# Extracting Process?



## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

I am going to extract some frames this weekend. After I have the frames removed this is the process I believe is correct:

1. Use the hot knife to uncap over the uncapping tank.
2. Use the capping scratcher on areas not reached by hot knife.
3. Insert frames into extractor
4. Spin them good with honey gate open
5. Catch the honey in my bottling tank with a 600 strainer(??) on top.
6. Let it sit for 24 hours and bottle.

Then what do I do with the wax/honey in the uncapping tank....I assume, let the honey run through the strainer into the bottling tank and then what about the wax that is left?


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## Honeypeach (Mar 15, 2012)

At least with the extractor I've been using, you have to take the frames out after the first run and turn them so the flat sides are facing the other way and run it thru again (always with the top of the frame toward the center). Don't wander too far while the honey os running - the meshes of the strainer may fill up with wax flakes and cause the strainer to overflow.

Have a great and sticky day!


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Warm uncapped frames in super. Warmed to 100F extracts a whole lot easier. Put a 60W trouble lamp in an empty super and put plastic under it as will be some drippping of honey. Place supers with uncapped frames above it. 

Or uncap and put frames in extractor. Place trouble lamp in close extractor for a good hour.

If you don't heat full frames first, comb can be dislodged from foundation during extraction.


Start with a slow speed and gradually ramp up. Too fast too soon results in damaged foundation.

Drain until honey runs out. Put cappings in water and wash off honey. Put cappings in a double boiler and melt. Found a spoon made from window screen works very well to scoop out pollen.

Some save honey/water mixture and feed to bees.

Today, I am trying cappings in a bowl and trying bees to clean cappings.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks for the tips!

I do have a radial extractor, so I don't need to turn the frames.


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## Honeypeach (Mar 15, 2012)

I took all my cappings, put them in a big pan, and stuck them in the oven at 190-200 for several hours. Then I let them cool slowly right there. I ended up with a thick cap of wax-propolis-pollen mixture, and a pool of very clean honey below (nearly a gallon). I've saved that for cooking honey, as it will just be heated again. Unheated gets bottled and boasted about.

The window-screen spoon sounds like a great idea - picture??


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Another good tip. Thanks Honeypeach!


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## mmmooretx (Jun 4, 2012)

How about getting a couple, balance the extractor, of capping bags, put your cappings in them, spin it, then put the rest of the cappings out for the bees to finish getting the last of the honey, then melt?


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Where do I buy cappings bags? I have never seen them.


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## mmmooretx (Jun 4, 2012)

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Cappings-Bag-ea/productinfo/587/


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks Mike!


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## mmmooretx (Jun 4, 2012)

No problem, I have learned a whole lot from this forum since I got my first hive in June!


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I use one of those mesh filters that fit in a 5g bucket. My plan was just to uncap into it and run the honey over the cappings to eliminate the need for another bin. I went with uncapping with a heat gun, it worked well for the most part. I also used the heat gun to heat the extractor as my heat gun has the rest on the bottom so it stands straight up when you set it down. I just turned it on, and set it under the extractor for a few minutes.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

What tool do you use to tighten the honey gate in the bucket? It looks like it takes a large hex tool of some kind. Flat honey gate and round bucket means that it needs to be tight!


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## Jamesfarms (Oct 24, 2011)

The Cappings Bags by Brushy Mountain fit only a basket extractor, not a radial. Baskets can be made though. I drained the honey out of the cappings, filtered and bottled. Put the cappings in a filter bag and put in a solar wax melter, and made votive candles. Got 4 candles from my 10 extracted medium frames.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Leonard, I installed a gate yesterday, just turn it with ur hand til tight.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Ok, it just seemed like there might be a tool that held/tightened it on the inside. I will tighten it up again in the morning.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

There is an O ring that makes the seal. It stands quite tall out of its recess so it is not necessary to entirely flatten the pail up against the gate flange. Plastic is prone to crack over a period of time more so the more stress you put on it.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

I will take it easy so it doesn't break. It may fit a little better after sitting overnight.


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## KelpticFest (Apr 19, 2011)

JRG13 said:


> Leonard, I installed a gate yesterday, just turn it with ur hand til tight.


You must have powerful hands. I did the same, then spent my first evening of bottling twisting the spigot back into position after every opening. Honey to the elbows. For the second round I got a pair of scrubbed-clean slipjoint pliers and torqued that sucker tight. Much better. Much less ranting.

...but maybe I should loosen it for storage .....


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I would suggest letting the extracted honey sit in a container for 24 hrs for the bulk of the debris to float to the top. Scoop it out and then filter, less clogging.

>"I took all my cappings, put them in a big pan, and stuck them in the oven at 190-200 for several hours."

Then call the fire department as your house burns down from a wax fire.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Honeypeach said:


> I took all my cappings, put them in a big pan, and stuck them in the oven at 190-200 for several hours.





LeonardS said:


> Another good tip. Thanks Honeypeach!


NO, LeonardS! OdFrank is right. It is a very BAD tip. (Excellent if your intent is to burn your house to the ground, though.)

*DON'T PUT WAX IN YOUR HOME'S OVEN!* (And yes, I am shouting.)

Wayne.


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## Honeypeach (Mar 15, 2012)

At 200 degrees? Electric oven? Any experience, or one of those "I heard that..." items? No panic over the double-boiler suggestion, even though the burner would be at a far higher temp.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

I'll be careful with the capping wax!


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Screened spoon was merely a 2 inch wide by 7 inch long piece of aluminum window screen. It was then folded in half for about half its length. The fold provided some rigidity and acted as the handle.

Worked very well to screen out most of the pollen. 

Dumped it out on a piece of paper towel. When re-inserted the screen spoon in the hot wax, the wax on the screen melts and get the next spoonfull of pollen

Found this to be much superior to boiling cappings in a nylon or using paper towel, cheese cloth in a striner, for small batches. Most of the wax ix saved and not winding up in the paper towel or cheese cloth.


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## baldwinbees (Mar 2, 2010)

5 gallon paint strainer and bucket....drill 1/4"holes all over the bottom of the bucket and lid....extract your honey into a bucket with the paint strainer in place ....after all honey is in bucket lift strainer letting honey drain...lift strainer up over bucket high enough to put lid with holes over bucket with honey, with bucket with holes on top....set strainer in bucket with holes and cover with solid lid....the honey will strain through leaving almost dry cappings in a day or so


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## Honeypeach (Mar 15, 2012)

baldwinbees said:


> 5 gallon paint strainer and bucket....drill 1/4"holes all over the bottom of the bucket and lid....extract your honey into a bucket with the paint strainer in place ....so


now this sounds really helpful. Wish I'd done this at the beginning of the extracting process. At the present it's 3/4 bottled..... But there's always next year.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Well of the 10 frames I planned to extract, 4 of them had some brood so I put them back on the hive. I ended up with a gallon of nice looking honey. It was a good learning process and I know what to do next time.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Make sure the honey has had time to warm up at LEAST to 70 F (room temp) and preferably a bit hotter (you could light the oven in the kitchen for a day or two to make it the warmest room). And, as pointed out, ramp up the speed starting slow so you don't have blowouts.


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## Pamela White (May 7, 2012)

Can you get another kind of capping to put on a 5gal bucket, or do you just have to use the honey gate from the beekeeping supply store?


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## Runswithbees (Feb 1, 2012)

Were there any downfalls to using the heat gun. I am thinking about getting one, and I would appreciate any information from those that have actually tried it. Thanks.


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## SDiver40 (Apr 14, 2013)

LeonardS said:


> What tool do you use to tighten the honey gate in the bucket? It looks like it takes a large hex tool of some kind. Flat honey gate and round bucket means that it needs to be tight!


I used a short piece of board and trimmed the corners down to fit in the hex head. snugged it by hand but dont get to carried away.


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