Which heather honey press to buy?

[peterbees]

We are looking to buy one or maybe two new heather honey presses to lend out to our BKA members. We have a Thorn's Economy press which is OK, but it is very slow, there is no means of bolting it down, and the timber base is not very hygienic. We are looking for suggestions for alternative entry-level machines.
We want to encourage members to produce more heather honey. Cut comb honey has limited demand here.
Have any Forum members used the Italian all-stainless 11-litre crossbar fruit press for heather honey? Is it any good?
Many thanks.

 

[Hivemaker.]

We are looking for suggestions for alternative entry-level machines.

I like the old Mountain grey (MG) honey press, but how about building your own heather honey press from the links below.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MnzWew5Awk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnu0UGxnJWA

....or having them built specially for you....

http://www.hardwoodcrafts.co.uk/presses.htm

...they can also be used for pressing wax...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maTcxjhkB4w

 

[Beefriendly]

I use the 11 liter stainless jobby myself for heather honey. It does the job fine but it is a slow and tedious business. I find I need to take out the compressed wax cylinder, crumble it all up and re-extract again to get all the honey out. Use a straining bag, otherwise the mesh holes get stuffed solid with wax.

 

[alfazer]

Looking at Hivemaker's link ^^^...

www.hardwoodcrafts.co.uk/presses

...surely the cheese press style is far better idea for a honey press, because you just hang a weight on it, walk away and come back at your convenience. No repetitive screw turning and waiting around.
I've seen one of these custom built in stainless for pressing ling honey and it seemed well regarded.

 

[Briarfield]

I use the 11 liter stainless jobby myself for heather honey. It does the job fine but it is a slow and tedious business. I find I need to take out the compressed wax cylinder, crumble it all up and re-extract again to get all the honey out. Use a straining bag, otherwise the mesh holes get stuffed solid with wax.

I have the same. It was a lot cheaper from a brewing supplier than a beekeeping one[emoji6]

Between it and the bees I have had a few cards at shows including the NHS last week.

 

[peterbees]

I have the same. It was a lot cheaper from a brewing supplier than a beekeeping one[emoji6]

Between it and the bees I have had a few cards at shows including the NHS last week.

Congratulations on your successes. This looks like the machine to go for.

 

[Briarfield]

Congratulations on your successes. This looks like the machine to go for.

Not first. Second

What is interesting is the difference between the first pressing and that after the breakup of the wax for the second.

 

[local_beekeeper]

The best heather press and easy to use:

http://www.vigopresses.co.uk/Catalogue/Fruit-Presses/40-litre-Hydropress-91319

 

[daroco]

Are there any guidelines about the volume of honey each press is suitable for?

 

[ladaok]

have a look o the inter web to see how us guys extract jelly like honey ( manooka )
some fellas strip the wole comb from plastic frames and mash and centrifuge

 

[LevensGardener]

Hydropress

The best heather press and easy to use:

Vigo Hydropress

Local Beekeeper - do you use the hydropress for your heather honey? I can borrow one from a local orchard group if it is a winner.
Would I need a spare filter bag - will it get messed up with wax/propolis?

 

[peterbees]

I believe the Italian all-stainless steel fruit press has 11 litres capacity, about double the capacity of the Thorns Economy honey press. It is marketed as suitable for honey.

 

[BMH]

if anyone ever wants to borrow mine. Give me a shout.

I am in north wales and have a 100 litre press!

 

[peterbees]

if anyone ever wants to borrow mine. Give me a shout.

I am in north wales and have a 100 litre press!

Thanks, that's a good offer.

 

[Beefriendly]

Local Beekeeper - do you use the hydropress for your heather honey? I can borrow one from a local orchard group if it is a winner.
Would I need a spare filter bag - will it get messed up with wax/propolis?

I've not used one myself but was recently talking to a chap who does use a hydro press for heather honey extraction. He reckoned there were good and bad points. The bad points being if you allow the bladder to fill too fast at first the honey simply comes out too fast and overwhelms the collection area. So it's a very slow fill to 3 bars pressure. Then as more honey seeps out, pressure drops below 3 bars, let in more water to get back to 3 bars presses more out and so on and so on. So he reckons it's quite slow. Apparently it's also vital to not let the pressure rise above 3bars, if you do the emergency pressure valve opens and water shoots everywhere and heather honey has enough moisture content as it is!
The good points being it extracts all the heather honey leaving a thin dry conical cylinder of wax. Efficient, but perhaps not great on your time if you have 20-30 supers to deal with.
He reckons this loosner machine and then normal centrifugal extraction might be the answer.
http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=107331

Anyone know of anyone who has one and how efficient it works? I know from bad experiences in the past that the cheap roller agitators are inefficient leaving an awful lot of heather honey in the comb after spinning.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I used an older version of one of these manual ones
http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=107380rious damage to the comb

It was tiring work but it got most of the honey out and without any serious damage to the comb which is an added bonus.
The older one is all stainless steel so probably quite a bit heavier than the new one which has nylon needles. I may invest in one next season.

 

[peterbees]

I used an older version of one of these manual ones
http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=107380rious damage to the comb

It was tiring work but it got most of the honey out and without any serious damage to the comb which is an added bonus.
The older one is all stainless steel so probably quite a bit heavier than the new one which has nylon needles. I may invest in one next season.

Link doesn't work

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Link doesn't work

will now - cursor skip meant I'd accidentally edited it (I was wondering where the end of that sentence went!!

http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp?side=0&vareid=107380

 

[SDM]

if anyone ever wants to borrow mine. Give me a shout.

I am in north wales and have a 100 litre press!

I wish you'd said that 6 weeks ago, I'd have bitten your hand off.

Peter, would a pair of hand looseners not make more sense for Conwy Beekeepers ?
it would be cheaper to buy, could be rented out with the existing 2.extractors and everybody would get to keep their comb.

 

[peterbees]

I wish you'd said that 6 weeks ago, I'd have bitten your hand off.

Peter, would a pair of hand looseners not make more sense for Conwy Beekeepers ?
it would be cheaper to buy, could be rented out with the existing 2.extractors and everybody would get to keep their comb.

Good suggestion. We will look into that.
There is definitely a need for up to date best practice information on practical, hygienic ways of processing heather honey. We want to encourage more heather beekeeping. We have terrific heather in North Wales, but most of it never sees a honeybee.