# Honey Processing Room Equipment Buildout



## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

I got a 18 frame extractor 2 years ago
the "NEW" bottle neck is filtering, when you extract 2 supers at a time the honey can over run my bucket strainer very easy.

I would consider a settling tank,, And a capping's spinner, both issues of mine now.

Not sure I would do the plastic bottles, to get "into" selling cheap at food lion.
go the other way, Build a couple displays and find some farm to table places and sell in glass at premium prices. Why compete with cheap /maybe fake imports. Maybe a restaurant, with 5 gallon Pail to re fill serving size dishes. I would focus on the high end market, not the low end.

GG


----------



## Corp_T (May 7, 2017)

Dream Setup

If I HAD to spend a chunk of money I'd throw it at this.


----------



## leadchunker (May 23, 2014)

I would get items to put speed into my operation and take the human out of the operation. Large extractor, decapper, cappings tank, pumps, large cappings spinner, bottling tank, ez loader, flatbed with tommy lift, mobile feeder system for colonies, candle molds, wax melter. 
It really depends on what your business plan is for your company.


----------



## loyalty20a (Jan 8, 2021)

Corp_T said:


> Dream Setup
> 
> If I HAD to spend a chunk of money I'd throw it at this.


 I have been talking to the Lyson reps. They actually helpfully designed me some things for my needs and size. It was a good experience. Basically they said the uncapper with the wax extractor, a 50 gallon sump, 150gallon heated bottling tank, and ideally a 150gallon holding tank to go with my existing 30 frame extractor. I also got ahold of Bob Binnie. He strongly reccomended the Dadant bottler because the pump in it allows you to drop a line into a bucket or drum instead of having to have your honey above the bottler like the lyson one does.


----------



## bwilson (Sep 7, 2019)

Taking out the physical labor aspect of it would be my main interest. hive/super moving equipment. automated extracting lines. Ill be honest, im more interested in how you got the grants because ALL my beekeeping money (and alot from my day job) goes into equipment as I grow.


----------



## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

bwilson said:


> Ill be honest, im more interested in how you got the grants because ALL my beekeeping money (and alot from my day job) goes into equipment as I grow.


Contact your local ag extension agent. TN has had a grant program going on for several years, can get up to 50% of you money back.


----------



## Jasonhewett (Dec 9, 2021)

loyalty20a said:


> Hoping you all are willing to take a minute to grant some wisdom.
> 
> Its looking good for my little apiary outside of Fayetteville/Fort Bragg to get around $50k in grants from a combination of state COVID small business support and a USDA grant.
> 
> ...


Is it to late to apply for these grants? Where would I start. I have a small apiary in SC


----------



## aran (May 20, 2015)

I have spent about 20k probably in my little extracting room. This year i took 94 colonies into winter so a small operation for sure. I have :
2 x 20F maxant extractors
Maxant clarifying tanks x2
Maxant double filter
Honey pump
Maxant junior wax spinner
Maxant Bottling tank
Maxant wax melter
Lyson steam uncapper
Lyson heated honey creamer
Large heated storage tank
Mannlake uncapping tank ( extra space so im not waiting on the two extractors to empty-> i can keep uncapping)


----------



## aran (May 20, 2015)

I figure if i add an additional 100 double deeps to my apiaries the extracting equipment i already have should continue to suffice


----------



## Duck River Honey (Mar 12, 2021)

If I had to invest 50k into an operation that would top out at 100 hives this year…

2 Dadant 20 frame extractors
Uncapping tank with a simple harmony uncapper
Heated clarifier (Dadant or Maxant)
Dadant variable speed 1.5” pump
3 or 4 bottling tanks, each bigger than 55 gal
Dadant Fillmaster
Race Label labeler, maybe 2 of these
Loading dock and concrete work
Forklift

Really depends on what you want…100 hives top end wouldn’t need a 60 frame Cowen line, so I’d invest more into the bottling and labeling end, and try to get set up to handle barrels and receive trucks. That way you can pack other peoples honey as well as your own.


----------



## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

loyalty20a said:


> Hoping you all are willing to take a minute to grant some wisdom.
> 
> Its looking good for my little apiary outside of Fayetteville/Fort Bragg to get around $50k in grants from a combination of state COVID small business support and a USDA grant.
> 
> ...


Be sure you have the money first. Government grants are not timely and uncertain.


----------



## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

No updates since July 5 last year?
Wounder how they made out?


----------



## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Duck River Honey said:


> If I had to invest 50k into an operation that would top out at 100 hives this year…
> 
> 2 Dadant 20 frame extractors
> Uncapping tank with a simple harmony uncapper
> ...


Funny, a lot of your list is what I have managed to get in the used market as I've built up to 300 +/- hives.

• 2 Dadant 20's
• Uncapping tank with a Simple Harmony uncapper (and scratchers)
• Dadant clarifier
• 3 bottling tanks (13 gallon, 25 gallon and 165 gallon)
• 2 1" honey pumps
• Just got a barn and woodshop and thinking about concrete work
• Looking for a forklift

So far, I've spent about $5000 total on the equipment. To do that (without a grant) required patience persistence in searching the used market over the span of several years.

Adam


----------

