Bottling system

[sean]

Hi. anybody ever try to build a bottling system? somthingthat can fill more than one bottle at a time. I figure it would have to be mechanical. I find myself now doing 70-80 bottles a week and beingthe lazy sucker i am i keep wondering if there is a way to build a contraption that can do maybe 4-5 bottles at a time.

[MAXANT]

We used to sell the APIPACKER, they have since been bought out by a French company. I think Dadant and Kelley have a setup that does this.

[sean]

ok did a quick search havent seen it, still searching though.

[rdy-b]

http://www.simplexfiller.com/machinery/volumetric.html      8-)  RDY-B

[rdy-b]

http://www.morrisweaver.com/                                                                                                                     Look in the for sale under miscellaneous equipment  -RDY-B

[rdy-b]

http://www.mannlakeltd.net/catalog/page74.html      RDY-B

[rdy-b]

https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=415   RDY-B

[rdy-b]

http://www.swienty.com/default.asp?pid=5&ref=1138    RDY-B

[rdy-b]

 http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37.l1313&satitle=filling+machine&category0=            RDY-B

[SgtMaj]

That's pretty darn expensive... here's another idea... Use a very large funnel, attach a coffeemaker cutoff valve from a broken coffeemaker to the bottom of it... attach a piece of wire or anything stiff to the bottom of the valve (anything that sticks out far enough to reach the sides of the jar you're filling).  Now suspend that above a spring-loaded platform that holds your bottles that you're filling up against the top so they're opening up the cutoff valve.  Tension the spring so that the weight of a full bottle of honey is just enough to push the spring down to the point that the cutoff valve closes.  There you go... all you have to do is swap out the full bottles with empty ones and put on a lid... and of course keep the funnel full... I would assume you'd place this over an extractor and attach a coffee filter or whatever you use to filter the honey to the output of the extractor before it flows into the funnel (that should slow it down enough that it's managable).

[rdy-b]

That's pretty darn expensive... here's another idea... Use a very large funnel, attach a coffeemaker cutoff valve from a broken coffeemaker to the bottom of it... attach a piece of wire or anything stiff to the bottom of the valve (anything that sticks out far enough to reach the sides of the jar you're filling).  Now suspend that above a spring-loaded platform that holds your bottles that you're filling up against the top so they're opening up the cutoff valve.  Tension the spring so that the weight of a full bottle of honey is just enough to push the spring down to the point that the cutoff valve closes.  There you go... all you have to do is swap out the full bottles with empty ones and put on a lid... and of course keep the funnel full... I would assume you'd place this over an extractor and attach a coffee filter or whatever you use to filter the honey to the output of the extractor before it flows into the funnel (that should slow it down enough that it's managable).

                                                                                                                                                           what kind of persription do you have :-D :-D :-D :-DRDY-B

[rdy-b]

yea slow it down enough so its managable  :-D  RDY-B

[TwT]

That's pretty darn expensive...

everything in beekeeping is expensive if you want to go sideline/commercial, I am going towards the queens rearing and nuc industry side but also want to do honey as well, to make thing go faster and easier you have to upgrade, this is what I am looking at once I get about 100 honey hives, just got to pay off truck first  ;)

http://www.cowenmfg.com/store_items_view.asp?itemid=19255

then I am sure after running that many hive I will want some kind of a bottling system and I am sure it will cost also....

[rdy-b]

NO dout about it quality equipment pays for it self -and if you cant afford quality just remember -LOTS of DUCK TAPE-          8-) RDY-B

[SgtMaj]

I guess I'm looking at it from a 1 hive perspective... a hundred or more hives and something like that might pay for itself... but for the home hobbyist... that's kinda ridiculous.

[TwT]

.. but for the home hobbyist... that's kinda ridiculous.

it is ridiculous to even think a home hobbyist would need a bottling system, if a person is looking for a system like that then they may not be considered home hobbyist because home hobbyist doesn't extract enough to need a bottling system.

NO dout about it quality equipment pays for it self -and if you cant afford quality just remember -LOTS of DUCK TAPE-          8-) RDY-B

BAHAHAHA!!!!! you said a mouth full that time  :-D ;)

[rdy-b]

I guess I'm looking at it from a 1 hive perspective... a hundred or more hives and something like that might pay for itself... but for the home hobbyist... that's kinda ridiculous.

    SEAN is doing 80 bottles a week i think he posted about a honey pump and he is using drums to store honey at that point he is a sideline operator -and is expanding his systems-the only thing ridiculous is someone who has never bottled honey -is trying to give advice on how to build a honey bottler -the advice we hand out must be of beemaster caliber -and nothing less RDY-B

[SgtMaj]

SEAN is doing 80 bottles a week i think he posted about a honey pump and he is using drums to store honey at that point he is a sideline operator -and is expanding his systems-the only thing ridiculous is someone who has never bottled honey -is trying to give advice on how to build a honey bottler -the advice we hand out must be of beemaster caliber -and nothing less RDY-B

I take it you don't fly much.  Because if you have flown, you probably flew in airplane that was designed and built by people who have never flown an airplane.  Guess that makes the 747 a pile of junk then.   :roll:

I also suppose Sean is the only one reading this thread then... no one else... no passers by that might not be doing 80 bottles a week read this thread?   :roll:

[johnnybigfish]

I would like a bottling system. Mostly to just be able to say "I have one"!
But, mostly, I would like to be getting enough honey to use one!
 I have an extractor with a hand crank and so far thats enough "Coolness" that I can handle right now!
 Now, what i really need is a boy who has a strong back and a weak mind. That way I will have someone to do the lifting for me!, Someone like the guy in slingblade, or the guy in the Halloween movies with the mask! I bet they can move hive bodys all day long!

your friend,
john

[randydrivesabus]

maybe you could build something that would have a manifold with several spouts and a single valve. then you could line your containers up one under each spout and then open the valve and fill them simultaneously. Not sure how you would get the honey to flow evenly to each spout. Now that i think about it this sounds like a sticky mess waiting to happen.

[rdy-b]

There is one thing that i am going to try -I bottle out of a jacketed tank -and mannlake and kelly both sell for around  $25 a foot pedal that hooks up to the valve- so jar in one hand and lid in the other hand and use foot to control honey flow-may help production -especially on the large jars -RDY-B

[sean]

maybe you could build something that would have a manifold with several spouts and a single valve. then you could line your containers up one under each spout and then open the valve and fill them simultaneously. Not sure how you would get the honey to flow evenly to each spout. Now that i think about it this sounds like a sticky mess waiting to happen.

I thought about that (building one out of pvc pipes and 3 or 4lock off valves) but i dont think it will flow fast enough. it may even take longer than filling them individually by hand

[TwT]

yeah you almost have to have a small pump or pressure to have a fast loader, thats what them commercial fillers use, about anyway you look at it to buy or build one that will work will cost so save up for one, there could be something already made that can be used that we over looking  but we just have to look. 

[sean]

i guess you are right, its a lot of money though roughly J$170,000.00 and that doesnt include shipping. I am still searching though.

[sc-bee]

WOW T --- that's alot of bottles of honey!!!

[rdy-b]

WOW T --- that's alot of bottles of honey!!!

                      Exchange rate is over the top  -gives a new meaning to just my two cents worth  8-) RDY-B                                          http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=jamaican+dollar&spell=1

[sean]

WOW T --- that's alot of bottles of honey!!!

                      Exchange rate is over the top  -gives a new meaning to just my two cents worth  8-) RDY-B                                          http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=jamaican+dollar&spell=1

"fi real!"

[KONASDAD]

Jamaica is a hard country to get things in and out for a beekeeper and expensive too. Just a thought for you about the multiple fillers, one switch idea... If your tank was rectangular, you could attach a row of honey gates very low on tank and all aligned in a row. The gates can be opened and closed by one board or stiff wire attached to mutiple gates. Your country is very hot, the honey will flow great w/o a pump. When you get low on honey inside your container, you might have to fill one at a time, or refill tank w/ honey to maintain pressure and flow rate.

Similarly, use garden hoses or copper plumbing fittings for filler. One from tank, and split into four or five fillers and one turn/ball valve. I really dont think your honey will be too thick w/ your temps.

[HomeBru]

From an engineering standpoint, you'll want to have a valve/gate at each outlet rather than one valve going to multiple outlets. When you turn the valves off, you want the same amount of "finishing drip" at each bottle, but with a single valve, the longer runs will have more remaining honey to run into the bottle, on the floor, over your shoes...

A sliding gate valve would work well and could be fairly easily cobbled up using plastic, aluminum or stainless steel depending on your sources. Maybe a long "box" with gate valves along the bottom that receives the honey from your pot. You could use a heat tape or even a back warmer wrapped around the "box" to keep the honey flowing. A short nipple of PVC/steel to guide the honey from the box into the bottles.

thoughts...

J-

[pdmattox]

I was thinking about this Sean and thought about my bulk syrup tank and how a oiless air compressor would better than a pump for this. not sure I would want to bottle more than one bottle at a time though. It could work pretty fast if you set it up like an assembly line. Now all I need to do is get the wife's permmisson to fly down there to help build this thing.

[sean]

I was thinking about this Sean and thought about my bulk syrup tank and how a oiless air compressor would better than a pump for this. not sure I would want to bottle more than one bottle at a time though. It could work pretty fast if you set it up like an assembly line. Now all I need to do is get the wife's permmisson to fly down there to help build this thing.

How can i assist in getting you permission :-D


Using the experience of my drum (60 gal) with a 1 1/2 inch ball valve( i assume) I realize that the honey is not flowing fast enough to make multiple vavles feasible. It would take roughly the same amount of time to fill 3 or 4 as filling them one at a time
unless i use some kind of pump to pressurise the drum along with the mutiple outlets and one/multiple valves.

I knew you guys would come up with a solution. Just need pdmattox to get me a working model :evil:   

[sean]

I went to "Rapid Tru Value" (think junior Lowes) to buy some paint and my eyes caught sight of of the little canister thingys that are used to measure out the various paint colours when mixing and the old wheels began to turn, could this work for me? anybody out there tried or have any thoughts on this?

[Misko]

Here's something my friend a beekeeper made.
www.cebelarstvo-bedek.com/miza.zip
and some pictures on our forum http://new.slovenski-cebelarji.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1848&highlight=dozirka

He uses a gear pump mounted on the motor. He regulates the rpm of the motor and when the motor stops it takes 3 spins backwards that the honey doesn't drop. Then the table turns and the second jar is filling.
he uses a motor from a cabel hoist because it already has a reductor.

I'am making my prototipe the days but i can't decide what sensor to use for the rpm measuring (inductive, reed swith, hall sensor).