What did you do in the Apiary today?

[JamezF]

I also use the Lega Uncapping tray, 65x48x30 cm, stainless steel with a bucket and the 3 filters, 200, 400 and 600 microns underneath which saves a lot of time, I mainly use the 600 micron filter. The only problem with the Lega tray is that it is designed for langstroth frames, but a simple modification with 2 laths of wood either side and I can carry on uncapping and storing the National frames in the tray (between 12 and 15 frames) while the extractor is running.

Oh, yes, good point. That's the other improvement I need to sort for next year: having somewhere to hang uncapped frames so they're ready for loading into the extractor when the current batch is finished. That's never actually been a problem before because I've always been working on my own so I couldn't uncap whilst extracting.

James

 

[Antipodes]

Oh, yes, good point. That's the other improvement I need to sort for next year: having somewhere to hang uncapped frames so they're ready for loading into the extractor when the current batch is finished. That's never actually been a problem before because I've always been working on my own so I couldn't uncap whilst extracting.

James

Something like this or perhaps something with a deeper container under it?

https://www.catch.com.au/product/be...t page Recommendation&st=51&sp=1&oid=49200800

 

[Antipodes]

I also use the Lega Uncapping tray, 65x48x30 cm, stainless steel with a bucket and the 3 filters, 200, 400 and 600 microns underneath which saves a lot of time, I mainly use the 600 micron filter. The only problem with the Lega tray is that it is designed for langstroth frames, but a simple modification with 2 laths of wood either side and I can carry on uncapping and storing the National frames in the tray (between 12 and 15 frames) while the extractor is running.

That looks good. Do you find that the honey that drips/runs out has a higher water content? I suppose you'd blend it in with the other stuff anyhow....

 

[JamezF]

Something like this or perhaps something with a deeper container under it?

I've not had time to give it any proper thought yet, to be honest. What I had in mind was something that would allow frames to be suspended by the lugs over the uncapping tray until the extractor was ready, but just because that was what I had in mind doesn't mean it is the best solution.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

I won't worry about HMF levels as I can keep that back for "personal use"

You won't get much increase in HMF at 40C overnight

 

[Newbeeneil]

You won't get much increase in HMF at 40C overnight

It would probably take a couple of weeks to get above the legal limit of 40.

 

[elainemary]

Well it's reassuring to know that it's not just me having problems with the filters then

It's only half a dozen frames at most with honey that doesn't want to spin out, so perhaps I can put those back in the warming cabinet and jack up the temperature a bit to see if that helps. I won't worry about HMF levels as I can keep that back for "personal use"

James

That’s what I’m doing James - popping down to my local Thornes agent today to pick up a spare double filter strainer. Reckon they need swopping over every 3 or 4 supers. I also warm the honey before filtering and it runs through much quicker.

I know what you mean about plastic honey gates… even though I check the thread and the o ring and make sure they’re tight (after the odd previous mishap) they still seem to leak from the side a bit when bottling up.
Wonder if the stainless steel ones are better or if anyone has any ideas how to improve the ease of use / minimise leakage around the sides during use?

 

[elainemary]

You won't get much increase in HMF at 40C overnight

Read sonewhere for HMF to materially increase it has to be around 60c for around 5 hours

 

[Nannysbees]

Time to switch from operations and logistics to sales, marketing and finance!
A very enjoyable day at my village fete. Started with the fell race, followed by dog agility and the jazz band, then lots of goodies in the Produce tent and ended with the beer tent and a gin bar!

I hired a pitch for £10 and put on a display about ‘Planting more for our bees’ and sold lots of local honey. My Heather cut comb was v popular and sold out what I took, so was my home apiary Heather blend honey. Summer honey from down the valley sold well too. Beeswax wraps and blocks slower.

Final push next week when I start heather extraction and the main crop of heather blend.

Your stand looks amazing

 

[Erichalfbee]

anyone has any ideas how to improve the ease of use / minimise leakage around the sides during use?

Technique. Taught me by @mbc. You need to keep decent pressure on the valve while it's open.

 

[elainemary]

Oh, yes, good point. That's the other improvement I need to sort for next year: having somewhere to hang uncapped frames so they're ready for loading into the extractor when the current batch is finished. That's never actually been a problem before because I've always been working on my own so I couldn't uncap whilst extracting.

James

I bought this straining / uncapping tray from Thornes a few seasons ago. Base tray has a tap to decant strained cappings honey with a strainer tray that sits on top. Comes with a piece of wood that sits across the tray with a sunken groove to place the end of the lug when uncapping. Also a metal rack to put uncapped supers and a lid.
I leave the cappings overnight and usually from around 6 or 7 supers get about 10lb of drained honey that then needs a final filter. The tray is nice and large

 

[elainemary]

Technique. Taught me by @mbc. You need to keep decent pressure on the valve while it's open.

Please explain how?

 

[Anduril]

That looks good. Do you find that the honey that drips/runs out has a higher water content? I suppose you'd blend it in with the other stuff anyhow....

I store the supers in a conservatory before extracting to get the water content down. Results for this year are between 16 to 18% water content. Also as an experiment I had a thin layer of honey on a tray in the conservatory to see what I could get it down to, I stopped at 12% water content.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Read sonewhere for HMF to materially increase it has to be around 60c for around 5 hours

https://sheffieldbeekeepers.org.uk/important-temperatures-beekeeping/

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Something to check out come the sales, by the looks of it. I may have to delegate to another child: "I'm uncapping and filling buckets etc., you're loading/spinning/unloading and you're cleaning the filters"

takes minutes - do it outside, hose set to 'jet' and and a quick blast on the underside clears it, quick shake or stood in the sun for a while and it's dry.
I find you can manage by cleaning the coarser mesh with a quick scrape with a spatula (dumping the stuff back onto the uncapping tray) regularly, say every four supers and cleaning the whole lot with a hose every eight or twelve

That's the other improvement I need to sort for next year: having somewhere to hang uncapped frames so they're ready for loading into the extractor when the current batch is finished.

I just bought a 600x400x200mm deep food safe box from Solent Plastics, shallow frames fit nicely on the top rim, you just have to remember to regularly pour out the honey that drips into it before it gets too heavy, I have the same size box to put my uncapping tray on as the Abelo uncapping outfit drip tray, although fitted with a honey gate is too tall for me to uncap the frames comfortably

 

[elainemary]

https://sheffieldbeekeepers.org.uk/important-temperatures-beekeeping/

I use their table eg for heating heather honey quickly to 60 / 63 to decrystallise, for an hour. I remembered where Id read about HMF and time / temperature...Andy Peldley's new book on 'Food safety for beekeepers'. He's the H&S officer at the National honey show & qualified in environmental health. HMF should be no more than 40mg/kg and he states that it takes 1-2.5days at 60C & similar for 70C, for 30mg of HMF to accumulate, based on analysis of 3 samples. It takes 4-10 days at 50C and 2 hours at 80C. So don't need to worry about heating honey at 60C for an hour.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Please explain how?

Easy. People complain when jarring that the honey drips round the top and side of the valve.
When you open the valve you need to press the front bit hard against the rest of the valve and not let go. That way there is no where for any honey to go but out the opening you have created. Even the cheapest honey gate works this way. Where plastic gates fall down is in settling tanks. They leak. SS gates are much better

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Easy. People complain when jarring that the honey drips round the top and side of the valve.
When you open the valve you need to press the front bit hard against the rest of the valve and not let go. That way there is no where for any honey to go but out the opening you have created. Even the cheapest honey gate works this way. Where plastic gates fall down is in settling tanks. They leak. SS gates are much better

Thorne's sell a more substantial plastic gate valve with a guide strip that maintains contact with the clamping screw for partial opening of the valve. My son bought me a couple a few years ago and they work quite well.

 

[elainemary]

Thorne's sell a more substantial plastic gate valve with a guide strip that maintains contact with the clamping screw for partial opening of the valve. My son bought me a couple a few years ago and they work quite well.

Is it this one John?
https://www.thorne.co.uk/processing...-strainers/valves/clean-cut-valve-medium.html

 

[pargyle]

Is it this one John?
https://www.thorne.co.uk/processing...-strainers/valves/clean-cut-valve-medium.html

Good and I mean good ... not the crap cheap ones you can get on ebay ... stainless steel honey gates are by far the most reliable. Very few of the plastic ones are as reliable but one that I've found pretty good is this one from Thornes.

https://www.thorne.co.uk/processing...valves/honey-valve-plastic-1-5-quot-bore.html
Replacing the rubber seal every couple of years helps and not leaving the valve tightened down when not in use extends the seal life.