Uncapping

[Luka22]

If you look on this page and select from the videos on the RH side "The Sling Ministry" then got to the 3.0 min in point you can see how easy it is to decap using the fork.

http://www.buckfast.dk/en/lectures.html

Thanks for that, wished to have a "Honey Shed" like that and I specially like the machine at 0:40. How great would it be to have that, but don't want to think about the price

And yes, I have used the fork similar, besides sometimes I tried to run it straight through, which is not the best way, plus I don't have a stand for the frame to uncapp which makes it even more difficult when you have to try to hold it with the other hand.

Unfortunately I can't see what they do to separate the Honey from the Cappings, my original question.

 

[wessexmario]

I use both an uncapping fork, and a serrated bread knife, over an ordinary tray.
I use the bread knife when the comb is flat, the uncapping fork is better with combs that are uneven.
Never used heat, as keeping it simple works for me.

 

[Ely]

I also use an uncapping fork (properly, not like a scratcher). If you don't want to mess around giving the cappings to the bees to clean up you can either rinse in water and make mead (adding extra honey depending how much is on the cappings) or rinse with vodka/spirit of your choice. I have made honeyed vodka and it was lovely.

 

[Luka22]

If you don't want to mess around giving the cappings to the bees to clean up you can either rinse in water and make mead (adding extra honey depending how much is on the cappings)

I have never heard of that. Would you be willing to tell me more about the rinsing? How much water would you add to how much cappings? I actually heard about someone who had a bucket of "Cappings Honey" and said its for mead because the water content is higher... I was wondering about it at the time but there was no chance to ask.

 

[wessexmario]

And yes, I have used the fork similar, besides sometimes I tried to run it straight through, which is not the best way, plus I don't have a stand for the frame to uncapp which makes it even more difficult when you have to try to hold it with the other hand.

a simple support can be made with a single piece of wood across the tray.
put a single woodscrew in the middle of the wood pointing upwards, and two slots in the bottom of the wood to engage with your tray/bucket which will catch the cuttings.
Hold the frame vertically by a sidebar with one hand and rest the other sidebar of the frame on the screw while uncapping.
Like this

Unfortunately I can't see what they do to separate the Honey from the Cappings, my original question.

mash the cuttings up and put them into a strainer or mesh bag and suspend over a bucket. Leave for 24 hrs and most of the honey will have drained.
If you have an extractor then the cuttings can be put in a mesh bag to be spun.
To clean the remaining wax of residual honey afterwards, just rinse it in warm water.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Thanks for that, wished to have a "Honey Shed" like that and I specially like the machine at 0:40. How great would it be to have that, but don't want to think about the price

And yes, I have used the fork similar, besides sometimes I tried to run it straight through, which is not the best way, plus I don't have a stand for the frame to uncapp which makes it even more difficult when you have to try to hold it with the other hand.

Unfortunately I can't see what they do to separate the Honey from the Cappings, my original question.

I've tried many methods, at uncapping....I'll list them all that I've tried, and then I'll tell you my favorite...

1. serrated uncapping knife

personally I find this clumsy, maybe I don't know how to use it correctly, and difficult when the way is not fully drawn out on the frame. I do not use this method anymore, despite the knife in the cutlery drawer.

2. hot bread knife

a disaster, not sharp enough, and keep having to put back in hot water. I do not use this method anymore.

3. uncapping fork

I always purchased these for, drone brood inspection (e.g. Varroa counts on drone brood). I find these very easy to use, there is some mess, cappings are remove very quickly, sometimes I've managed to stick myself with it! I do all my uncappings in used ice cream food grade trays from Kellys of Cornwall, and do all my uncapping into these large trays, I have buckets on hand to scrape the cappings into.

Some cappings are fed to bees, sometimes, I use for mead, sometimes I bung them all in a cappings filter, in my warming cabinet to drain, or put in my cappings bag, and spin in the extractor.

The wax is kept and used for wax making, candles, and re-sale.

4. heated uncapping knife

bulky, cable got in the way, honey got on the cable, I don't like it.

5. bosch heat gun used for paint stripping

I actually started out using a heat gun, but you can only use on dry, not wet cappings. I found my hand started to ache after a while.

6. commercial hot air gun used for surface mount electronics/eat shrink, temperature adjustment, and fine pencil

This model, was much better, more accurate, but too heavy.

7. electric uncapping tray

heavy, uses a lot of electric, worked very well, but took up too much space, I have a very small kitchen. So a large tray, somewhere to hang the frames, bucket to catch the wax, and extractor, I need a purpose built building, and extraction room!

8. electric brush type

what can I say, this is fantastic, it brushes off the wax cappings into the floor below, using nylon brushes, however some cappings end up all over the kitchen, I think an extraction room, or outside would be best for this device, but not sure, a wise idea to decapp frames outside! You have to watch your hands and knuclkes or they get brushed as well...

and my favorite is the uncapping fork!

Sorry....suits me best...

 

[Mart_got_hives]

I used a heat gun, no mess, no cappings to sort, no damage to drawn frames, brilliant, though i'm sure some will disagree.

I'm still using a capping fork myself but may give a heat gun a try this year, so I have questions..

What temperature does your heatgun put out? and how long do you keep it over the cappings? Maybe you could tell us the model.
Does the molten capping wax affect the comb later? I'm wondering if it thickens the edge of the cells.

 

[REDWOOD]

£ shop bread knife, home made uncapping tray.

 

[RogueDrone]

Has anyone tried an electric carving knife ? have a spare doing nothing so thinking of it for this season.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I'm still using a capping fork myself but may give a heat gun a try this year, so I have questions..

What temperature does your heatgun put out? and how long do you keep it over the cappings? Maybe you could tell us the model.
Does the molten capping wax affect the comb later? I'm wondering if it thickens the edge of the cells.

Hi, i use a Black & Decker heat gun, 1800 watt, used for heating shrink tube, its small & very light, i think variable speed ones are bigger so probably slightly heavier, mine feels about as heavy as a small hair dryer, weighs nothing. i have no idea what temp it runs at but its like a very hot hair dryer,, but would burn your hand if you were daft enough to put it over the nozzle, i press the button, let it get to its hottest temp( about 5/10 seconds) & move it towards the frame untill i see the cappings shrivel up, i just wave it side to side along the frame, once you do a couple you get the hang of it, no mess, no wax in your filters when draining your extractor, brilliant. I do 9 at a time for my extractor. The bees sort the frames out & fill them again no problem. It means they dont need to draw wax out again, just fill them. I tried the knives & found this much quicker & cleaner, worth a try.

 

[Ely]

I have never heard of that. Would you be willing to tell me more about the rinsing? How much water would you add to how much cappings? I actually heard about someone who had a bucket of "Cappings Honey" and said its for mead because the water content is higher... I was wondering about it at the time but there was no chance to ask.

With the honeyed spirit, it is just a case of putting your cappings in a bucket(obviously clean/food grade) and pouring your chosen spirit. How many cappings depends on your taste. Sieve the liquid back into a bottle through muslin. The mead - I admit to being a bodge artist and I do a lot of estimating which as a result I end up with varying strengths of mead so someone else may be able to advise you on the exact amount of cappings to make a nice mead. If I were to use pure honey I would put 4lbs in a demi john, along with an orange and top up the rest with water. The are quite a few recipes to make mead in the recipe section on the forum and lots more!

 

[Luka22]

@Ely I was just wondering because you wrote "you can either rinse in water". The Honey I saw in that bucket still looked like Honey, but as I was told with a higher water content. So now I do wonder how much you add for rinsing, so that you got Honey in the end just with a higher Water content but good to make Mead.

 

[biglongdarren]

hey has anyone bought one of these, thinking of buying one.
http://www.mannlake.co.uk/beekeeping-supplies/product/HH-231.html


Darren

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bought a much better one off Abelo - and cheaper too - they do one shallow one with a rack to hold the frame for forty odd quid and a deeper one with a spike about a tenner more. I bought the one with the spike. You have to uncap a heck of a lot of frames for the honey gate valve to be of any use, but I like it, it's a good bit of kit and looks a bit better than the one you've seen.

http://www.abelo.co.uk/product-category/uncapping-tables/

 

[Luka22]

I think I would prefer the deeper one, besides I would want it with a rack and not the spike...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think I would prefer the deeper one, besides I would want it with a rack and not the spike...

The one with a rack is the shallower one - still ample though, if I remember it's about eight inches deep - you would mant to empty it out before then anyway - it's handy because, as the cappings are sat in the topmost draining tray, by the time you've uncapped a few supers the honey has drained through to the bottom reservoir so you can take the cappings away and start again

 

[biglongdarren]

i know i am going to look illy here but what is the spike for??

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

it's to rest the frame on - you hold the frane by one lug and hold it vertically, resting the oppiste (bottom) side bar on the spike - I put the spike in the junction of the top bar and side bar - you can then work your uncapping knife either downwards towards the spike or upwards towards the top lug (depending on how you were taught to handle a knife) and by just swivelling the frame around you can do the other side.

 

[biglongdarren]

yes i understand it now, i might buy one now, thanks.

Darren

 

[Ely]

@Ely I was just wondering because you wrote "you can either rinse in water". The Honey I saw in that bucket still looked like Honey, but as I was told with a higher water content. So now I do wonder how much you add for rinsing, so that you got Honey in the end just with a higher Water content but good to make Mead.

I wouldn't worry about the exact water content of honey when making mead as long as it is 'honey' and not still 'nectar', i.e passed the shake test/ whatever method you used before extracting. If it had too much water content before extraction then it shouldn't have been extracted and in that case I wouldn't use it for mead as there may be bacteria present (the wrong sort) and already be fermenting.