Cappings

[tedh]

I'm looking for an affordable way to spin honey out of wax cappings.  Has anyone tried the Brushy Mountain wax cappings spinner bags?  If so, how do they hang on the extractor reel?  Do they work?  How much cappings will they hold?  Any info would be appreciated.  Thanks, Ted

[Bakersdozen]

I wasn't familiar with that tedh.  I had to look it up.  I think you would need a compatible extractor for that to work.  You can always call them and ask questions.  I find the operators are usually knowledgeable.
I usually let gravity and a mesh filter drain the honey off of my cappings.  It's far from perfect and there is some honey lost.
Let us know what you find out.

[Perry]

Riverbee uses the cappings bags and she says they work great.

[apisbees]

Riverbee uses them they work great. depending on your extractor you may need to put a rack to support the bag from swinging against the side of the extractor. they make a support for the capping bag for some extractors. You need 2 or 3 depending on your extractor to keep it balanced.
A cheep alternative is to wire a metal queen excluder into the extractor Place the cappings in a 5 gallon paint strainer bag and tie the bag shut with a cord and tie the bag so it rests on top of the queen excluder.

[tedh]

Thank you for the responces! Four years later and this forum still amazes me!  I hope Riverbee responds too.  I'd really like to hear from someone with hands on experience. Ted

[tedh]

Forgot to mention, we spun out some very light colored honey today.  I'll try to post pics tomorrow, I'm beat.  Ted

[apisbees]

Ted what extractor do you have?
The bags need to be supported with one of these if the frame cages do not offer support to keep the bags from touching the extractor sides, If they will work in your extractor. If you have a Brushy Mountain extractor it will work, other brand of extractor they should work but there are so many different extractor sizes and designs that there is no grantee. Lazy and my Root extractors have a perforated metal sides and I have plates to drop in the bottom and then drop the cappings in to spin the honey out of them. The centrifugal force works very well at removing most the honey from the wax leaving the cappings fairly dry. it is a way better and quicker than letting them drip out.
https://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Extra-Metal-BASKETS-3-for-9-18-Frm-Extractors

[tedh]

This is the extractor:







Here'sa  shot of the honey:

[tedh]

More about the extractor.  I ordered a few parts this winter, a bottom bearing for the reel, when it got here it was the wrong style.  I called Dadant and explained and was told they had discontinued that style years ago.  I asked how long ago it was discontinued and was told that the gal I was talking to had started working at Dadants in the eary 1970's and it was discontinued before she got there.  I suspect that the U shaped "frame holders" on the reel may be home made but can't say for sure. Any idea if the capping bags from Brushy Mountain would work for me?  We have four or five 5 gallon buckets of cappings.  Thanks, Ted

By the way, I got the last bottom bearing in that style left in existance that Dadants fabrication shop, located in Hamilton, Missouri, knows about.

[apisbees]

you will need the https://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Extra-Metal-BASKETS-3-for-9-18-Frm-Extractors they hang on the top hoop and the bags will hang on them. The main thing is to have support hoops in the proper place. Your extractor is built about the same as the Brushy's are so they should fir right in. Not in your case but some extractors the top hoop is above the frames and the bottom hoop is at the end of the frame and the support rack is to short in length to fit. I would use a zip tie or wire to attach it to the top hoop for added security.

[Bakersdozen]

Beautiful honey, tedh!
Friday is E Day here.

[tedh]

So do the bags spin out tangentially?  I assume they do.  How long would I let each side spin?  Ted

[Perry]

I would spin them until there wasn't any honey on the sidewalls of your extractor, maybe 20 minutes or so. Yes, tangentially.

[tedh]

Ahhhh, the old look and see trick!  Thanks Perry, good to hear from you.  Ted

[apisbees]

Only spin them out from one side, The bags only have hanging hooks on one side. If it looks like there is still lots of honey trapped break then up in the bag and spin them again. about 20 minutes a side, 30 if you want to get more. Leave it to long and the value of the honey recovered gets to be less than the electricity to salvage it.

[riverbee]

ted, sorry i have been fishing or something else in montana for two weeks, so have been gone.........

i do use the brushy mountain cappings bags for spinning cappings, and as apis mentioned you will need the extra metal baskets to support the bags.  they should fit your extractor (metal baskets), but call brushy mountain to double check.

for your extractor that you pictured, you will need 3 bags and 3 metal baskets. 

the cappings bags work great for me. (already had the metal baskets).  the cappings bags spin out excess honey well; start out slow, just as honey frames and work up until no honey spins out, as perry said about 20 minutes or less.  the key to using the bags is to not pack them full of cappings and balance the weight out.  when you place the cappings in the bag, break them up and flatten them out a little as keith suggested. i break the cappings up and flatten them to near the top of the bag.

also, i use the plastic ties to anchor the bags to the metal basket. works like a charm and doesn't bang the sides of the extractor.  if it does, the metal basket has gone 'off track' or you filled the cappings bag too full, or weight is unbalanced.  if you have additional cappings to spin, just remove the bag with the metal basket, lay flat, fill it up, break/mash the cappings down, place back in and spin away!

ps ted, AWESOME LOOKING HONEY!!!