Where to buy 100% powdered suger

[Falesh]

I am wondering where I can buy powdered sugar that doesn't have anti caking agent or any ingredients other then sugar. Does anyone know where you can buy this?

Cheers!

 

[Goran]

I am wondering where I can buy powdered sugar that doesn't have anti caking agent or any ingredients other then sugar. Does anyone know where you can buy this?

Cheers!

I believe You cannot buy pure powdered sugar, cause it is highly hygroscopic and as addition is added starch to not granulate too fast. Only way I believe is to grind the sugar and use it immediately ( we do it that way for fondant-pattie).

 

[pargyle]

I believe You cannot buy pure powdered sugar, cause it is highly hygroscopic and as addition is added starch to not granulate too fast. Only way I believe is to grind the sugar and use it immediately ( we do it that way for fondant-pattie).

Yep ... Spot on Goran.

Use normal granulated sugar and blitz it in a food processor until it's fine enough to use and then use it immediately or it will go rock hard in no time.

 

[Goran]

We use special grinder which cost around 600-650 euros, it process around 25kg of sugar within 5 minutes. This way we avoid to increase temps in fondant preparing over 60 celsius ( to don't increase HMF with higher temps).

 

[pargyle]

We use special grinder which cost around 600-650 euros, it process around 25kg of sugar within 5 minutes. This way we avoid to increase temps in fondant preparing over 60 celsius ( to don't increase HMF with higher temps).

That's a fairly industrial system then !! ....

 

[Goran]

That's a fairly industrial system then !! ....

It seems I lost a pic of it, but found on the web similar:

http://www.mojepcele.host56.com/1_16_Mlin-za-e-er.html

 

[itma]

I am wondering where I can buy powdered sugar that doesn't have anti caking agent or any ingredients other then sugar. Does anyone know where you can buy this?

Cheers!

OK, I'll bite.

Why?


// "Innocent face" as Mrs Speaker allegedly Tweeted ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I am wondering where I can buy powdered sugar that doesn't have anti caking agent or any ingredients other then sugar. Does anyone know where you can buy this?

Cheers!

there is a product available but unfortunately it's not powdered -as far as I know, all major and minor supermarkets sell it and it comes in bags in a variety of sizes - usually 1kg - it's usually marketed as ' sugar'

 

[Falesh]

This is for powdering for varroa (which I will only be using as a small complement, while broodless, to more effective treatments). I had read that the types with anti caking agent were not good to use so it is surprising that you can't buy it without that.

What type would you recommend for dusting, or is it best just to make your own then?

 

[VEG]

I think you are referring to icing sugar

 

[enrico]

Yep...... I think they are talking about good old icing sugar!
E

 

[iand]

I've a packet of fondant icing sugar ("for a soft glossy finish") in front of me now, it has TWO ingredients "icing sugar & dried glucose syrup" nothing untoward there!

 

[itma]

This is for powdering for varroa (which I will only be using as a small complement, while broodless, to more effective treatments). I had read that the types with anti caking agent were not good to use so it is surprising that you can't buy it without that.

What type would you recommend for dusting, or is it best just to make your own then?

The most obvious points that arise are that
1 - references to powdered sugar indicate an American reference
2 - internet-active Americans seem excessively concerned about food safety and additives (they do actually have a few shockers)
3 - the common UK Icing Sugar additives are Tricalcium Phosphate and Flour (potato starch or cornflour). These aren't poisonous to bees or humans. The Tricalcium Phosphate is also used as a medicinal calcium supplement. However, the amount in the sugar is way too little to be a benefit (let alone a hazard).
4 - pure sugar dust is a wildly un-natural product to douse a bee with, no more and no less than the 'additives'.
5 - you won't do your bees any harm with UK Icing Sugars.
6 - however, you won't do them much good. Covering the bees with dust does allow the bees to groom off many of the mites riding around on them. But for most of the year, these 'phoretic' mites are in the minority. Most mites are in sealed brood cells. Frequent dusting will reduce the rate of mite population growth (so it will take more than the standard 3 or 4 weeks for the population to double).
Icing Sugar is not a complete treatment for varroa.
7 - Varroa will do your bees much much more harm than any authorised sugar additive!
8 - If there is anything to worry about with Icing Sugar, it could be particle size, and how that relates to the bees breathing system - the size of the spiracles and suchlike. I'm unaware of any problems being reported from the use of UK Icing Sugar on bees. However, if you grind your own sugar, you'll have little control over the particle size distribution.


Rather than reading Americans worrying about food additives, I'd hope that you would have taken a look at the UK orthodoxy ("Managing Varroa" - a free download from Beebase), before exploring the less orthodox!

 

[Falesh]

5 - you won't do your bees any harm with UK Icing Sugars.

I should have just asked this at the start rather then assuming that it was bad because I had read that a few times. It is sometimes hard to notice when you pick up a preconceived notion.

Powdered sugar is only a small part of my planned varroa strategy. I am planning to shook swarm each year and will be using the powdered sugar at that time as well as oxalic acid. I will also be using the powdered sugar in autumn once there are few new eggs being laid, I might also use oxalic acid though I'm not sure I will need the oxalic as the shook swarm plus oxalic & dusting should be extremely effective. I don't pretend it as the belt, and saying it is the bracer is probably too strong, but it won't hurt and in the specific circumstances I am using it in it might do sometime to keep my beekeeping trousers up.

The beebase is a great site, I have read most of the pdf's there. I found Scientific Beekeeping very interesting too. I don't have the energy to go to classes, I have chronic fatigue, so I am trying to make sure that I only put into practice solid and well tested methods of beekeeping.

 

[oliver90owner]

Doesn't exactly do larvae any good if they get dosed with too much of it. As above, removing some of the 15%, or so, phoretic mites is not a 'good' result.

I would not dust bees in a hive with icing sugar as there are better ways to deal with mites. I have, in the past, 'sugar rolled' all the bees when removed from the hive, then allowed to walk back to the hive - on a suitably warm day. This would be while only open brood was present (for a captured swarm or artificial swarm) and then the first first capped brood were culled, to remove the last of the phoretic mites. Seemed to be effective treatment, sufficient for the rest of the summer, until that very important pre-winter bee treatment.

RAB

 

[Hachi]

Suagr rolled RAB how do you do that?

 

[oliver90owner]

Suagr rolled RAB how do you do that?

I whistle them out of the hive and get them to queue up in an orderly line. They each, in turn, then climb into an upturned honey jar lid, filled with icing sugar, and roll to the other side before climbing out and returning to the hive.

The queen is easy to spot as she will be laying over 5000 eggs per day so will have a HUGE abdomen. She has to be HUGE - think of how many times her body weight she has to consume daily to make that many eggs. Yes, HUGE.

Whole process takes about ten hours.

Any suggestions, like shaking the bees through a funnel into a nuc box containing some icing suar, rolling them about a bit before tipping them onto a ramp/runway covered with a sheet would be appreciated.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I whistle them out of the hive and get them to queue up in an orderly line.

Ah, but that requires a bee whistle, which seems to be unobtainable nowadays and the competent use of; and when you do see them on fleabay they sell for ridiculous prices - even more than honey grading glasses

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And five thousand eggs a day! where would you get such a prolific queen RAB? I want one Surely she'd need a rest after a few weeks of laying like that! if so, Perfect opportunity so slosh a bit of oxalic in there what!

 

[oliver90owner]

And five thousand eggs a day! where would you get such a prolific queen RAB?

'Fraid I don't have any spare at the moment JBM. The trouble is they always seem to swarm thee weeks after the queen stops laying which presents the obvious problem of where the new queen will come from. But all is usually OK as less than three weeks later one is sure to find sealed brood. I originally found my first one advertised in a comic. We had 'The Beezer' when I was a child but also read 'Dandy', 'Eagle' and one other, the name of which I just can't quite remember at this moment in time, so must be unimportant. I think that other comic had them. Can you remember that other name, JMB?

This only works in the UK during the months of April to early July, but works in South Africa for the rest of the year, so I am told. Something to do with avian migration, maybe? Oh, and must not be clear skies either! But doesn't actually need to rain.

Don't know about the oxalic connection - I treat effectively in the autumn and leave my bees in peace, without unnecessary interference, until springtime.

Sorry if this is not too clear, but you can PM me should you need any clarification on any points.

RAB