# Proper use of a heated bottling tank and choosing right size?



## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

This is my own PERSONAL thoughts as this how we do it.
We use the smaller tank, and keep it filled year round and bottle as needed.
There is no difference keeping it in buckets vs storing in the bottling tank IMO.
Our honey never sees over 110, and if it does get that warm we back the thermostat down to 90-95 for bottling.
I think you are going to get alot of yes do it this way, and no do it this way. In the end you need to do what works best for you. 
On another note, that ML tank is a thinner SS than we use. Mine has a lifetime warranty.


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## mpjourdan (Feb 12, 2006)

Thank you for the reply Maxant, I also have a question on the heater.

Does the heater have a proper built in thermostat so that it doesn't matter whether the tank is plumb full or practically empty because the thermostat will kick on and off as needed to maintain the set temperature, or is the temperature setting dial more of a rough guild and depends on tank fullness?


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Yes, the heater has a proper thermostat. The thermometer on the front of the tank is telling you the temperature of the product in the tank, thats what you want to go by.


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

I also thought about the smaller vs bigger tank not only for the reasons you stated but for energy loose and consumption. You can always get a bigger tank and half fill it. I decided to go with the 25gal Maxant tank, works for me. It's a good size if you plan on bottling all your warm honey at once. I supply 7 of the major grocery stores here with 4 different size bottles.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

In my opinion, the proper use would be to warm the honey to 120F for 48hrs and then bottle it all. Assuming that the bottled honey is stored at room temp it will not begin to granulate for 9-12 months. 

It cost's a bundle to keep a lot of honey warm for 3-4 months. 
I currently use an extractor tank, with a light box below the bottom surrounded by a styrofoam box to do the warming.

Fuzzy


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

I have a 16 gallon and keep it around 85-90 and bottle for 3 months. Filling it as I need. Honey can slowly darking even at low temps. I close up shop around October so I turn it off.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

BGhoney,

Just curious... Have you ever measured the initial moisture content when filling and then the final moisture content after 3 months ?


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## mpjourdan (Feb 12, 2006)

Does anyone know if the 16 gallon Maxant bottling tank (15 inch I.D.) will hold a 5 gallon bucket with a gate valve. I measured a bucket with valve and it looks like it should fit but its close.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Should fit ok.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Can a bottling tank be used as a cappings melter/honey seperator?


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Yes and no.
You would need a set of couplings/nipples welded though the tank. We can and have done it, just cost a little more.
Bermybee has this option installed on his. Perhaps he can chime in with how well it works.


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

odfrank said:


> Can a bottling tank be used as a cappings melter/honey seperator?


To tell you the truth I haven't use the wax separator part yet, ask me again around December. Couldn't ask for a better bottling tank or service though.


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

No I have never checked the moisture over time, I will just to see, I'll fill up maybe 8-10 gallons of bottles then top it off again.

That did give me an idea if I had high moisture, I could turn it up a little with a cloth cover and maybe reduce the miosture over time, while stirring. I've done that with a food dehydrator that worked pretty good.

I really like the way the wax and impurities float up pretty quick at 90 degrees. I poured in 10 gallons waited 5 days , poured it into 2 queenline jars the day of the fair and got a perfect 100 score. go figure.


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

MAXANT said:


> Yes and no.
> You would need a set of couplings/nipples welded though the tank. We can and have done it, just cost a little more.
> Bermybee has this option installed on his. Perhaps he can chime in with how well it works.


Well I finally got the chance to try that out.  I used my mini melter, as usual to get all the honey out of the cappings.(I can’t see using honey after it was sitting above all that water.) I then threw all the wax/slum gum into the tank with water over the top gate. The 25 gallon tank melted the wax no problem. Opened the gate of curse some water came out then the wax. Filtered it as it came out of the tank. 

Here is where the problem came ininch:. After letting the tank cool I was still left with a 2 inch disc of wax with wax moth cocoons (they will actually float in wax as it cools) 1 inch of dirt stuck to the bottom of the wax. So I scraped the dirt off best I could, tilled the tank forward tried again. This time I drain it down to the second valve. Now I have a 1 inch disc with little dirt under it and cocoons through out.

I should have just rinsed the mini melter and wax, and just used the melter as a baffled double boiler as usual it would have been easier, plus all the wax would have been rendered. I think the tank is too wide for that method of rendering wax. But I still got a first-class bottling tank and gained a new respect for efficiency and versatility of the mini melter:thumbsup:.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

So, if i want a tank that will separate honey and wax, leaving the honey cooked but unadulterated by water, as does a solar melter, which product do I buy?


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

The Dadant melters are the only thing I can think of that will process cappings, wax and honey efficiently.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_So, if i want a tank that will separate honey and wax, leaving the honey cooked but unadulterated by water, as does a solar melter, which product do I buy? _

Get a bottling tank with a ball valve instead of the dripless bottling valve. If you look in the Mann Lake catalog, their bottling tank is identical to the wax melting tank except for the valve.

You may want to rig up a screen filter on the inside of the tank to prevent slum from plugging up your outlets.

I have seen people use bottling tanks as wax melters. It works just fine. Just don't try to see how hot you can get the wax before you drain your melter honey off. Any melted wax that gets drained into your melter honey barrel floats to the top and is easily skimmed off. 

A piece of nylon stocking clamped over your outlet will clean your wax pretty good when you go to drain off your wax.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

The lids on those stainless steel storage/bottling tanks are not airtight... is there a problem with moisture gain in the honey, if left in the tank for several months?
Regards,
Steven


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## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

StevenG said:


> The lids on those stainless steel storage/bottling tanks are not airtight... is there a problem with moisture gain in the honey, if left in the tank for several months?
> Regards,
> Steven


I would like know this also.


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

StevenG said:


> The lids on those stainless steel storage/bottling tanks are not airtight... is there a problem with moisture gain in the honey, if left in the tank for several months?
> Regards,
> Steven


When you say problem??? All my tanks have pretty much the same type of lid.
http://s562.photobucket.com/albums/...61/bermybee/?action=view&current=beeeq007.jpg
The humidity on a summers day here can be a steady 80-85+% and the honey will sit in them for up to a year. I don't really measure the honey's moisture levels. This is why I ask you what is it you mean when you say problem?


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Bermybee, you have a sweeeet honey house. I like the layout and flow. Well thought out!


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

Maxant thanks. Rome wasn't build in a day but it's getting there.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Bermybee, that is a serious extracting setup for a sideliner! Congratulations!
Now, re: "Problem"... I don't know if there's a problem or not, that's why I asked the question. From your reply, you've discerned no problem, and I would think that's good news. Thanks!
Steven


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## bermybee (Nov 2, 2008)

Steven thanks. I will say before I got the Maxant bottling tank our honey used to crystallize after being in the air-conditioning at the supermarkets, some years more than others (bottled cold right out of the vats). We used to use exclusively 1 liter and 1 gallon clear glass rum bottles. After being constantly bugged by costumers for smaller bottles and getting tired of paying too much for rum bottles from Bacardi or Goslings I decided to go PET. But first I needed to stop crystallization, because in my experience plastic would only make things worse. After getting the temperature processing right on the bottling tank and testing it on the glass bottles for 6 months I ordered the PET bottles. Bottling is a lot easier and faster, and I have not had a complaint or seen any crystallization since. Now how much moisture absorption had to do with the original crystalizing I don’t know. The other major beekeeper always has a serious crystallization problem and he likes to bottle hot, unsettled, filtered honey right after extraction. I have replaced the 1 liter glass bottle with a 3 pound bottle, now I have costumers that complain about getting a spoonful less of honey and the possibility of plastic leaching… I can’t wininch:. O well you can’t please everyoneopcorn:.


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