one with the thermostat in the middle and top.

 

[user 6228]

help prevent the problem for next year by insulating the roofs if you havent already done so.

 

[Beefriendly]

help prevent the problem for next year by insulating the roofs if you havent already done so.

Insulating the roofs means all bees honey is legal?