# 5 gal sugar syrup recipe



## Bkwoodsbees (Feb 8, 2014)

Remember the old saying A pints a pound the world around. I buy sugar in 10 lb or 20 lb bags when feeding. 20lb sugar mixed with 10qts of hot water will give you 4 gallons of 1 :1 syrup. I also add 1/2 teaspoon of bleach that says concentrate on the bottle if regular bleach 4/5 or 4ml per gal. The leach works very well to keep syrup from spoiling for a week or so. Information I got off Scientific beekeeping.


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## popeye (Apr 21, 2013)

A commercial beekeeper told me he mixes a twenty pound bag of sugar in a five gallon bucket.


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## sweatybetty (Apr 24, 2015)

doesnt the water need to be hot enough to dissolve the sugar?


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## bbruff22 (Dec 24, 2013)

Brad, I just started doing 5 gallons at a time this year. After sorting through a tremendous amount of noise on the topic, I've settled on 3 gallons of water, and 25 lbs of sugar in a 5 gallon bucket. It's almost a full bucket of feed once mixed. I use hot water from the tub, and it dissolves very quickly. (1 Gallon of water = 8.3lbs. 3 Gallons of water = 24.9 lbs)

Here's the thread I found that got me going. The first decent answer is about 10 down

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-264542.html?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Thanks for the replies.


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## jvalentour (Sep 4, 2014)

I'm with Brent. 25 pounds of sugar, 3 gallons of water equal 5 gallons of 1:1. 
I buy sugar at Sams for $13 and use a long paint stick to stir. Hot water from tap is ok if the water heater is up high.
I don't mix it all at once, I add sugar as the water clears. I like sugar cane sugar best. Beet sugar is not as clear when mixed.
When I'm in a hurry I put that last 3/4 gallon in cold. 
You can buy 5 gallon buckets a Lowes for less than $3. Paint stick is free at Sherman Williams.
I'm doing the same with nucs, let us know how it goes.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Same here 25# sugar and 3 gal hot water.On my bucket I got a plastic valve and installed it.Next year i will be moving to a 55 gal barrel and a 1/2" valve on it.


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## Scpossum (May 4, 2014)

Get a paint mixer for a hand drill and mix it the easy way. :thumbsup:


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I do the 3 gallons of hot tap water mixed with 25 pounds of sugar. I use an battery operated drill with paint mixer. I'm also looking to upgrade to something bigger. I'm up to about 50 colonies, so it makes for a lot of mixing.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Try going to your swimming pool supply company. They (or at least mine did) have 15.5 gallon buckets that salt comes in for the pools. They sell them for $1 each and with a spout on the bottom are excellent for mixing small batches of syrup. They even have lids. I drilled a hole/slot in the lid and just set the drill with paint mixer attached through it and let it stir itself. Now, you do have to "brace" the drill to keep it from spinning on the lid, but I found a couple of milk jugs filled with water placed around the drill, braces it just fine.


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...-syrup-mixing-ratios-1-1-2-1-for-feeding-bees


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

MTN-Bees said:


> I do the 3 gallons of hot tap water mixed with 25 pounds of sugar. I use an battery operated drill with paint mixer. I'm also looking to upgrade to something bigger. I'm up to about 50 colonies, so it makes for a lot of mixing.


I think I will try the trolling motor thing in a 55 gal barrel like Fat Bee Man suggested.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

snapper1d said:


> I think I will try the trolling motor thing in a 55 gal barrel like Fat Bee Man suggested.


Look on Ebay or Craig's list...... lots of cheap used trolling motors there......


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

I already have one of those.Its almost as worn out as you can get.Its perfect for this job.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

But is there an easy and non messy and non sticky way to transfer it from a barrel to a pourable container?

I'm thinking about buying a 25 gallon sprayer that I can put on the back rack of my 4 wheeler and just mixing sugar water in it. I haven't checked pump specs yet but if I can find one that will pump 2-3 gallons per minute that's what I'm going to get. I can take the sprayer nozzle off and stick a hose into the feeder and fill them quickly.


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## Bkwoodsbees (Feb 8, 2014)

I am thinking of doing the same. I am going to elevate the tank and gravity feed to individual containers.


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## SDiver40 (Apr 14, 2013)

I just finished making a 35 gal. feeder tank. I'll lift it with my front loader and gravity feed thru a 3/4in. hose with a ball valve shut off.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Good idea Tom. I could do that and like be better off than with a pump.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

SDiver40 said:


> I'll lift it with my front loader and gravity feed thru a 3/4in. hose with a ball valve shut off.


You think gravity feed is adequate?


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## Dave A. (Mar 13, 2015)

snl said:


> You think gravity feed is adequate?


This can help you decide http://www.calctool.org/CALC/eng/civil/hazen-williams_g 

It looks to me like you can get 12 gal per min if you lift the tank about 6m and have a 3m drop to the end of your pipe.


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## SDiver40 (Apr 14, 2013)

snl said:


> You think gravity feed is adequate?


I think with 3/4 hose it should work pretty well. HOWEVER, I havent tried it yet so I cant say for sure.
IF it dont work well, I have 12v. Plug in on the front of the tractor. I'll hook up a 12v. pump to help it out.
This is a work in progress for sure!


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

The only problem I can see to the gravity feed system is I'd have to use a tractor to get to my hives and it's easier to access them on my 4 wheeler. 

If the tank is well vented the syrup should come out fine.

A boat sump pump would work well if the gravity feed doesn't work.


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## Bkwoodsbees (Feb 8, 2014)

If you have tank on back rack of 4 wheeler and you are filling containers on the ground you should have enough fall for it to work. Try it with water first.


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## SDiver40 (Apr 14, 2013)

Update on the tank build. Everything is finished and filled with sugar water. I took it out to the hives to give it a whirl and see how worked.
With only 1 one so foot of fall it would fill the feeders but it was very slow. I raised to around 6 ft high and it went pretty well. Much better than trying to pour out of buckets. I raised it to around 8 or 9 ft. which is the max my loader will go. I could fill one of the plastic nuc feeders ( I think 1 gal ) in 10-15 seconds. I made some wooden nuc feeders that will hold 2 gals and I could fill that in 20 - 25 seconds. SO for gravity feeding i'm very pleased with this set up. IF you cant lift it at least a few ft. above the hive, I would strongly suggest using a 12v. pump.


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