Filtering honey

bassman1977 · July 19, 2009, 11:35:57 PM

Just did a harvest today. Got about 30 gallons from 3 hives. I'm in serious need of a bigger extractor, especially as I am building up. I saw the one on another post that JP got. Nice one and I will be looking into one of those jobs in time. In the mean time, we were slowed up considerably by the filtering of the honey using the double sieve. It just gets clogged up way too fast. Any ideas what I can do to speed the process along? And before someone suggests not filtering, this is not an option. I need a filtering method that isn't going to eat time. 12 hours to extract 9 supers is ridiculous. Thanks!

asprince · July 19, 2009, 11:41:29 PM

Maybe you need to warm it up a bit.

Steve

bassman1977 · July 20, 2009, 07:29:19 AM

QuoteMaybe you need to warm it up a bit.

The thought had crossed my mind. This is probably the coolest it's ever been during a harvest. 80 degrees in house and the honey was really thick.

Robo · July 20, 2009, 09:05:57 AM

Quote from: bassman1977 on July 20, 2009, 07:29:19 AM
QuoteMaybe you need to warm it up a bit.

The thought had crossed my mind. This is probably the coolest it's ever been during a harvest. 80 degrees in house and the honey was really thick.

Sounds like Steve hit it. :)

I always keep the honey house 90F+ and also have a heater tape wrapped around the extractor.

bassman1977 · July 20, 2009, 09:11:34 AM

I'll give that a try for next time. Thanks guys.

Pond Creek Farm · July 22, 2009, 11:37:56 PM

Bassman, if you do not mind me asking, how old are these hives? This is my second year, but I had to start over with new packages and nucs this year since I lost all of my hives last year. I have the added bonus of drawn comb this year andhave pulled some oney, but I curious about how one gets so much honey from 3 hives. I have no shot of three supers per hive this year.

asprince · July 23, 2009, 08:25:33 AM

Location, location, location. Your bees must me in an area with with a good and steady nectar flow. For years I kept most of my bees in an area that I was convinced was outstanding. My bees did not do well and I did not make much honey. My mentor convinced me to move them. They do much better now and make me some honey.

Steve

danno · July 23, 2009, 08:45:24 AM

Andy
Back in the 70s and 80s evryone had a water bed. When I got rid of mine I new that someday the heater would come in handy. If you can find one they wrap completely around a bucket and are about 15" wide so they cover from top to bottom. The thermistat can be set at 70- 100. As for JP extractor they are very nice. I got a 30 frame Maxant plus 3 knives and a 25gal water jacketed clarifier for 400.00

bassman1977 · July 23, 2009, 12:34:07 PM

QuoteBassman, if you do not mind me asking, how old are these hives?

The hives in question are 3 years old. I have two others that are splits from this year. I started one on fully drawn foundation. I expect to get comb honey from this one. The other, I am not going to get anything from it this year.

QuoteI have the added bonus of drawn comb this year and have pulled some oney,

I replaced a bunch of comb in the brood boxes this year from all of my older hives, they are foundationless. They are all rebuilt.

Quotebut I curious about how one gets so much honey from 3 hives.

The area I have a couple of my hives have a lot of wild flowers and other nectar producing plants. Lots of farming area and just brushy areas not being used for anything. I knew it would be a good area for the bees, but never expected to get what I got. This is my first year at this particular outyard. I'll be expanding there next season. My home apiary is kind of similar (it's about 5 miles from my outyard). I've always had pretty good success at my home apiary. Not last year though. Last year was just outright bad.

QuoteBack in the 70s and 80s evryone had a water bed. When I got rid of mine I new that someday the heater would come in handy. If you can find one they wrap completely around a bucket and are about 15" wide so they cover from top to bottom. The thermistat can be set at 70- 100. As for JP extractor they are very nice. I got a 30 frame Maxant plus 3 knives and a 25gal water jacketed clarifier for 400.00

Thanks I'll check into the water bed heater. I think my dad might have some of that laying around somewhere. How do you like the clarifier? Do you have a dedicated honey room?

indypartridge · July 23, 2009, 12:44:17 PM

Quote from: bassman1977 on July 19, 2009, 11:35:57 PM
In the mean time, we were slowed up considerably by the filtering of the honey using the double sieve. It just gets clogged up way too fast. Any ideas what I can do to speed the process along?

I just had that problem last week. Fortunately, the person I borrowed the extractor from also included their double sieve, so I had two sets. When one got clogged, I could just swap it out, let it drain, and then scrape out the debris.

Warming the honey may help, but it won't eliminate the clogs.

danno · July 23, 2009, 02:04:00 PM

Andy
I have not set anything up yet so I dont know how the clarifier will work. I have a 3 stall garage with a kitchen set up in one stall. I am planning on building a dedicated honey house so at this time I'm just collect equipment when I can find a deal.

bassman1977 · July 23, 2009, 05:49:49 PM

Gotcha. I don't know what I am going to do as far as a dedicated honey house yet. In the next couple years I will be building a 3 1/2 car garage and was considering attaching a honey house to it, but we'll see. I think whatever I build, it'll have to be something that I can use as something else for when the time comes and I get too old for this.

MustbeeNuts · July 23, 2009, 10:49:48 PM

I'm still working on that honey house project. maybe next year. LOL Sure would be a nice thing to have.

Bee-Bop · July 24, 2009, 08:39:38 AM

This speeded up my poorman operation !

Hope this link works;
I'll have to post pic. of homemade filter, made from a 5 gal bucket also.

Bee-Bop

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?action=post;topic=23592.msg182666;quote=182666;sesc=9a2e9519c69a437f33bb0b3652c230af

bassman1977 · July 24, 2009, 09:12:39 AM

No, link didn't work.

Bee-Bop · July 24, 2009, 12:08:25 PM

I got posting instructions, I'll try again

Don't bet on it !

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,23592.msg182666.html#msg182666

Bee-Bop

Irwin · July 24, 2009, 12:13:18 PM

It worked this time Bee-Bop :-D

BruinnieBear · August 22, 2009, 05:48:08 AM

Quote from: danno on July 23, 2009, 08:45:24 AM
Andy
Back in the 70s and 80s evryone had a water bed. When I got rid of mine I new that someday the heater would come in handy. If you can find one they wrap completely around a bucket and are about 15" wide so they cover from top to bottom. The thermistat can be set at 70- 100.

Do you have to monitor the heat closely?

I can remember toasting the bottom of a matress that didn't have adequate water in it. I believe they work best when they have a large volume of water to heat.

My curse is that my parents came from the Depression era. They never threw anything away that might be used in the future. I'm a horrible packrat because of it, to my wife's frustration. I've still got mine from the "free-spirit" days. But I might add, you can still get a great deal on ebay.

BB

BruinnieBear · August 22, 2009, 06:00:27 AM

One of the biggest problems with clogs, I've found, is the way you prepare the frames. Cappings scrathers are horrible for filtering, whether or not you have an uncapping tank. Alternately, you may want to consider a hot knife to uncap. Very low tech, to be sure, but very clean.

Using warm frames is so much easier, but instead of fancy heating bands or a hot honey house consider placing a low wattage bulb in an empty super, below your honey supers. It warms them nicely without any special considerations.

Low tech/ KISS method.

BB

deknow · August 22, 2009, 12:40:08 PM

Quote from: BruinnieBear on August 22, 2009, 06:00:27 AM
consider placing a low wattage bulb in an empty super, below your honey supers. It warms them nicely without any special considerations.

mmmm, i'd consider putting the bulb ABOVE the supers, and using a small fan. wax and honey dripping on the floor will make a mess. dripping on the bulb could start a fire.

deknow