Syrup

[Erichalfbee]

I think the annual 2:1 syrup festival is one of the best features of this forum. Thanks for putting a novel twist on it, @B+. I would still love to know how mainlanders replicate the beautiful simplicity of 2 lbs to a pint all these Napoleon-loving governments have deprived us of.

Hooray.

 

[Finman]

You're wrong again Finman. I have used it and it works. I'm bored with this thread now though. Its gone on too long

Who starts game, he stands the game.

IT works... I do not believe, that you have 1000 litre pressure cooker. Don't piss me.

 

[B+.]

IT works... I do not believe, that you have 1000 litre pressure cooker.

No. Its only a 6L pressure cooker. I did about 4L at a time.
I wish I hadn't started this thread now. Its gone on too long

 

[Finman]

.
You have 70 hives and you need 3000 litre syrup.

You can put 4 kg Sugar into your your cooker. You cook about 1000 syrup dosages. So, 100 dosages a day. 4 dosages/hour. (24 hours/day)

Slow workers work at afternoon.

 

[B+.]

.
You have 70 hives and you need 3000 litre syrup.

I think you've extrapolated and come to the wrong conclusion Finman. Of course, I wouldn't feed all those colonies this way. It would be impractable.

At the moment, I am only feeding a few nucs this way. I don't need such large volumes of syrup for a few nucs

 

[Finman]

.
Halleluja that I was wrong

 

[casualman]

Why feed at all? As a beginner you will not be running a commercial operation and therefore are not subject to the necessity of taking most of the honey from a hive to make a living. I think you should leave sufficient honey in the hive for them to survive the winter. Only if there are insufficient stores should they be fed. If you can avoid the time and expense of feeding syrup do so.

 

[B+.]

Why feed at all?.

So many assumptions!!!! Why didn't you read what I said? It was simply to feed a few nucs

 

[bjosephd]

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

My two hives have only recently sorted themselves out a mated queen each. I actually want them to seriously get their numbers up before winter, as well as build more comb for brood, and stores.

So are you saying if I want them to increase their numbers to have enough 'staff' for winter (and enough staff to build comb and make stores for winter also) then I should be feeding them a weaker 1:1 solution? Im currently feeding them as thick as I can make it pretty much... is this then not the best for comb building and brood rearing??

 

[B+.]

are you saying if I want them to increase their numbers to have enough 'staff' for winter (and enough staff to build comb and make stores for winter also) then I should be feeding them a weaker 1:1 solution?

No.
They will use what they need and store the rest. If it is coming in slowly (i.e. 1:1) and they have to work to evaporate the moisture, they'll use it all and not store any/much of it. If it is concentrated (i.e. 2:1) it is coming in faster than they can use it so they will store the surplus.

 

[Finman]

Why feed at all? As a beginner you will not be running a commercial operation and therefore are not subject to the necessity of taking most of the honey from a hive to make a living. .

Wolly chip. That catch and release again!

That is not beekeeping.

Lasta summer my friend had 2 hectares potatoes, and she left them all into ground.

.

 

[Goran]

No. Its only a 6L pressure cooker. I did about 4L at a time.
I wish I hadn't started this thread now. Its gone on too long

Road to hell is paved with good intensions

 

[casualman]

This is what you said. no mention of nucs! sorry not psychic. "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."

 

[marshallh9]

I haven't read every single post in this thread so this may have already been mentioned or highlighted. There is an interesting article posted on the Wirral Beekeepers Site which appears to be a reproduction of the BBKA Newsletter 216. Hopefully here is the link http://www.wirralbeekeepers.co.uk/page42/
It was interesting to read about the reasons not to supersaturate the solution or overheat the solution.

 

[B+.]

This is what you said. no mention of nucs! sorry not psychic.

See post #125
This thread needs to go away. Its gone on far too long and completely failed to serve its purpose

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I haven't read every single post in this thread so this may have already been mentioned or highlighted. There is an interesting article posted on the Wirral Beekeepers Site which appears to be a reproduction of the BBKA Newsletter 216. Hopefully here is the link http://www.wirralbeekeepers.co.uk/page42/
It was interesting to read about the reasons not to supersaturate the solution or overheat the solution.

Great article! Latest Beecraft has the 2kg to 1 l version, which needs heating. If you give it time and the odd shake the true ratios dissolve at room temperature.

 

[Hivemaker.]

This thread needs to go away.

Good thread you started, B+,... i know you only mix small quantities in the pressure cooker for nucs, but how do you mix/prepare/produce your main bulk of syrup?

 

[B+.]

i know you only mix small quantities in the pressure cooker for nucs, but how do you mix/prepare/produce your main bulk of syrup?

I've been buying it in ready made. How about you?

 

[Hivemaker.]

I've been buying it in ready made. How about you?

Make all our own sugar syrup, never bought any, where do you buy it from now, what other make do you buy in bulk after the problem with Ambrosia last year.

 

[B+.]

Make all our own sugar syrup.

I think I'll be doing that in future too. Just wondering how you dissolve large quantities of sugar.
I know Michael Collier pumped the liquid continuously between two vats until it gradually dissolved. Is that how you do it? If this is at ambient temperature, how do you get it all into suspension?