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Author Topic: Candy  (Read 5434 times)

Offline capt44

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Re: Candy
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2014, 01:34:59 pm »
I make mine like Tefer2.
I use a glass candy thermometer.
When it reaches 234 degrees F I turn the heat off and let it cool to 200 degrees F
I then use a whisk and whisk it until it starts turning a white looking color then pour it into the mold.
I let it setup overnight and it's ready to go.
If it gets too hot it will be brittle and subject to shatter.
If you cool it down too fast while in the mold it will have cracks in it also.
I pour mine into the deep side of an inner cover or in paper plates with wax paper in them.
You can take the disk and store them in 5 gallon buckets.
The bees really like them when you add just a little Pro Health or Honey Bee Healthy to the fudge.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline Bush_84

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Re: Candy
« Reply #21 on: January 19, 2014, 10:58:09 am »
Ok let me ask this likely to be long and drawn out question.

Can I just toss the bag of sugar in there while still in the bag?  I read this on honey bee suite.  What I am looking to do with candy is make it easy to replace sugar once the bees have already gone through their supply.  I suppose I could put down another piece of newspaper and dump more sugar on top but that seems like it would take longer than I'd like.  I started looking into candy because you can slap that down in a second and close things up.  But why can't a bag of sugar be that easy as well?  Cut a small slit in the bag, maybe spray it with some lemon grass oil/water mix, and close up the hive.  The bees should be able to eat through the bag easy enough right?  Then if it turns out they didn't need it, I can pick up the bag and make syrup in the spring.  I am quickly finding that dry sugar is very difficult and messy to clean up if the hive didn't make the stuff solid.  This just sounds like a neat idea and wanted to see if anybody else has tried before I go and ruin another 10 lbs of sugar.
Keeping bees since 2011.

Also please excuse the typos.  My iPad autocorrect can be brutal.

Offline BingalingBees

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Re: Candy
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2014, 02:38:03 pm »
I've had some success with making bee candy these last 2 winters, but I always heat to 240 to 242 degrees before cooling to about 195 degrees and adding a little ProHealth & Vinegar. The vinegar acts as a catalyst... smaller grains of sugar and helps with the conversion from glucose to sucrose & fructose - both which makes it easier for bees to digest in colder months.
 
Here's my recipe for 5 lbs sugar, which makes 5 medium size paper plates.
Bee Candy Recipe         
Emergency Feeding late winter / early spring         
5 lb sugar             Caution: Hot Syrup   
2 1/2 cups water     Handle with Care!   
1/2 teaspoon ProHealth         
1/2 teaspoon Vinegar         
Bring Water to boil on medium high heat         
Add sugar & stir, add more sugar & stir (don't cover)   

Continue stirring, and bring to soft ball stage ~242 degrees         
Remove from heat, cool to about 195 degrees, stirring occasionally         
Add ProHealth & Vinegar, stir vigorously and quickly pour into molds         
Should be fudge hard at room temperature when completely cooled.          
Place on top bars, and add empty honey super if required?



Or you can use mountain camp method of dry sugar on newspaper... wet newspaper on the bars (or they'll chew holes and dry sugar will run out bottom of hive), spread dry sugar on newspaper and mist with water to make crust. Place empty super on top or reverse your inner cover with space down and close up.         
« Last Edit: January 20, 2014, 02:50:06 pm by Robo »
Brad Raspet - Mount Vernon, WA
www.BingalingBees.com

Offline Bush_84

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Re: Candy
« Reply #23 on: January 21, 2014, 11:08:07 pm »
The sugar bag thing worked out great!  All I did was put a 10 lb bag of sugar into a cake pan around the same size, dump a cup of sugar into the pan, allow the bag to soak it up, the next day flipped it over to air dry.  The bottom is rock hard.  Now later this week I will place a medium over my eke and put it over the top bars.  Easy peezey! 
Keeping bees since 2011.

Also please excuse the typos.  My iPad autocorrect can be brutal.

Offline jim81147

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Re: Candy
« Reply #24 on: January 25, 2014, 01:04:18 am »
what is the advantage to using candy over just blocks of sugar , if any?
If my bee's can survive me , Varroa doesn't stand a chance !!!

Offline BingalingBees

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Re: Candy
« Reply #25 on: January 25, 2014, 01:16:57 am »
smaller grains, sucrose converted to fructose & glucose making it easier, lees energy used by bees to digest...
Brad Raspet - Mount Vernon, WA
www.BingalingBees.com