# How do YOU mix 50 gallons of syrup?



## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Realizing the obvious this fall as I am feeding about 30 hives with the intention of splitting them early - I need to go about it differently than when it was 8 or 10. I'm using 2 gallon bucket feeders which is fine, but I would like to fill them in one or two batches. I'm thinking about putting a honey gate or some other valve on either a plastic barrel or a heavy duty trash can. I have a heavy duty drill and mud mixer already. Is this the way to go? I'm sure others have this all figured out. How much 2-1 can you mix in something like this, and how hot does the water need to be to get it to mix? Will hot water make a trash can too soft to hold up to the weight and stress of mixing, or do I just need to use a steel barrel? Any recommendations for a sturdy, economical, easy to install valve? Or is some kind of pump better?


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

We used to use a 200 gallon "tote" with a small pump attached to feed in the spring. We ran scalding hot water directly from our honey house boiler to make up the syrup. If you buy one you'll find other uses for it occasionally. They are all over the internet.


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## cblakely (Sep 6, 2013)

I haven't done it. On a video from the Fatbeeman, he says that he just puts the cold water from the hose and the sugar straight into the barrel and mixes it with a trolling motor.


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## JD's Bees (Nov 25, 2011)

I use a honey drum with a gate valve and a home made drill attachment similar to the mud mixer. I fill the drum about half way with cold water then mix in 3 40kg bags and top up the barrel with more water as needed. With hot water I can easily mix 4 bags if I want a thicker feed. One drum fills about 60 frame feeders.


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## OlofL (Jan 21, 2006)

I mix in a plastic barrel with a heavy duty submersible pump running for an hour or two. About 150 kg sugar in each batch. I'm using the pump to pump it out into pails. It is about 10-20 minutes work for each batch. Cold tap water works well with this method.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

OlofL - that is so simple and apparently effective. Great idea.


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## buzzsaw (Jul 2, 2011)

Tractor Supply 65 gallon tank. Already threaded for valve. You can hook up a 12volt battery pump and fill feeders directly in the yard. $300 total investment in setup. Or if you want gravity flow and save the cost of a pump.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Riskybizz said:


> We used to use a 200 gallon "tote" with a small pump attached to feed in the spring. We ran scalding hot water directly from our honey house boiler to make up the syrup. If you buy one you'll find other uses for it occasionally. They are all over the internet.


How did u mix the water and sugar?

I bought 2800 lbs of dry sugar today and am considering using our Maytag washing machine to mix syrup. Another thought I had was to use a small boat motor like you see on the sides of bass boats, but they are kinda expensive new.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

I am at the stage of making 12 gallons or so of syrup at a time and researching systems that will do more. My current method is to weigh water, pour it into a heavy duty rubber trash can; heat the water with a 100 watt immersion heater; pour in sugar and mix with a canoe paddle. I pour some sugar then mix, then add more sugar until the mix is where I want it. In the past I have used a bilge pump to get the syrup into 5 gallon totes. I now find it easier to fill my 1 gallon paint can feeders right at the trash can. I use a quart measuring cup to get the syrup from the trash can to the paint can. (50lbs water + 100lbs sugar = 12 gallons of syrup, more or less)


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

For years we mixed syrup in 55 gallon drums with a valve in the bottom using just hot water (if we had it), a 6' 2x4 to stir and 300 pounds of sugar. Then we went "modern" and began using a boat propeller welded onto a steel rod with a heavy duty variable speed drill to turn it. Worked awesome once we got the pitch of the prop flattened out enough to get agitation without pushing the syrup right out of the barrel.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I use an old Kelley paddle tank that makes half a drum at once. The hot water comes from my water heater that I turn up to 144.

For a small batch I would use hot water, a bucket or barrel, and your drill and mud mixer. As far as measuring or weighing...

Draw a line on the inside of your mixing container. Fill to line with granulated sugar. Fill to line with hot water...sugar has air in it so level goes down at first. Mix until dissolved. Re-fill to line with hot water and stir. Makes 65% syrup every time. No matter the size of the container


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

David LaFerney said:


> I'm thinking about putting a honey gate or some other valve on either a plastic barrel or a heavy duty trash can.


While my more mechanically inclined husband away getting schooled up at another beekeeper we all know and love - I had the bright idea to try the honey gate idea. Well sugar water is NOT honey- what a mess. Thankfully it was all done outside. The others have all offered you great ideas. We are mixing in pails with the paint mixer, and filling up 2 gallon buckets. Fed 20 colonies and 20 nucs this way all Sept. without too much fuss. If you are going to use a valve- try another type.


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## Tom Brueggen (Aug 10, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> considering using our Maytag washing machine to mix syrup


Awesome! LOL, leave it up to a beekeeper! I'm just using my 5 gallon honey bucket now to service 15 hives with either top feeder (4 gal) or quart jars on boardman feeders. Already I am debating how to accelerate the mixing jobs. 

Maybe not the whole washing machine, but if you can find one that is broken you may be able to salvage the pump to make up a recirculating system for a 55 gallon drum.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

jim lyon said:


> Then we went "modern" and began using a boat propeller welded onto a steel rod with a heavy duty variable speed drill to turn it. Worked awesome once we got the pitch of the prop flattened out enough to get agitation without pushing the syrup right out of the barrel.


Hehehee - Can see that blowning syrup up and out the can, did that in a square tub working on outboard motors. But syrup would be a mess.


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

for just 50 gal we used to put some water into a open top 55 gal bbl and add 350# sugar and top off with water. stir with a garden hoe until it clears up let it set a couple of hours and stir one last time. we used this method in fla as it did not require much equip. I realize this method is too simple for some beekeepers but we used to feed 600 hives this way.


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## SWM (Nov 17, 2009)

I use an old 40 gal. bottling tank no longer used for honey. I installed an elbow with a 2" ball valve at the bottom. I crank up the water heater to 160 and run 12.5 gal. (100 lbs.) of water into the tank with a hose. I use a measuring stick for the water.

I then use 100 lbs. of sugar for 1:1 (makes about 20 gals.) or 200 lbs. sugar for 2:1 (makes about 28 gals.) I stir by hand using a large plastic tank scraper with a 48 inch handle. The syrup is drawn off in 5 gal. plastic jugs. I sometimes fill bucket feeders with this too...a small piece of carton sealing tape over the holes will seal them while in transit to the bees. I just repeat this process for larger quantities.


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Michael Palmer said:


> For a small batch I would use hot water, a bucket or barrel, and your drill and mud mixer. As far as measuring or weighing...
> 
> Draw a line on the inside of your mixing container. Fill to line with granulated sugar. Fill to line with hot water...sugar has air in it so level goes down at first. Mix until dissolved. Re-fill to line with hot water and stir. Makes 65% syrup every time. No matter the size of the container


This works to a T. If you want to make two quarts of syrup meausre two quarts of sugar and add a quart of water and you get two quarts of syrup, think it is a 5:3 mixture which is good for fall.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Tom Brueggen said:


> Awesome! LOL, leave it up to a beekeeper! I'm just using my 5 gallon honey bucket now to service 15 hives with either top feeder (4 gal) or quart jars on boardman feeders. Already I am debating how to accelerate the mixing jobs.
> 
> Maybe not the whole washing machine, but if you can find one that is broken you may be able to salvage the pump to make up a recirculating system for a 55 gallon drum.


My washing machine is a Maytag w/ a Briggs and Stratton engine mounted on a plate underneath and a hose to let the water out the bottom.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

200 gallon SS tank, fill to the line with HOT water, 1 1/2 hp pump hooked to outlet valve with 1 1/2 inch hose to return to tank. Add 16 2/3 bags of sucrose(50lb bags), pouring into the return stream. Add HBH, or other essential oil. Once the tank has water to line, it takes a half hour to add sugar and mix. Pump into tote or other tank to fill pails. Makes 150 gallons.

Crazy Roland


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## SWM (Nov 17, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> My washing machine is a Maytag w/ a Briggs and Stratton engine mounted on a plate underneath and a hose to let the water out the bottom.


Wow, I remember those...does it have a kick starter?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Pull Cord


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

FYI for those wondering how to get mass quanities of hot water out of your domstic hot water heater. The normal hookup for your washing machine is garden hose threads.

take 50' hose into the house, hook up to were your washer normally does and turn it on. 40 gal of hot water right from the hot water tank.

If i had this job id cut a 6" hole in the top of a 200gal tote. place to pour sugar and place to drop sump pump. use the sump pump to mix as shown above. use standard ball valve on bottom to pour into buckets or tractor to feed location and use sump pump to dispense directly into feeders.


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## NowThen (Nov 26, 2008)

I use a 50-gallon drum and a trolling motor:








I just use water from the garden hose. I dump the sugar into the water while the motor is running and walk away for a few hours.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

We use to use an old washing machine. It agitates perfectly for the job. Filled the pails straight from the hose


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## Widdy (Jan 12, 2012)

I purchased a 55gal plastic drum with a removable lid ($20 on Craigslist). I have a hot water spigot on my house. I dump sugar in, fill with hot water and put on lid. I then knock the barrel over and roll it to my hives, thus mixing it in route. Wait a while for it to cool the then just dip the feed out with a bucket. Next year I will pump it out straight into the feeders.


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## broodhead (May 30, 2009)

Looks like many of us are doing the same type of mixing. I use a 55 gallon stainless steel drum and tig welded a bung fitting on the lower part of the tank and installed a Maxant no drip valve. 
My mixture consist of mainly 1/1 solution based on weight starting out with about 30 gallon of water and add 240lbs of sugar while mixing with a long paint paddle mixer that I extended and placed on a heavy duty drill. I place a heating strap around the drum and heat overnight. The next day the syrup is hot and I remove the heating strap and let cool. After tis is done I add my secret formula of bee PED. 
I top feed through 5lb jars, my feeding requirements are a bit different than some because of my warm location. The Maxant valve eliminates messy fills and is quiet speedy in filling. I try not to store a lot of mixture, just keeping about 100 gallons is good for me, then I mix again.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks - Lots of good tips and ideas here. Beekeepers are a resourceful bunch. It looks like I can make use of what I have on hand to do what I need. I believe I'm gonna have a bung for a boiler drain faucet (on hand) welded into the bottom of the side of a 55 gal honey barrel that I bought sugar in, and mix it with my mud paddle and drill using hot tap water. I can either fill it and mix it in the bed of my truck or just fill my bucket feeders at home - probably the second one because my Italian robbers just cake up on open syrup right now. 

Other tips like filling to the same level as the original dry sugar for 65% mix instead of even measuring water sound like great time savers.

Thanks to everyone - but keep them coming if there are more.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

If I were convinced that there were no sizable apiaries within my area, and I had a bunch of hives/nucs to top off I would seriously consider open drum feeding, or feeding in a trough like Cleo Hogan does. Imagine the labor saved in not having to fill buckets, tubs, or other feeders.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

So, I got a 1/2" npt fitting welded into my honey barrel as low on the side as they could get it, set it up on a pedestal made of concrete blocks in my garage and started using it a few days ago. Big time saver, but as usual there are a few things I would do different.

I would have a larger fitting installed and use a faucet with larger passages. It takes a few minutes to fill a 2 gallon feeder 3-4 I think - I haven't timed it. Faster would be good though.

Since I don't have a trolling motor, utility pump, or convenient source of really hot water I end up with about 3" of undissolved sugar in the bottom. Not a big problem - very little of it comes out with the syrup, and it will just get mixed into the next batch, but I'm sure it's part of the weak stream issue. So I would probably have a second (bigger) fitting installed about 4" off the bottom.

Now I really need to get in the habit of keeping the garage door closed.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

So how are you mixing it? With a canoe paddle? Have you thought about putting a hot plate under the barrel?


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm using a heavy duty construction drill with a mud mixer paddle bit - which I had on hand. If I mixed it for long enough I guess it would eventually all dissolve. Apparently I don't have sufficient patience. Or a washing machine... Well, I do... Nah, my wife would kill.

I've thought about a lot of things (although not a hot plate) but I really don't want to over complicate it. Or burn down my garage. What I'm doing works - works pretty good for that matter - it's a freaking technological breakthrough for *my *operation. Works great compared to mixing 5 gallons at a time on the kitchen stove - which makes excellent syrup but just takes too long, and results in a sticky floor more often than not. I was just pointing out to anyone who might be reading the thread and thinking about doing something like this what I would do different If I knew than what I know now.

When I am finished feeding for the year I will probably have another threaded fitting put in, because it occurs to me that then even if one or both was a little slow, I could fill two feeders at once. If I hadn't had any of the materials on hand I would probably just get a utility pump and use it both for mixing and filling feeders. But I had all of the tools and materials, and I traded a quart of honey and $10 for the expert welding.


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Are you putting the water into the bottom fitting? Injecting it into the bottom will help to agitate the the sugar/syrup.

A hot plate under a metal barrel would help heat the mixture. We used to use a tractor that didn't have a block heater, in the winter months and used a hot plate under the oil pan to get it started.

Wonder what would happen if you created a closed loop with a small pump. Draw water from the top and inject it into the lower tap??????????


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I know a family which used to heat their bulk honey tank w/ hot plates. Some how never burnt any honey.

For a loop, wouldn't it be easier to tap off the bottom and pour in the top?

Mrs.B has been using the washer. But I have a tank, which holds more than a drum, w/ a mixing propeller near the bottom. I may have to find my hot plate. Or aim the salamander at it.


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> For a loop, wouldn't it be easier to tap off the bottom and pour in the top?


Injecting the water into the bottom will cause some agitation of the sugar and water.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

How does one do that? Wouldn't one need a second outlet/inlet? Besides the spout?


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

You could just put female ends on both ends of a garden hose, but I can agitate the snot out of it with my drill. For that matter I could wheel my drill press over and run the mixer with that - That's actually not a bad idea. But the layer of sugar on the bottom is not a problem - I could just add a little more water to the mix and get it to dissolve - or heat my water to boiling with my turkey frier - might do that next time. Anyway, none of this is a problem. All I am saying is that if your faucet taps a few inches off the bottom of the barrel it will be less of a problem. You don't need a utility pump, or a trolling motor, or a heating widget - all of that would be additional handiness, but you don't need it. At least I don't.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I was going to mix up a batch of syrup in my 80 gallon stainless steel tank w/ the propeller inside, but when I put water in it I found it leaks. Shoot. I don't think the leak is at the flanges where the pipe elbow meets the tank. I think it's a hair line crack in the elbow. But I can't see it. All I can see is the casting of the elbow.

If it is the elbow, I hope I can get it braised. It seems to be bronze. It's such a small crack, if it is a crack, that I thought some epoxy might take care of it. Maybe? It's a pretty steady drip. I guess I could time it and see how long it takes to fill a one gallon bucket. Maybe I could get the syrup mixed before the bucket overflowed.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Can you take off and replace the cracked fitting? That would probably be best. But If you can get it to a welding and fabrication shop it's probably a minor fix - if they will do it. I fortunately have a friendly neighborhood shop that will do $20 jobs - they all won't. You might be able to fix it with epoxy or some other goop, but if it doesn't fix it or isn't reliable then your time and goop are wasted, and it probably has to be removed somehow before it can be properly fixed.

In the mean time you could just keep emptying the bucket back in the vat. Or use a bigger bucket.


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## SWM (Nov 17, 2009)

I fixed a small leak in my syrup tank using J-B Weld...easy and inexpensive.


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## VolunteerK9 (Aug 19, 2011)

Ya'll are still talking about syrup right? All this talk about barrels, hoses, sugar, and propane burners and its beginning to sound like one of my families former endeavors.


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## Dale_3rd (May 11, 2012)

VolunteerK9:

Lots of similarities isn't it! Seems like a LOT of fun things involve, sugar, burners, large kettles, tubing and hoses, LOL!!

Speaking of which, those that are handy could rig up a HARMS or RIMS type system for heating water. They are used in beer brewing, basically a 1½"-2" copper tube with a water heating element installed in it with water recirculated until the desired temp is achieved. One could also use a portable instant on / on demand type water heater. I have a small one, but it only puts out about 1.6gal/min of ~120°F water. Some models will do 5+ gal/minute of 120°F water. You could also invest in a pump used in beer brewing as well, they are magnetic drive and can run continuously even with boiling temps, but should work great on cooler syrup to transfer to buckets, etc.

I only make small batches, so I use my Blickmann 15gal SS kettle and burner to heat up enough water for the batch I'm doing, then dissolve in the sugar and mix with a large SS spoon. This winter I'm thinking of converting one of my SS kettles to one with an integrated immersion chilling coil to chill it's contents quickly, use it for making syrup AND beer....hehehe, gotta love multipurpose tools.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm reviving this thread to give an update, and also to bump it a little since it was pretty useful to me last year. I'm now able to mix 40 gallons of 65% syrup in about a half hour. The biggest improvement that I've made is that I got a simple 120 volt 1000 watt immersion heater from Mann Lake - $56  to get my water good and hot - then the sugar disolves quickly and completely without much extra work - I'm actually stirring it with a paddle instead of hooking up a drill. It's that easy. 

So my set up is a food grade steel barrel with a faucet bung welded into the side near the bottom sitting up on some blocks so I can get gallon jugs under the faucet. Add 20 gallons of cold water and run the heater overnight to get it hot then stir a little bit between adding 25 pound bags of sugar - 250 lbs total. Then I go ahead and run it into gallon jugs while it is still hot. I still wish I had put in a faucet with larger internal passages so that the jug filling would go faster, but all in all this is pretty efficient for this amt of feed.


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

We run water out of the hot water tank into a 55 gallon drum using the pressure of the hose to make a whirlpool and then stir in the sugar from the top helping the funnel along. Always works great, takes about 15 minutes total. Somewhere around 10 drums from November to April is the norm. We have a drum with a spigot and hose to dispense it into division board feeders.


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

David LaFerney said:


> So my set up is a food grade steel barrel with a faucet bung welded into the side near the bottom sitting up on some blocks so I can get gallon jugs under the faucet. Add 20 gallons of cold water and run the heater overnight to get it hot then stir a little bit between adding 25 pound bags of sugar - 250 lbs total. Then I go ahead and run it into gallon jugs while it is still hot. I still wish I had put in a faucet with larger internal passages so that the jug filling would go faster, but all in all this is pretty efficient for this amt of feed.


Would love to see a photo of that if you have one.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Joel said:


> We run water out of the hot water tank into a 55 gallon drum using the pressure of the hose to make a whirlpool and then stir in the sugar from the top helping the funnel along. Always works great...


Unfortunately I just don't have a water heater in the vicinity.



winevines said:


> Would love to see a photo of that if you have one.


I don't have one, but I can get one if you want. I'm afraid it will be pretty underwhelming.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

David LaFerney said:


> I'm afraid it will be pretty underwhelming.


Sometimes that is what I need to see. I over complicate almost everything if I plan it out.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I think if I had to do it I would just go buy a cement mixer. It is already meant for exterior use, can be driven by gas motor, easy to clean and can dump fast for multiple batches.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

If I needed to mix large batches I think I would combine the use of an immersion heater with a submersible pump.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

300lbs of sugar, 18 gallons of hot water in a 55gal drum and a trolling motor. Put the water in first, start the trolling motor and gradually add the sugar.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

>> I think if I had to do it I would just go buy a cement mixer.

I spent many hours of _quality time_ with a cement mixer this spring. For part of the project I even tried to dump the mixed contents into _5 gallon buckets_.

One problem is that since the mixer drum pivots when dumping, the point where the contents come out of the drum is dependent upon the angle of the dump. As you have to progressively increase the mixer drum tilt, the exit point will constantly move. This means that one will have to constantly move the bucket to match the drum, else the contents _don't_ go in the bucket. Doesn't work very well.

Find a better solution!


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## djastram (May 1, 2011)

The sump pump in a barrel method is what I use. It works well. I plan to add a water heater element eventually.

See the video below.
https://youtu.be/09SAYHyz9os


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

djastram said:


> The sump pump in a barrel method is what I use. It works well. I plan to add a water heater element eventually.
> 
> See the video below.
> https://youtu.be/09SAYHyz9os



That's a *Sweet* setup!


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## Little-John (Jun 18, 2015)

If you should ever wnat to make smaller amounts, say 10-15 gallons - consider using a tea urn. For very little money (now that these are coming out of China) you get a s/s vessel fiited with a tap and heater. All you then need to add is an overhead motor (pillar drill ?) driving a propeller shaft.
LJ


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

djastram said:


> The sump pump in a barrel method is what I use. It works well. I plan to add a water heater element eventually.
> 
> See the video below.
> https://youtu.be/09SAYHyz9os


I tried using a sump pump last year for this and with cold water it never did dissolve all of the sugar. I could have lived with that, but then the $100+ brand new pump didn't even last one year. Apparently pumps for water don't always work for syrup. But with hot water you can make good syrup without very much agitation. 

I do wish I knew where I could get a PROVEN 12 volt syrup pump (for less than several hundred dollars) so that I could put the barrel in my truck and just pump right into the hives - thus cutting out the step of putting it in jugs.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> >> I think if I had to do it I would just go buy a cement mixer.
> 
> I spent many hours of _quality time_ with a cement mixer this spring. For part of the project I even tried to dump the mixed contents into _5 gallon buckets_.
> 
> ...


I wonder if robbing would be a problem too? I think it might.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

And here's a picture. I told you it wouldn't be impressive...










The paint can just puts it at the correct height for a jug to sit under. To the left you can see a dipstick marked in gallons.


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## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

David LaFerney said:


> I do wish I knew where I could get a PROVEN 12 volt syrup pump (for less than several hundred dollars) so that I could put the barrel in my truck and just pump right into the hives - thus cutting out the step of putting it in jugs.


Have you looked in RV water system pumps? I am also looking at this pump for building an RO system for my maple syrup set up. According to the manufacturer it can run on 24VDC. Though I did get that info third hand, so would need to verify it myself.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquatec-8800-...&qid=1407894681&sr=8-1&keywords=aquatech+8800

Shurflo makes a lot of 12VDC pumps as well

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1yde3fhwb7_e


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

David LaFerney said:


> I wonder if robbing would be a problem too? I think it might.


Like a flow hive setup, you would want to make a lid that seals so the bees can't get at it. A sealed lid would allow you to fill the drum to the rim and not worry about spillage. The lid could also incorporate valves for emptying or put the valves in the upper part of the barrel. Lots of possibilities. Where is the mixing usually done, near the hives or in a honey house?


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

Acebird said:


> Like a flow hive setup, you would want to make a lid that seals so the bees can't get at it. A sealed lid would allow you to fill the drum to the rim and not worry about spillage. The lid could also incorporate valves for emptying or put the valves in the upper part of the barrel. Lots of possibilities. Where is the mixing usually done, near the hives or in a honey house?


Let's delete this absurdity as well... 

No one is going to be adapting lids (with valves) to cement mixers.



> Where is the mixing usually done


Think about this a moment...

Do you honestly believe that someone would haul water and sacks of sugar out into a field (with no electricity) to mix up multiple batches of sugar syrup in a gas powered cement mixer, with hungry bees in the air?


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## larrypeterson (Aug 22, 2015)

If I may ad a bit,

I am having pretty good success with a heavy duty 40 gal trash container. I use cold water as it comes out of the tap. I mix with a heavy duty drill and a common shaft type paint mixer. It will mix 2:1 and does not settle out after a "good thrashing." I use a 1 gal dipper to fill the out-door straw filled plastic buckets. I think a pump for transfering is a really good idea. The pumps I have tried for mixing, however, just did not get the job done.

I wish you well, LP


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