Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: crane on June 07, 2012, 12:59:09 pm
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Can someone explain the crush and strain extraction process? I have two hives. I had a problem with one of them(low population) so I removed the queen excluder in hopes that the bees would build brood in the upper medium.
The other was well populated so I left the excluder on and they have filled the upper with honey. I don't own an extractor and none are to be found in this area because evryone is using theirs now since it is harvest time.
Since I only have the one super I figured I would just crush and strain this one this year. As a newbee I do not have the slightest idea how to o this. Can anyone help?
BTW The frames on the full hive are plastic foundation in a langstroth. If that makes any difference.
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http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com (http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com)
linda has a great section on crush and strain. it is as it sounds. you get a big pan, cut out the comb, or in your case scrape it off i think, and use something to crush the comb. then you set the comb in something...cheese cloth, paint strainer, etc., over a container (5 gal bucket works) and let the honey drip out of the crushed comb.
the warmer the room, the faster the drip. i usually leave mine 24 hours. then you may met the wax for whatever you want...including rewaxing your plastic foundation.
watch lindas video. it's better than my explanation! :-D
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There are many ways to do it, but with plastic foundation I generally use a cake slicer type spatula to scrape off the cells of honey onto a glass cutting board (you don't want to damage the foundation or scrape off all of the wax coating), then mash up with something like a potato masher, then scrape into a clean home depot paint strainer stretched over a 5 gallon food grade bucket. Let it drain and settle. Squeeze and tighten paint strainer as necessary. Let bees clean up ball of wax.
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My first year, I made a gizzy to support the frames that comes in handy when inspecting or harvesting. I scraped the cells (and the honey) off and then I let the frames drip into the tub for several hours. I think a Cap Scrapper may be a better way just to uncap the cells, but I wanted the wax too. Then I strained the wax out of honey (first coarse then a fine strainer) and put the honey into jars and made candles from the wax after letting the bees clean it. Then I gave the frames back to the bees and apologized to them for stealing their hooch.
Great fun! :-D
(http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab218/Sunchaser01/Bee%20Stuff/DSCN0099-1.jpg)
(http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab218/Sunchaser01/Bee%20Stuff/DSCN0103.jpg)
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i use some old 1 gallon ice cream buckets ( washed out, of course ), a strainer and a potato masher. the bottom bucket is where your honey ends up after being mashed and sitting in the top bucket with 1/4 inch holes drilled into the bottom with a fine mesh wire strainer in between the top and bottom buckets.sometimes the holes get blocked so you have to stir it around a bit. it's a little messy and it takes a long time, but its not too terrible.
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Linda has a pretty good video on crush and strain, the other ideas will work also. But if you are in a local club or have a beek friend with an extractor They may let you use theirs and even help. This my first year and I extracted 4 supers after spring flow, a friend from the local bee club help me at his bee house. I gave him a couple of onion sacks of pecans.
Joe
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Sundog you should try turning them upside down next time you may have more run out :-D