# Help streamlining and increasing honey processing.



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Lupester. I am not sure you would want to make the leap to large drums for awhile as they bring a whole new set of handling problems. Unfortnately until you are ready to make the investment in some sort of auto load extracting set up your best bet is probably to trade up to larger radial extractors as needed. I am sure There are a lot of very nice smaller extracting set ups that posters on here have developed..... anyone?


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

A water jacket bottling tank would be a good investment, especially because your packing your own honey. You will want SS and probably incorperate a filtering pumping process from your extractor to your tank. Less times you handle the honey the less chance you will adulterate your product. 

As for the extraction process, its all up to what your interested in and how much money you have to spend. I know a beekeeper up here who run a few hundred hives who hired some school kids and capping scratcher to uncap honey. Also know of a fellow who run a few thousand hives with 2 raidal 80 frame extractors and a flail chain.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Your honey should not contain excess water that needs DE-humidifying unless it is some special type. I do 2.5 tons plus with an old Cowan uncapper, using a 20 frame extractor that will fit 44 mediums, into an old straining box with two sizes of stainless screens, pumped into 100g holding tanks through nylon stockings, and then bottled. We set up two 20 framers for a few years but found two did not speed us up much. Our straining box is our slowdown.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I work by myself with no employees. I uncap until my 20-frame is full. While it is spinning, I uncap 20 more frames. I have a tank made for the purpose of holding 20 uncapped frames while the previous 20 spin out.

I purchased an additional 12-frame but could not keep up with it so I sold it.

I still use 5-gallon buckets. They're easier to move than drums.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Rick55 (Aug 1, 2010)

Hi Grant
Happy Easter
Just bought a used 20 frame. Was looking to do it the way you metioned in your post. Don't have a good uncapping tank yet that will hold 20 frames.
Any suggestions?


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## lupester (Mar 12, 2008)

Wow, thanks for all the replies. 

Ian - what does a water jacketed bottling tank get me? Do you use that because its colder up there? We are usually uncapping and bottling in 85-105 degrees. I don't have a honey house so its usually in the garage with plastic rolled out on everything. We are trying to do the same crop down here next year again so I want to do almost the same setup as you.(But scaled down for my number of hives)

Grant - Thanks for your book, I bought it two years back. Its great!


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

You were talking about canola honey. You will need a way of keeping it from granulating in your storage tank. Or if your creaming your product, you have to start with liquid honey, which you seed into. This all can be done in your bottling tank but you have to warm the honey first off so that you start without any granulation present. A water jacketed tank will make your life alot easier. I understand low budget because its how I started also. It might be something you work into but keep your eye open and if you find one buy it. Just make sure its SS and not galvanized.

Hope that helps!


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