# extracting honey



## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

this will be my first extraction and I hear about not doing extraction on a humid day and to extract on a day that is atlest 80 degrees, i also heard about not all honey is capped, I dont have one of those refractor meters, I have taken 1 frame out of the hives and extracted it to see if it would ferment, I strained it through a stocking, it had some very small bubbles in it that made it look kinda cloudy but 2 days after it was light golden color and no bubbles.any advis would be appreciated. and some helpful tips too.


----------



## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

It help's to stack the supers where air can get through them & then place a fan air to blow through them.If you have a dehumdifier to place in the room with them,So much the better.
Also after you extract the honey,Let it settle in a container for a couple of day's before you bottle it,That way the slum & debries float to the top along with alot of the bubbles.>>>>Mark


----------



## John Russell (Aug 8, 2003)

Be careful not to dry it down too much if you are using a dehumidifier. If you go below 17% it gets a lot harder to get it out of the comb.
You can always take a sample of honey that you know is o.k. , with fingerfull you have scooped up from a comb and compare viscosity.
Having ruined a pail or two of honey in my time, I'd really recomend the refractometer. Check ebay for good buys. They can be as cheap as 50 bucks, and are better than loosing a crop.

J.R.


----------



## BubbaBob (Jan 18, 2005)

Then there is the "shake test"

Hold a frame with the comb parallel to the ground. Shake it...HARD...like you were shaking bees off. If a shower of liquid comes out, it's not honey...it's still nectar and needs more drying. If it stays in the comb despite being only partially capped you can figger it's usually dry enough to extract and bottle.

BubbaBob


----------

