My first extraction

Understudy · June 03, 2006, 05:35:37 PM

Well I decided to pull some of the honey laden frames from Hive 2. I only pulled 7 of the 10 on one box. The other three had some brood in them and I left them alone. I didn't pull frames from above the excluder yet as I didn't want to stress out the bees to much.
So seven frames hit the hand spin extractor. I learned the more build up they do on a frame the eaiser it is to remove the cappings.
The hand extractor works really well and does not take long at all. As a matter of fact I probably spun the first few times for two long.
It is very effective also After spinning the seven frames I had quite a bit of honey at the bottom of the extractor. I used some cheese cloth on a funnel and let it pour into my jars.

I filled up three gallon jars off of seven frames. As I understand it, 12 lbs to one gallon. That is 36 lbs of honey. :)

I took the frames after extraction back over to my bees and I am letting them lick the frames clean. They are having a ball.

I noticed that it took them about .5 seconds to find me and the honey extractor in the yard as I began todays activities. They promptly demanded "a piece of the action." So I am now having to pay "insurance to my bees or they will make extraction very difficult. Insurance comes in the form of a small puddle of honey set off to the side that they have easy access to and any spillage is theirs. Failure to pay "insurance" means everytime I open the extractor means they will raid it in mass numbers.

I figure I will give them time to build the frames that replaced the seven I rotated out and in two weeks I will pull some more honey.

Well for a first time I don't think that is to bad.

I will post some pics in a few days on my site.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

thegolfpsycho · June 03, 2006, 05:45:14 PM

Extracting in the open can lead to disaster. When colonies get desperate for honey or nectar, it can set off robbing to a degree that will shock you. And I might add... they aren't very freindly about you being there either. Leaving the honey gate open on your extractor and letting it drain and filter as you strain is a good idea. Get a food grade 5 or 6 gallon bucket, fit with a strainer, and install a honey gate. Then you can go 5 gallons at a time without having to jump back and forth. It's a minor expense and adjustment, but saves time in the long run. Then just bottle what you need. Later, if you have problems with granulation, its much simpler to throw the whole bucket on a heating pad, than warming all those jars.

Hi-Tech · June 04, 2006, 12:27:44 AM

Brendhan,

What kind of extractor do you have, where did you get it and what was the cost?

Nosey aint I?

Understudy · June 04, 2006, 01:45:11 AM

The extractor:
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=355

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Brian D. Bray · June 04, 2006, 11:05:04 AM

>>I filled up three gallon jars off of seven frames. As I understand it, 12 lbs to one gallon. That is 36 lbs of honey.

A pint to a pound the world around except for honey which is a pound and a quarter. Old saying my Grandmother taught me.

qandle · June 04, 2006, 11:09:08 AM

What size frames were those? Medium? Shallow?

Maybe you mentioned that, but I didn't see it on a quick second scan of your post.

Quint

Understudy · June 04, 2006, 11:43:23 AM

Quote from: qandleWhat size frames were those? Medium? Shallow?

Maybe you mentioned that, but I didn't see it on a quick second scan of your post.

Quint

Mediums

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Apis629 · June 04, 2006, 12:44:37 PM

MEDIUMS...WHAT?! How did you get three gallons out of 7 frames? I extracted 10 and bearly met 3 gallons! Did you drain the cappings too? I did that but, that I gave back to the bees.

Understudy · June 04, 2006, 12:55:54 PM

Quote from: Apis629MEDIUMS...WHAT?! How did you get three gallons out of 7 frames? I extracted 10 and bearly met 3 gallons! Did you drain the cappings too? I did that but, that I gave back to the bees.

Cappings went into a capping tub I made. There was a lot of honey in that but I gave that back to the bees. I kept the cappings I am going to melt those down.
I also need to make a correction on the amount. My wife did the pouring into the jars. She told me that she filled up three of the big jars. So I though she had used the 1 gallon jars. Instead she used half gallon jars.

So the corrected amount is 1.5 gallons at 18 lbs. I think I need to trade in the wife.

But for a first extraction I still happy to have gotten any honey.

Will trade wife for a good queen.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Apis629 · June 04, 2006, 01:01:57 PM

Ok...that makes much more sence. I just didn't see how it was possible for the bees to cram in that much honey into 7 frames. Maybe if they were mediums in a deep and the bees built extra comb, that would be a different story.

thegolfpsycho · June 04, 2006, 10:12:39 PM

FWIW, I was always told the honey that went with the caps, was the sweetest of all, and to save that for myself each year. Now I see you all giving it back to the bees. Hmmmmm... old wives.. er beekeepers tale?

Brian D. Bray · June 05, 2006, 12:51:58 AM

Chew it honey caps and all--Ummh! Then melt the wax. Honey with cappings is nectar from the gods.

Understudy · June 06, 2006, 12:34:03 AM

Well here are some of the pics to keep you entertained for hours on end.
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=46

Sincerely,
Brendhan