honey harvest

Mech · May 31, 2017, 06:32:32 PM

Just finished a harvest and I am still trying to get better at it so I thought I would ask for some advice.
I use a 3100p a large plastic folding table ,some tubs ,some buckets, couple bucket strainers and a bread knife.
For the life of me I just can not seem to not make a mess and always take longer than I think I should.
Anybody have any tips on making this easier?
Thanks.
Andy

Anybrew2 · May 31, 2017, 09:07:20 PM

Yep Ditch the knife,use a spiky roller thing that looks like a hedge hog. I use to try and do it all in one day and it wasn't fun. These days I do a couple of super everyday. I do have the luxury of leaving my stuff set up as I now have a bigger shed. I drain straight out of the extractor into food grade buckets. i then let it sit and then skim the majority of the wax of the top.
I do this a couple of time and then i slightly the warm the honey in buckets in an old freezer with a reptile globe to warm it them filter.

Cheers
Steve

Mech · May 31, 2017, 10:17:48 PM

Hi there Steve,
Thank you for your reply.
Hey I can I pick your brain?
Would you concider a clean Home Depot bucket with a lid to be sanitary ?
Also one of the things I do is let my honey buckets (and misc. gear) set in the back of a truck I rarely use that has a black camper shell to settle.
I am thinking it works if I can keep the temp below 110 or so.
Thoughts?
Thanks.
Andy

Anybrew2 · June 01, 2017, 02:06:51 AM

Hi Andy,I get food grade buckets with lids from my Hardware/Home depot store. If they are food grade they will generally have that written on the label.
They are cheap and easy to handle.
With the lids on they are terrific, I usually run Duct tape around the lid to just in case. I have 130 kilo's sitting that way in my shed.

Cheers
Steve

BeeMaster2 · June 01, 2017, 01:02:29 PM

I would recommend that you get a serrated uncapping knife. I have the spiked roller and the uncapping fork which my wife (she doe all of the uncapping) uses for certain recessed areas and we have tried the "over" heated knifes that burn the honey. Her favorite is the uncapping knife.
Jim

BeeMaster2 · June 01, 2017, 01:04:26 PM

Here is the one I am talking about:
https://www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/extraction-bottling/honey-extraction/uncapping/plain-knife-non-electric-wood-handle

Anybrew2 · June 01, 2017, 08:46:45 PM

Yep the uncapping fork is handy alright I forgot that. Thanks

splitrock · June 14, 2017, 06:28:59 PM

I have a 20 frame extractor and I hate to think how long I would have to run that thing on warp 10 to get the honey out of a frame I have used the spiked roller on. I don't think they are worth having myself. The cold serrated knife is the best I've found. Hot knives are to erratic, they have wide temp swings.

Dallasbeek · June 14, 2017, 07:03:05 PM

If you have realy clean caps the bees haven't been running over, there'll be a little air between the capping wax and the honey. A heat gun will melt the cap without heating the honey. If there's not that little bit of air under the cap, use something else.

Oldbeavo · June 14, 2017, 07:14:28 PM

We use a scratching fork for areas that the uncapper misses. This works well in the extractor but our frames are prewarmed to about 85 F before we extract.
This is to assist our cappings press but does make extraction more efficient, especially in scratched areas.

Barhopper · June 14, 2017, 09:26:32 PM

Quote from: splitrock on June 14, 2017, 06:28:59 PM
I have a 20 frame extractor and I hate to think how long I would have to run that thing on warp 10 to get the honey out of a frame I have used the spiked roller on. I don't think they are worth having myself. The cold serrated knife is the best I've found. Hot knives are to erratic, they have wide temp swings.

I agree. Cold serrated knife. Spiked roller did not work for me.