what else do i need to process honey for next season?

adamant · December 11, 2011, 10:16:24 PM

like to take advantage of the sales this time of the year.. i am planing for next honey processing season.. i have a extractor, uncapping tank with a uncapping plane and a honey bottling tank.. what else do i need besides bottles and labels? i was thinking of those double stainless sieves and food grade buckets.. what other odds and ends do i need?
thanks
ant

AllenF · December 12, 2011, 09:12:00 AM

Bees.

:-D

Sounds like you have the minimum to bottle. Make sure your bees are booming going into spring, cut down on the swarms from the hives, and get some cheap labor to extract and bottle the honey.

BrentX · December 12, 2011, 02:48:47 PM

You will find having a couple of 5 gallon buckets with honey gate valves installed very handy.

Where is all that honey going, tell us about your plan for selling the honey.

adamant · December 12, 2011, 06:07:11 PM

i plan on selling it at a local farmers market that is open 12 months and has a high traffic flow..

L Daxon · December 12, 2011, 09:24:38 PM

I don't think you need any of that stuff.

I just saw a clip on TV yesterday where a guy was cutting comb honey right out of the frame (at the farmer's market) and selling it by the pound. Why mess with extracting when you can just cut it out of the frame and probably get more for it that way to boot?!!!

Acebird · December 14, 2011, 08:00:10 PM

Now you are thinking smart.

sterling · December 15, 2011, 11:45:27 AM

Quote from: L Daxon on December 12, 2011, 09:24:38 PM
I don't think you need any of that stuff.

I just saw a clip on TV yesterday where a guy was cutting comb honey right out of the frame (at the farmer's market) and selling it by the pound. Why mess with extracting when you can just cut it out of the frame and probably get more for it that way to boot?!!!

I sold some comb honey this year and got more for it. Some people really like comb honey , but most people around here don't like comb honey so having both to sell is a good idea. Which requires an extractor or a crusher method of some type. :)I personally love comb honey. :roll:

AllenF · December 15, 2011, 07:54:07 PM

When pricing comb, just remember it takes 8 pounds of honey to make 1 pound of wax.

Scadsobees · December 15, 2011, 09:52:01 PM

How many bees?

IMHO, depending on that, I'd recommend just spending some time and see if you can get ahold of some cheap bakery buckets. Clean them out good. Save money on the sieve and make yourself a bucket strainer.