Syrup

[B+.]

I know some beginners will be tearing their hair out trying to dissolve 2kg of granulated cane sugar into 1 litre of water to make syrup which they can feed to their bees at the moment....so here's how I do it

pour:
2 litres of water
4kg sugar

into a 6 liter pressure cooker and stir. Apply a little heat on the hob and bring it up to pressure (mine operates at 7lb pressure) . By this time, the pressure will have helped dissolve the sugar and it will be a completely smooth syrup. No granulated sugar left that didn't go into suspension!

I hope this helps someone out there.

 

[Nick Sonic]

Is 1:1 too diluted then...?

 

[B+.]

Is 1:1 too diluted then...?

At this time of the year, they need a more concentrated solution so they can pack it away as winter stores. If you feed them 1:1 solution, they'll just convert it to more brood. You also need to give as much as they can take at a time

 

[Thymallus]

At this time of the year, they need a more concentrated solution so they can pack it away as winter stores.

You guys certainly start winter feeding early. We currently have heather in full flow and the balsam has just come on line. I don't anticipate winter feeding until mid /late sept.

I make my winter syrup slightly differently. Boil kettle with 2 liters of water, add to pan on hot hob and add 4 kg of sugar and stir for about 5 minutes. I get into a routine whereby the first batch is finished and poured into 5 liter containers by the time the kettle has next boiled (It's a slow kettle....). I don't care if every last granule of sugar has dissolved as it will go into solution standing in the very hot water in the containers. I can make a lot of concentrated syrup in an hour.
Add a dash of thymol and away we go.

 

[8ace]

You guys certainly start winter feeding early. We currently have heather in full flow and the balsam has just come on line. I don't anticipate winter feeding until mid /late sept.

I make my winter syrup slightly differently. Boil kettle with 2 liters of water, add to pan on hot hob and add 4 kg of sugar and stir for about 5 minutes. I get into a routine whereby the first batch is finished and poured into 5 liter containers by the time the kettle has next boiled (It's a slow kettle....). I don't care if every last granule of sugar has dissolved as it will go into solution standing in the very hot water in the containers. I can make a lot of concentrated syrup in an hour.
Add a dash of thymol and away we go.

Where do you get tymol from ?

 

[Thymallus]

Thrones sell it. Look up hivemakers recipe with lecithin.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Where do you get tymol from ?

CWJ usually offer the best deal

 

[B+.]

I don't care if every last granule of sugar has dissolved as it will go into solution standing in the very hot water in the containers. I can make a lot of concentrated syrup in an hour.

I used to do it like that but it annoyed me when I couldn't get all the sugar to dissolve. My wife recommended using the pressure cooker (its alumnium so we won't use it for food (Alzheimers link) so I usually use it for sterilizing my II equipment). I don't use any other ingredients.

 

[8ace]

CWJ usually offer the best deal

Cwj is? C Wynne jones

 

[B+.]

You guys certainly start winter feeding early. We currently have heather in full flow and the balsam has just come on line. I don't anticipate winter feeding until mid /late sept.

There is no heather anywhere near me (Bedfordshire) and I've yet to see any balsam either

 

[theeggman]

C.Wynne Jones.

 

[Thymallus]

CWJ usually offer the best deal

True. I didn't know they sold the stuff. It's probably Thrones anyway bought in bulk. It's amazing how many of their products are.

 

[Hivemaker.]

..so here's how I do it

pour:
2 litres of water
4kg sugar

into a 6 liter pressure cooker and stir. Apply a little heat on the hob and bring it up to pressure (mine operates at 7lb pressure) .

Do you mix up all the syrup you need in small quantities like this?

 

[Thymallus]

There is no heather anywhere near me (Bedfordshire) and I've yet to see any balsam either

Plenty round me. Real flow on, both on and off the moors.
Although I understand the problem down south. I drove down to Pershore earlier this week. The hedgerows down there appeared barren, apart from ragwort. Whereas ours are still full of late meadowsweet, fireweed, bindweed, a yellow flower that I think is called hawksbit. The moors are currently ablaze with pink and fading purple heathers. Another month to go.

 

[B+.]

Do you mix up all the syrup you need in small quantities like this?

Only for the test colonies. I'm happy to feed production colonies Ambrosia (if they need it) as I don't need to measure the sugar intake.
How do you do it? I know Michael Collier used to use a pump and pump it back and forwards between two vats until it dissolved

 

[Hivemaker.]

Plenty round me. Real flow on, both on and off the moors.

Same here, even in the rain they are working flat out.

 

[B+.]

Plenty round me.

I may be camping on your doorstep next year ;-)

 

[Thymallus]

I may be camping on your doorstep next year ;-)

My heather site is currently guarded by 2 young bulls, which makes inspections interesting. You are welcome to camp there

 

[B+.]

My heather site is currently guarded by 2 young bulls, which makes inspections interesting. You are welcome to camp there

Remind me to tell you of the swarms I collected from Woburn safari park sometime (timber wolf enclosure).

 

[Thymallus]

Remind me to tell you of the swarms I collected from Woburn safari park sometime (timber wolf enclosure).

Okay, that beats my 2 bulls......