# Honey press sighting



## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

Have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnu0UGxnJWA, "Pressing Honey with the Templeton Press"


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## woodguyrob (Jul 29, 2010)

That's really cool.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Really nice looking press. Build it yourself?

How old is the comb? It looks pretty dark. What if there had been some brood in that comb?


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

sqkcrk said:


> Really nice looking press. Build it yourself?
> 
> What if there had been some brood in that comb?


 Brood !! who cares dude wasn't wearing any shoes while extracting, yummy....


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

He wasn't pressing w/ his feet, dude. His feet and the room he was pressing in look cleaner than lots of honey houses I have been in. Tho I did notice that too.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

:thumbsup:
Very nice and clean setup.


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> Really nice looking press. Build it yourself? How old is the comb? It looks pretty dark. What if there had been some brood in that comb?





HONEYDEW said:


> Brood !! who cares dude wasn't wearing any shoes while extracting, yummy....


Well, it's not like I'm squishing grapes with my feet here. And unlike some beeks I have met, I wear freshly-laundered clothes and bathe every day.

This is honey from a Warré hive, so yeah, some comb probably held brood, beebread etc. Don't quite see the point of the What If? For chewing whole comb, cut away and reserve the clear stuff; press the rest yeah.


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## Robee (Dec 9, 2007)

That's very nice. I am guessing that you made the press? What did you use for the screw?
Thanks for making and posting the video.


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

Robee said:


> That's very nice. I am guessing that you made the press? What did you use for the screw?
> Thanks for making and posting the video.


Unlike the older Stade presses, here the screw is fully enclosed--cleaner and less hazardous.


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## sevenmmm (Mar 5, 2011)

Teach those kids to work for those sweets!

Nice device.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

A. S. Templeton said:


> Don't quite see the point of the What If?


So you have no problem squishing and eating brood juice, I guess. I just wondered if you would cut it out or press it.

Why does the screw have to be so long? I think that this apperatice is a nice looking piece of work, the way it is constructed. But, wouldn't a cider press work just as well and be less expensive? 

Thanks for showing us how you do what you do.


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

I eat brood frequently, good protein and taste like honey covered almonds. (mite free drone brood is the best)

I love the press; nice craftsmanship. 

Why did you not build the press to fit the hive body so you would not have to cut the comb out?


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

sqkcrk,

I'm not sure what you mean by brood juice. I harvest honey from my Warre hives and I've never seen any "brood juice"! While there was once brood in the combs, it's all honey at the point of harvest -- though the combs are darker. All of the brood should be in the bottom two boxes at the point of harvesting.

I have experimented with a fruit/wine/cider type press and I would definitely prefer to go with the modified stade press in the video. On most of the fruit presses it takes a considerably long time to crank it, press the honey out, and unwind it. They also often destroy the screened bag during pressing. I've switched to double bucket strainers, as I can do hundreds of pounds at a time across a few strainers, but I'd really like to get a press like A.S. Templeton posted.

Best,
Matt


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> So you have no problem squishing and eating brood juice, I guess. I just wondered if you would cut it out or press it... Why does the screw have to be so long? I think that this apperatice is a nice looking piece of work, the way it is constructed. But, wouldn't a cider press work just as well and be less expensive?


"Brood juice" --?!:scratch:!?-- I don't press brood, living or dead, any more than a Langstrothist would cap and spin brood frames. If any brood were present, I'd cut it out before pressing, duh.

The screw doesn't extend out of hyperspace. It needs about 12" working travel, plus retreating it further for cleaning is handy. Besides I don't have a machine & welding shop, and the length is what it is; for production, sure, I could lop a foot off and shorten the press a bit.

Honey is too viscous for cider press, which also is too slow to advance and retreat for rapid wax ejection and sack reloading. Also the cider press piston would not allow hot-rendering of wax, which my press is designed to do.


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

Cacklewack said:


> I have experimented with a fruit/wine/cider type press and I would definitely prefer to go with the modified stade press in the video. On most of the fruit presses it takes a considerably long time to crank it, press the honey out, and unwind it. They also often destroy the screened bag during pressing. I've switched to double bucket strainers, as I can do hundreds of pounds at a time across a few strainers, but I'd really like to get a press like A.S. Templeton posted.


I'll just add that the Stade is especially useful for extraction of Calluna (autumn heather) honey (Heidehonig), which is quite viscous and hard to spin-extract.

Finally I'll just note that the Stade is relatively rapid in honey processing--less exposure to air/dust, less handling, humidity--compared to crush & drain/strain. Once the comb is cut out, a Stade can press 99+% honey from an 8-comb Warre (25-30lb) in about 7-8 minutes.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

A. S. Templeton said:


> "Brood juice" --?!:scratch:!?-- I don't press brood, living or dead, any more than a Langstrothist would cap and spin brood frames. If any brood were present, I'd cut it out before pressing, duh.


Thanks, I appreciate your kind and thoughtful response.


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## A. S. Templeton (Nov 30, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> Thanks, I appreciate your kind and thoughtful response.


Oh... I guess that's sarcasm. If it be unkind, then is it any wonder that your cracks about "brood juice", thoughtless sniping at my supposed beekeeping habits, and uninformed criticism of my press might have engendered a less-than-bland response? Reap what you sow.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Nice Video!


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

Where would someone get that type of a screw mechanism ??


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Looks like your basic trailer jack. Menards/Home Depot?


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I like the middle one electric would be very nice.....


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

HONEYDEW said:


> I like the middle one electric would be very nice.....


unless you include a voltage regulator on it its going to be to quick. My experience is no-load speed on a electric jack (like the one pictured) is as fast or faster than you can spin a freshly oiled new hand jack with a single finger as close to the center of the crank as you can spin it. (ie its FAST)

im curious about the Warré hive body you used. That was a "honey super" in terms of what langstrom people refer to a honey super as? That super is found at the top of the hive like you would in a langstrom hive?

do you have the option of pulling "frames" from the outside edges of multipul supers to rob honey?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

A. S. Templeton said:


> Oh... I guess that's sarcasm. If it be unkind, then is it any wonder that your cracks about "brood juice", thoughtless sniping at my supposed beekeeping habits, and uninformed criticism of my press might have engendered a less-than-bland response? Reap what you sow.


You seem to be really/extremely thin skinned. Go back and read the compliments in my earliest posts on this Thread and then the questions in the later posts and point out to me the "sniping" and "uninformed critisism", cause I don't see it.

Ya know, sometimes a question is just a question. If I had wanted to be critical I would not have made supportive comments in response to the person who pointed out your bare feet.

Personally, from my point of view, only having what you have posted here to go on, what you are doing is interesting and seems to fit your style of life and beekeeping. I think you should be secure enuf in your own self to be able to stand someone who asks questions. I think you have a neat set up.

I don't do things the way you do, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate that there are other ways to get to the same ends, a jar of honey.

I hope you enjoy your bees and make all the honey you wish to.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

schmism said:


> langstrom people refer to a honey super as? That super is found at the top of the hive like you would in a langstrom hive?


Uh, schism. It's Langstroth, not langstrom. W/ a capital "L", because it is a persons name. Just thought you'd like to know.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

"brood juice" the juice produced by the pressing of comb containg brood. That's what I was refering to. From what I saw, you have two choices when pressing combs, if you come across some brood. Press it or cut it out and discard it. So, I wondered what you did, that's all.

The way I extract, I have more options than you, perhaps. If I come across a honey frame which has brood in it, I can set that comb aside and put it in a hive to let the brood emerge, and extract it later. Or I can uncap around the brood and extract the honey. I don't intentionally uncap the brood along w/ the honey.

So, I was just curious. No critisism intended. Y'all have a nice day.


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

You gonna put these up for sale? If not how about some plans?


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> <snip> If I had wanted to be critical I would not have made supportive comments in response to the person who pointed out your *bear feet*.
> 
> <snip>


 Bear feet??? This dude has BEAR FEET!!!! Now how handy would that will be at snagging swarms and getting bees out of bee trees!!!!! :lpf:

That's some nice craftsmanship, A.S.T.!!! (even if you do have bear feet...there's gotta be a story somewhere about an ancestor that fought a bear for days on top of some mountain...)

Ed


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## Cox89XJ (Jun 21, 2011)

Looked like a very happy family. Great job and nice clean looking devise.


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## slickbrightspear (Jan 9, 2009)

I dont have a cappings spinner so i press all my cappings in a small fruit press it works ok but his set up would be a lot better.


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## Cheech (Oct 22, 2011)

Great device Templeton. Would love to get a copy of the plans though, looks like a perfect project.
Cheers


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

The memories those children are building are worth your total price of admission! No more beautiful sound. Is that all hardwood? That would be no small bill of materials! I really like it a lot. Thankyou.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

Very nice press. How long does it take that comb? the video skips time so I am just wondering just what the turn around time is with the press.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

The brood juice comments amuse me. You have commercial outfits that have automated machinery that allow frames to be taken out of the supers and uncapped without a human touching them. I'm sure they get some brood juice with that system. The commercial beeks I worked with in the seventies ran brood thru regularly as a matter of convienience. I was laughed at the first time I tried to sort it out. I really doubt that has changed. Some things you just don't talk about and frankly don't matter anyway.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

slickbrightspear said:


> I dont have a cappings spinner so i press all my cappings in a small fruit press it works ok but his set up would be a lot better.


Lovely job, great to see the kids/family involved. Nice video too.

Seems cruel to the bees to destroy all of a years work - BUT - I get about a 20 l ( 6 or 7 gallon) bucket full of cappings and I'm looking for a way to melt the wax into a block. I'm past the solar melter stage at this point. Any affordable, not to messy ideas?
thanks


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Go to the Sally ANN and buy a big slow cooker of roaster and fill it up with your drained cappings. set it just high enough to melt wax by trial and error and skimm off the wax and run it thru a bigger solar wax melter to finish cleaning it. Sell the honey for baking or add barley malt and water to OG 1.120, yeast nutrient, yeast energizer and pitch some d-47 or 71b-1122 and have a party in about six months to a year.


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