Author Topic: Is it important to heat frames before extraction?  (Read 5327 times)

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Offline TheFuzz

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Is it important to heat frames before extraction?
« on: January 11, 2020, 07:41:42 am »
I have a 12 frame honey spinning extractor. Usually, I go to my bees, and take honey frames back home with me, put the frames in a heating room, then put the warmed frames in the spinner. I then have sticky frames on hand at home.

I want to take my 12 frame honey extractor with me, and set it up in a room next to the beehives. I won't have my heating room if I do this. The advantage is, I don't need to take the sticky frames back home with me, as soon as they're spinned, I can put them back in the beehive.

I'm fine with potentially not extracting as much honey, because I'll be giving it all back to the bees anyway. I'm concerned though, is it possible for me to have lower quality honey by doing it this way? I ask because, I'm under the impression that different components of honey is more inclined to go hard and not spin out easier, whereas some components are more likely to become a liquid (fructose?) and are more likely to pour out.

If it is important to heat the honey frames before extraction, could I make some sort of portable frame heater? I'm thinking of getting some bee boxs, a bottom and a lid, and stack them up with a heating light globe inside the boxs, perhaps attached to the lid. I could put the honey frames inside, and the light globe could heat it up. Could this be worth setting up?

Offline iddee

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Re: Is it important to heat frames before extraction?
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2020, 08:41:39 am »
The closer to 32 C. degrees the honey is, the better it is for ectracting. Up to 37 C. I would not go above 37 and it will be more difficult to extract much below 30. The only damage to the honey would happen at 46 C. or above. Heat causes damage to honey, not coolness.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline TheFuzz

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Re: Is it important to heat frames before extraction?
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2020, 07:01:15 pm »
Good to know thanks.

I plan to process it in a cool, shaded area. Should I extract the honey on a hot day? I'm going to have temperatures ranging from 28C to 45C in the next month or so. Why wouldn't you go above 37?

Offline iddee

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Re: Is it important to heat frames before extraction?
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2020, 08:01:56 pm »
It is said that honey begins to lose it's value at 37 and above. For how long and to what extent, I have no idea. Something about destroying it'd enzymes or whatever. I'm not a scientist, so haven't gotten into the details of it.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Is it important to heat frames before extraction?
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2020, 08:40:38 pm »
Fuzz, are you going to do this indoors, in a tent, or out in the open?  You need a sealed room to extract honey in or you will have thousands and thousands of visitors.  :bee: