Author Topic: Cleaning honey extractors  (Read 1894 times)

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Offline titanif

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Cleaning honey extractors
« on: October 12, 2023, 03:56:40 am »
I have an electric, stainless steel spinning honey extractor. With my current set up, I'm only able to heat up three supers of honey at a time in preparation for extraction. I've been informed that it takes 24-36 hours to heat up a super for extraction.

Would it be unhygienic to extract honey, leave it sticky for 24-36 hours and then process the next three heated supers? What if I have 12 supers to process, would it be alright to leave the extractor sticky for 4-6 days? Does the honey get harder to clean when it's left for a bit? Should I use detegerent when cleaning, or would just hot water do?

Offline iddee

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2023, 04:16:13 am »
In would cover it tightly with something like a sheet and tie it to keep dust and pests out. Otherwise, it should be fine.

Cleaning with soap would be fine with a sufficient rinse before use, after storage. Plain water would be enough after use.
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Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2023, 11:00:14 am »
Some beekeepers don't use soap as they think it leaves a residue.  I think soap would be fine with proper rinsing afterwards.

Offline iddee

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2023, 11:23:04 am »
I wonder if those beekeepers wash their kitchen pots and pans with water only. PHEW!!
“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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Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2023, 12:05:02 pm »
I wonder if those beekeepers wash their kitchen pots and pans with water only. PHEW!!

 :laugh:
I thought the same. 

Offline MudSongs

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2024, 08:19:54 am »
I use a pressure washer to clean my extractor -- and most of beekeeping gear. It sometimes requires a scouring sponge to remove stuck-on wax, but otherwise, super pressurized water does the trick.  It comes out spic and span. No soap required.

I clean my extractor once a year with a pressure washer. The residue honey on the bottom doesn't seem to be an issue unless dead bees or wasps have collected in the bottom. As long as everything is closed up between extraction sessions, even for a couple weeks, it should be fine. I extract 3-4 times a year in small batches starting in July, about every two or tree weeks. I've had no issues.
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Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2024, 12:28:35 pm »
I use a pressure washer to clean my extractor -- and most of beekeeping gear. It sometimes requires a scouring sponge to remove stuck-on wax, but otherwise, super pressurized water does the trick.  It comes out spic and span. No soap required.

I clean my extractor once a year with a pressure washer. The residue honey on the bottom doesn't seem to be an issue unless dead bees or wasps have collected in the bottom. As long as everything is closed up between extraction sessions, even for a couple weeks, it should be fine. I extract 3-4 times a year in small batches starting in July, about every two or tree weeks. I've had no issues.
MudSongs, what are your floral sources?  They must not crystalize quickly.

Offline MudSongs

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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2024, 01:08:40 pm »
Good point. All beekeeping is local beekeeping.

My bees don't forage exclusively on anything with a high glucose content like Canola. My bees get plenty of white clover and then goldenrod at the end of the year, but it's all mixed in with nectar from various deciduous trees and woody shrubs that add fair bit of fructose to the mix. I get very little if any crystallization in my extractor between sessions.  Neither does the liquid honey ferment between sessions.

I followed the example of a local commercial beekeeper who helped me out when I started. He does the same thing, cleaning his extractor once a year with a pressure washer.

Another point would be the size of the extractor. I'm small scale. I extract 6 medium frames at a time with Maxant 3100p, probably no more than 4-5 medium supers in one go. A larger extractor, I assume, would leave more honey in the bottom. I'd say at most there's a litre of honey left in my extractor after I've tilted it to pour the last of the honey from it.

If I did clean between sessions, though, the pressure would still be my preferred method. The extractor looks fair large but weighs practically nothing. It's easy to lift. I take outside, remove the cage hit everything hard with the pressure washer, the inside and the outside of the extractor. It so much easier than washing it by hand. It just about looks brand new when I'm done. I never looked back once I got the pressure washer.



- Phillip Cairns
Isle of Newfoundland
47°42'34.2"N 52°42'49.9"W
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Re: Cleaning honey extractors
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2024, 10:26:41 am »
Mudsongs, in this part of the central US, Clovers including white clover are our main source of nectar for honey. 
I have a barrel dolly that I move my four frame electric extractor around on.  At this stage, my back needs all the help it can get.