Wax/honey recovery

[Tom Bick]

I have just sorted out a video of my simple steam wax extractor and came across this video. It’s a commercial US operation and its very interesting especially the honey recovery bit. Not to most of our tastes but he does refer to heated honey so it’s sold on as recovered heated honey and refers to cooking and barbecue sauce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVGUzgb43vU

If you want to look at my effort in comparison without the honey recovery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTvys1Tw_NQ

 

[dexter's shed]

bloody interesting video, thanks for posting, have wondered if I could separate honey from wax from last years cut comb that had set, now I know

 

[Tom Bick]

Should be possible but would not go as high as they mention in the video. Should also be possible to liquify the honey in the combs without melting the wax.

 

[Finman]

.
Honey recovery from carbage....

 

[itma]

Not too keen on the American gentleman's idea of blending in some of the cooked "bakers honey" into your prime honey ...

But certainly, the idea of wax purification by letting the melt settle for a short while and then only pouring off the top, fully clean layer (stopping well before you get to the 'bits'), does work pretty well, even on a small scale. Problem is that, on a small scale, the wax sets faster, so you have to work faster too!

 

[midnight sun]

.
Honey recovery from carbage....

To be honest, I wouldn't fancy that honey. I would have thought that the process would degrade the honey to some extent and probably give it a 'caramelised' flavour. (I know he mentioned "bakers honey" but still........)
Happy to be corrected though.....

 

[Finman]

.
It has taste of melted wax. Awfull.

 

[midnight sun]

.
It has taste of melted wax. Awfull.

Thanks Finman, I suspected as much. Now we know why some 'shop' bought honey tastes so bad if it's blended with that stuff. I'll stick to my 'straight from the hive' honey. Regards Dave

 

[BeeJayBee]

It looks as if he's using an api melter, or similar.

 

[Tom Bick]

Thanks Finman, I suspected as much. Now we know why some 'shop' bought honey tastes so bad if it's blended with that stuff. I'll stick to my 'straight from the hive' honey. Regards Dave

It did make me think is that how they maintained a constant similar colour when a good percentage of our honey is often different from super to super. There is probably a large amount of commercial honey from around the world extracted from brood combs and this process is only recovering a very small amount in the big scheme of things and it's made clear it's destined for cooking although blending is mentioned but could still be for cooking.

 

[midnight sun]

It did make me think is that how they maintained a constant similar colour when a good percentage of our honey is often different from super to super. There is probably a large amount of commercial honey from around the world extracted from brood combs and this process is only recovering a very small amount in the big scheme of things and it's made clear it's destined for cooking although blending is mentioned but could still be for cooking.

That is true. Looking at the video again, it doesn't specify. Extractions from brood comb......
Wonder if it's like Tequila, free grub with every jar?

 

[Finman]

.
Honey is not do expencive that you can use good and proper honey in cooking. Only one spoonfull to the food.

 

[midnight sun]

.
Honey is not do expencive that you can use good and proper honey in cooking. Only one spoonfull to the food.

Large food producing companies may benefit perhaps, but not worth it for good home cooking.

 

[Tom Bick]

That is true. Looking at the video again, it doesn't specify. Extractions from brood comb......
Wonder if it's like Tequila, free grub with every jar?

Yes brood frames but frames that have been occupied with brood at one time or another and as the brood is vacated then the combs filled with honey and later extracted.

If you want honey brood nectar and everything else in your honey then this video is for you. But remember it’s a different part of the world so things may be different and given the colours of their uniform perhaps they know it’s for export

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLv390yWTjU&feature=g-vrec&context=G23f109bRVAAAAAAAABg

 

[midnight sun]

Yes brood frames but frames that have been occupied with brood at one time or another and as the brood is vacated then the combs filled with honey and later extracted.

If you want honey brood nectar and everything else in your honey then this video is for you. But remember it’s a different part of the world so things may be different and given the colours of their uniform perhaps they know it’s for export

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLv390yWTjU&feature=g-vrec&context=G23f109bRVAAAAAAAABg

Interesting. Just seemed to be uncapping the upper honey arc of the brood frame then putting the brood back. (eyes not what they used to be!)
It looked to me that they could benefit from a few supers on their hives to save messing about with the brood frames like they do. Still one thing that surprised me was the extent of the comb building and number of bees in the box. I think we would have done swarm control by that stage, although I appreciate styles differ (as you pointed out) for their purposes..

 

[pargyle]

Do you think that spinning the frames would kill any brood left in them ?

 

[Tremyfro]

There is all the extra Manuka that was sold!

 

[Tom Bick]

Do you think that spinning the frames would kill any brood left in them ?

Yes especially all the uncapped as they hit the side of the extractor

 

[midnight sun]

Yes especially all the uncapped as they hit the side of the extractor

Agree. I would also imagine that any that were capped (even if the cap stopped them from being ejected onto the wall) they would be damaged due to centripetal force. If the larvae were in a state of metamorphosis, the differentiation would be disrupted, I would guess and either the result would be deformed bees (therefore pulled out by the workers and ejected) or the metamorphosis would not be successful, and the larva would die anyway.
Very destructive method of getting a few pounds of honey. Of course I am only theorising and have no proof of the results.