Surfnirvana Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I bought my huband a metal uncapping tray for Christmas which he was thrilled with . On New Year's day we finally managed to extract the honey from our supers we took off in May last year! There is so much rape around us that it chrystalised very quickly in the frames and we weren't quick enough to spin it off. With this uncapping tray we just poured hot water in the bottom section, plugged it in to heat the water up even more and then uncapped and cut out the wax combes from the wooden frames and placed it all on the tray. It all melts - wax & honey - and then it pours out of a hole at the end into a waiting bucket. The wax floats to the top which we took off in one go when it had all cooled down. Our local apiary will buy the wax back from us too which is great! So, after sieving the honey, we were delighted with 52 jars of the golden stuff!! It is our second year of beekeeping and now have 2 hives. Fingers crossed we will get a bumper crop this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Wow, wow, WOW!!! Bravo!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Wow, that's a really good crop - well done. I'm slightly puzzled as to how you extract the honey, it sounds as if it's all mixed with the water? I've only ever done straightforward uncapping/extracting, not familiar with this method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Well done! - a lovely New Year present. I had to put some of our combs over hot water this year - I put a few frames into the 'big solar extractor' (aka the conservatory!) and forgot them! I only wanted to warm them slightly so that I could put them in the extractor and extract in the normal way but we had a mass of half melted wax and honey mix. Once it was all properly melted it was much easier to deal with. It would be easier with the right equipment though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfnirvana Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Hi Olly The heat extracter is like a large metal oblong box with a slanting shelf in it. You poor hot water into the bottom section of the box, then on the shelf you place the cut out, uncapped, full Combes. The water & Combes don't mix at all. The heat from the water below, heats the metal shelf above which in turn slowly & gently melts the Combes & honey together . The liquid (honey & wax only) then drains through a hole into a waiting bucket. The wax floats to the top and when it cools down it hardens and can be taken off the top of the honey. The up side is that you can extract honey that has been crystallised or set, but the down side is that you can't use the wax foundation s again as they have been melted. We really enjoyed doing it, and are delighted with the results. We got our extracter from Maisemore Apiaries in Gloucestershire - they have a great website www.bees-online.co.uk. We are really lucky to live about a mile away from them - they have been very helpful with advice over the past few years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I have often looked at these uncapping trays in the catalogues and wondered about their use. Doesn't heating honey up to the melting point of wax (62˚C ) spoil the taste entirely? Heating over 37˚ certainly denatures most protein components and reduces the so called health benefits of honey. I once heated some wet cappings very very gently in a low oven at less than 70˚ to get some show wax. I tried the honey and it was entirely different from the unheated product, very sweet but little floral aroma and fruitiness; infact, just like the pasteurised stuff you get in the supermarkets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfnirvana Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 I think you make a fair point. In ideal circumstances we would have taken the supers off and spun them as soon as possible. Unfortunately we left the frames too long (only 10 days) and they had already chrstalised! We are very close to many rape fields. This meant heating was the only way we were able to extract the honey. The taste is lovely - no complaints there, but heating does remove some of the raw floral flavours, but to us this is barely noticeable and are just so delighted we now have that liquid gold in jars!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 There's no better taste than your own honey Have you creamed it? I may be mistaken but if it's largely OSR it will go rock hard very quickly unless you have. Oh and well done...it must have been some job especially on New Years Day........phew!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Fantastic I'd lurve a bee hive but hubby has a SEVERE phobia about wasps so bees have no chance Well done. What an absolute sense of achievement that must be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
