# Honey bottler



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I have two 25 gallon/300lb Maxant Bottling Tanks. I love them. Especially the new dripless spout. I like the old thermometer better. It's easiert to read than the new one.

I only have heat on it when I am going to use it. Though I will have it set low over night so it doesn't take so long to get up to temp the next morning.

I warm my honey to 140 degrees in the one tank, so I can liquify what is crystalized and strain the honey thru a nylon cloth. Then the honey goes into the other tank for bottling at 110 degrees.

I unplug the tanks when not in use. I haven't installed the new heat controllers yet. Maybe they will completely shut off when turned down all the way. Pulliung the plug gaurantees no heat.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

sqkcrk said:


> I warm my honey to 140 degrees in the one tank, so I can liquify what is crystalized and strain the honey thru a nylon cloth. Then the honey goes into the other tank for bottling at 110 degrees.


How do you transfer honey from one tank to the other? I like the sound of your set up.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I warm the honey in one tank and strain that honey into buckets thru nylon cloth. Then the honey is dumped manually into the second bottling tank.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Just make sure you have a pail perch to ease the pain! No one likes holding a bucket waiting for every last bit to drain!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention those. I have four. Two for each tank.

I like the ones I got from Maxant, but really prefer the ones I already had. They are made w/ two straight L shaped parts for the bucket to stand on. I don't put the bucket down in the crook of the L but up on the end of the L, which keeps honey off of the Perch, mostly.

Both kind work well for me.

I also find a good spatula is necassary to get the last of the honey from the bucket. And, for buckets of crystallized or partialy crystalized honey I have an aluminum Ice Cream Paddle. Which is much better than a spoon. Which I have used also.


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## candlaman (Nov 17, 2007)

I have the small Maxant (15 Gal.?). Have used it for 3-4 years. LOVE it. I keep the temp about 110 while bottling but unplug it when not bottling.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

I just bought the Walter T. Kelley jacketed tank, so what I'm hearing is great news. I plan to build a bottling table out of 2x4's and plywood, with shelves under the tank. Will have the tank set on top, and two fold-up shelves set lower in front of it. I can sit between the two shelves, empty bottles on the left, fill, put them on the shelf on the right. When not in use, I fold down the shelves, and roll the tank out of the way.
Regards,
Steven


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I have a Maxant 25gal bottling tank. 
It does double duty.
I don't use any heat when bottling honey....unless the honey has crystallized. Then I'll heat to about 130.
I also use it to mix sugar/syrup. For 1:1 I add 12gal of water (3gal pail x 4), heat to about 150 F, pour in 100lbs of sugar, stir and allow it to cool. Makes about 20 gallons of syrup. I 'bottle' my syrup into 1 gallon baggies....a bit more than half a gallon in each.


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