What is your mix ratio??? and volume or weight???

joker1656 · June 14, 2009, 05:51:29 PM

I am still keeping syrup on my bees. Not sure it is absolutely neccessary, but nonetheless. A couple of them still need to draw a few more frames.

I am always wondering....is the way I measure the mixture okay? I just use a quart or gallon mason jar. I fill it with sugar and pour it into my container. I then fill the same mason jar with hot water, pour it in to the container with sugar, and then mix.

Obviously this is intended to be 1:1. Two jars of water for the 2:1. Is this accurate enough? It seems to work okay, but wondered if the bees would benefit with a more accurate recipe.

-Joker

iddee · June 14, 2009, 08:04:24 PM

For 1:1 you are fine.
For 2:1 you are backward. It should be 2 sugar to 1 water.

oldenglish · June 14, 2009, 08:16:53 PM

Kinda depends on if you want 1:1 by volumn or by weight ?
If by volumn then you are good to go, if by weight then you are off.

I just use 1lb sugar to 1 pint water

Michael Bush · June 14, 2009, 09:11:01 PM

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm#ratios

joker1656 · June 14, 2009, 10:24:21 PM

Thanks! Yeah, I have been doing 1:1. LOL I knew I was a goof, but good grief. Glad I have not been mixing the 2:1 the way I initially understood it. Thanks for setting me straight. That is why I asked.

The website was also very helpful.

iddee · June 14, 2009, 11:09:07 PM

oldenglish, how much does a pint of water weigh?

oldenglish · June 15, 2009, 12:03:57 AM

Quote from: iddee on June 14, 2009, 11:09:07 PM
oldenglish, how much does a pint of water weigh?

I have been told, but not actually checked it myself, that one pint of water will weigh 1lb

Brian D. Bray · June 15, 2009, 03:03:00 AM

Quote from: oldenglish on June 15, 2009, 12:03:57 AM
Quote from: iddee on June 14, 2009, 11:09:07 PM
oldenglish, how much does a pint of water weigh?

I have been told, but not actually checked it myself, that one pint of water will weigh 1lb

An old English ditty, before they changed to metric, goes like this: A pint is a pound the world around. 1 pint equals 16 fluid ounces and 1 lb equals 16 ounces. For the majority of liquid and solids used in food preperations that is a pretty accurate measure. One exception is honey which measures about 20 ounces per pint.

cundald · June 15, 2009, 01:34:48 PM

Here is a web site that has a calculation program for mixing syrup and a whole lot more.

http://beekeeping.com/goodies/conversions_bee.htm

Cundald

sc-bee · June 16, 2009, 01:20:15 AM

I thinksss id was pulllinggg your leg a little ;) Shame on you id :-D!

iddee · June 16, 2009, 09:56:21 AM

No, I'm just wondering...If a pint of water and a pint of sugar each weigh 1 lb., then how can one mix be on and the other be off? To me, 1:1 is just that. It can be pints, lbs., or a mixture of both. As Brian said, a pint is a pound, the world around.

sc-bee · June 16, 2009, 11:47:37 AM

I agree id and you hear this discussed all the time. And it usually comes down to someone saying a pint is a pound all the world round. But if you say cup to cup you will usually get an argument. I don't understand at all :? I do however understand people want to debate the dry measure vs liquid, weight etc I guess :?. Who knows what I understand I don't!

So for me 1:1
cup sugar : cup water
pint sugar : pint water
truck load sugar :truck load water :-D

I don't think the bees measure or care to split hairs!!!

joker1656 · June 16, 2009, 12:41:24 PM

Well, my question was definitely answered. Basically as long as I can figure out that 2:1 is sugar to water, I can quit being anal. Pint:pint or quart:quart they aren't that picky. Thanks! I'm a slow learner sometimes .... or most of the time... depends on who you ask. LOL

rick42_98 · June 16, 2009, 02:19:43 PM

I just keep it simple....I take one of those empty plastic gallon containers that a gallon of store bought water comes in. I funnel in 5 lbs of sugar. I then fill it up with warm water to the top and shake it around until the sugar is dissolved. Done.....I don't know how close this is to 1:1. If anyone can figure it out I would be much obliged.

iddee · June 16, 2009, 02:34:51 PM

Weigh it afterward and see what the water weighs. Then you can figure the ratio.

Hethen57 · June 16, 2009, 02:38:07 PM

For 1:1 syrup, I get pretty close by filling the quart jar about 2/3 full of sugar and the rest with warm water. I measured the first few weeks, but that was the way it worked in a jar. [Before you say that's not 1:1, think about all the space between the sugar granules that the other 1/3 of water fills before it reaches the 2/3 level...]

Brian D. Bray · June 18, 2009, 02:17:00 AM

Quote from: rick42_98 on June 16, 2009, 02:19:43 PM
I just keep it simple....I take one of those empty plastic gallon containers that a gallon of store bought water comes in. I funnel in 5 lbs of sugar. I then fill it up with warm water to the top and shake it around until the sugar is dissolved. Done.....I don't know how close this is to 1:1. If anyone can figure it out I would be much obliged.

Putting 5 lbs of sugar in a 1 gallon container and then adding hot water while mixing will yeild 1 gallon of exactly 1:1 syrup. I've done the measuring enough times to know that 1 by rote.