# syrup making and delivery



## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

My first thought is whether or not your suction side is a sump style or at least at the lowest point as possible while your recirculate is at the top to dump back in.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

What temperature is your water?

Crazy Roland


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

I would think at this time of year, you could leave the tank out in the hot sun to sufficiently warm the water to dissolve the sugar. 
Can't help you in cool temperatures, except to say that you could maybe use your home hot water tank to assist....


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

That's correct, the suction side is at one end as close to the bottom as possible and the return is in fact dumping back into the top. I try to let the tank sit in direct sun for a day or so. Our little ole rinky dink home water heater isn't much help. I was thinking of a submersible heater or three. I just thought I would ask around before I took off down the rabbit hole on this one. it would be nice to have one of those outdoor wood-fired water heaters to just tap off of. Lots of goot-n-hot water.


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

I fill the tank from a garden hose and allow it to sit in the sun. I have also tried adding a couple stock pots of boiling water. This was an exercise in futility.


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

what are folks using to mix and distribute sugar water when there is a couple hundred gallons to be dispensed?
is hfcs the better option? It sure seems much easier from my window right now


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

We find that if the water is not hot enough to cause pain to a frequent welder, it takes way too long to mix.

As for using HFCS, with the equipment we have, it took longer to mix than using dry sucrose because the HFCS pumped so slow untill it was slightly thinned.

Crazy Roland


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

We find that if the water is not hot enough to cause pain to a frequent welder, it takes way too long to mix.

As for using HFCS, with the equipment we have, it took longer to mix than using dry sucrose because the HFCS pumped so slow untill it was slightly thinned.

Crazy Roland


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

Roland, what is your mixing and delivery system for sucrose? Are there threads on the forum already pertaining to this topic? I searched around but wasn't able to locate any. im interested in seeing how others have solved this problem.


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

Maybe look into another form of getting some agitation in there.

Sounds like you have some areas where there isn't enough turbulence. What kind of mixing vessel is this that your using?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

tarheel bee said:


> the problem is that a whole lot of sugar doesn't get mixed.


Doesn't get mixed as in it sits in clumps in the corners, or doesn't get mixed as in it's suspended but not dissolving?

With mine I have to physically hold the return hose and point it at corners etc to blast any clumps of sugar into suspension. If the issue is the sugar is suspended but not dissolving you need to increase temperature. A submersable heater can be used provided it's gentle enough not to locally overheat and burn or produce HMF (or whatever it's called)


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

My first setup was a square tote with a trash pump to pull from the bottom and dump into the top. The pump also runs to fill feeders in the bee yards and the sugar was usually dissolved on day 2. I changed my tank to a 200 gallon tank that is like an oblong cylinder laying on its side shape. I pull from the bottom at one end and pump into the other bottom end. I fill the tank with water from the garden hose, turn on the trash pump and dump the sugar into the top. I run it for 15 minutes after all sugar is dumped. Some may settle to the bottom but after the first bee yard and the pump is running long enough to feed it will be perfectly clear. 
It's much easier using my square tanks for hfcs.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

You cannot return it to the top, has to go to the bottom and like mmiller said the other end. That will solve all issues assuming you have a serious hose like a 2 " return not a simple garden hose return line.

Jean-Marc


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

3" suction and 2" return is whats on it right now. mmiller:are you mixing straight out of the garden hose and letting it mix for 15- 20 minutes and letting it sit overnight, then briefly agitating before feeding? Thank you for the replies. I apologize for not being quicker as I dont have a cell phone.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Roland said:


> We find that if the water is not hot enough to cause pain to a frequent welder, it takes way too long to mix.
> 
> As for using HFCS, with the equipment we have, it took longer to mix than using dry sucrose because the HFCS pumped so slow untill it was slightly thinned.
> 
> Crazy Roland


We fill our totes with 40 gals of water before the syrup is delivered. When the trucker pumps the syrup in, it thins the HFCS. I prefer the sucrose/HFCS blend but HFCS works well in the fall.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Honda pump with a 1" bronze gear pumps works best.


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

RAK, is that sucrose/HFCS purchased already blended or is that something you do? Whats the source?


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## Chip Euliss (Sep 2, 2010)

I have an old 300 gallon diary tank with an agitator. I put 100 gallons of water in the tank and stick in 2 immersion heaters I bought from Mann Lake a few years ago. If I stick the heaters in last thing in the day, I have almost scalding water the next morning. I turn on the agitator and dump in 1600 lbs or 800 lbs of sugar for a 2:1 or 1:1 mix. I add about a quarter of the sugar, let it mix for about a half hour, then another quarter etc. so I don't overload the agitator motor. Works slick. I lift the tank with the forklift and gravity flow it to a tote for hauling to the beeyards on the back of my truck. I let the agitator spin till the syrup is cool enough to pump in the hive feeders


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

tarheel bee said:


> RAK, is that sucrose/HFCS purchased already blended or is that something you do? Whats the source?


I get it from mann lake.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

tarheel bee said:


> 3" suction and 2" return is whats on it right now. mmiller:are you mixing straight out of the garden hose and letting it mix for 15- 20 minutes and letting it sit overnight, then briefly agitating before feeding? Thank you for the replies. I apologize for not being quicker as I dont have a cell phone.


I fill with water, run the pump, dump the sugar and run pump for 15 minutes before leaving to feed. If I'm really short on time I'll run the pump while enroute to my yards.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Love to see some pictures of your setups.


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## Beavo (Apr 25, 2016)

One Beekeeper in Oz uses his hot water pressure washer to provide hot water and agitation at the same time.


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## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

Beavo said:


> One Beekeeper in Oz uses his hot water pressure washer to provide hot water and agitation at the same time.


Me too u can mix a 55gal drum in about 10 min.


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

that pressure washer is a pretty good idea. gotta love this forum, always loaded with the many different ways to skin a cat. looks like my best option for now is one or two of those submersible heaters.


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## dtp (Jun 4, 2013)

jean-marc said:


> You cannot return it to the top, has to go to the bottom and like mmiller said the other end. That will solve all issues assuming you have a serious hose like a 2 " return not a simple garden hose return line.
> 
> Jean-Marc


Exactly right. I use a trash pump and tote with a 2 inch return that is held one inch off the bottom. No sugar residue at the bottom of the tote.


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## tarheel bee (May 17, 2005)

got lucky tonight at work with the submersible heaters. we were ordering a dozen to heat water for servicing a/c systems and they let me pick up a few for a very nice price. hopefully this will help alleviate some of those syrup feeding issues. now if only that ezyloader would magically fix itself...............


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## adamf (Jan 28, 2006)

*Reading this thread with interest...*

Trying to remain frugal with equipment capitalization in our operation. One (now retired) commercial friend of mine once told me he mixed up syrup in a 50 gallon drum using an oar! :applause:


We're really small scale: we'll make batches of 2:1 for Winter feeding using 200 lbs granulated sucrose (Costco). We feed into 1 gallon plastic containers sitting on top bars. This works really well and the containers last

for many seasons. We'll get new lids ever 3rd year or so.


We mix in food-grade 50 gallon drum: 200 lbs sugar, water to right ratio. Use a 1/2" electric drill with spade handle and side grip spinning an "egg beater" bit. In five minutes this mixes the sugar into solution totally. If I'm ever 

concerned, I'll mix again before filling, but this mixing method works really well. No heating! Sometimes the initial mixing is a little rough, but good exercise for the upper body! 


We run a 3/4" pvc line from the drum to a _Jabsco 1/3 HP 11810-0003 Flexible Impeller Utility Pump._ We output from the pump to garden hose with a quick close valve. We'll fill 5 gallon buckets filling feeders from the buckets at 

the yard.Sure it's a pain in the *&@$, but it works really well feeding colonies and we have a small capital outlay for the equipment. I looked at gear pumps, but was recommended this pump and it works really well! Fills a 5 

gallon bucket in under a minute. We were using an Amazon special; Centrifugal 1/2 HP Wayne pump. It worked great for 1:1, but anything thicker overheated it in a minute or so. The Jabsco Flexible Impeller pump wants to run 

all afternoon pumping 2:1 sucrose syrup.


I'll add the sugar and water to the drum in the morning, and by early afternoon, the sun heats the drum up nicely!

Since we don't use division board feeders, this method works well for a couple hundred colonies and change. I'd invest in a truck-mounted tank and larger capacity lines well-described in this forum if we were feeding 

more colonies...

Adam
Here are some photos:
http://tinyurl.com/vp-sugar-syrup-pics


http://vpqueenbees.com


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