Author Topic: 8/13/14 Extraction  (Read 10843 times)

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Offline Slowmodem

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8/13/14 Extraction
« on: August 14, 2014, 01:16:16 am »
I spent four hours extracting four medium 8-frame supers this evening.  There was a cold front that came Tuesday night so the humidity was really low today (that's good), but the temperature in the shed when we were extracting was around 70F (that's not so good).

Anyway, it spun and spun and spun.  I'm very happy with the extractor.  It's top-notch and quiet.  I tried a decapping roller thing this time.  It works ok, but it gets sticky and slick.  But I guess that's part of working with honey.

So, to make a long story short (I know, too late!), here's some of what I did tonight.

A good looking frame (if you don't mind plastic):



These videos have not been edited.

Starting the extraction:



Speeding it up:



A little bit of wobble (balance is the key!):

Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline Jen

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2014, 01:22:30 am »
Greg- "A good looking frame (if you don't mind plastic):

    Plastic? What plastic? Did I see plastic?  I was looking at the naked man behind the plastic ~ LMAO
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2014, 01:30:36 am »
LOL!  Well done! But stop encouraging Jen!   :laugh:   How much did you end up with?
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Offline Jen

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2014, 01:36:45 am »
Snarking, :D
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2014, 01:47:31 am »
Greg- "A good looking frame (if you don't mind plastic):

    Plastic? What plastic? Did I see plastic?  I was looking at the naked man behind the plastic ~ LMAO

My 80-year-old Dad will be flattered!
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2014, 01:49:00 am »
LOL!  Well done! But stop encouraging Jen!   :laugh:   How much did you end up with?

Some of the last frames are gravity draining overnight.  I expect to end up with around 8 gallons.  Both hives swarmed this spring so the production was a little less than I had hoped for.  But like the Cubs fans say, "Wait 'till next year!"
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2014, 01:57:00 am »
  But like the Cubs fans say, "Wait 'till next year!"

   Indeed!!   Hoping for 30+ production hives next year..   Planning on my 55 gallon and 20 gallon settling tanks to be FULL..

   1 gal of honey is approximately 12 lbs. Average 65 lbs per hive = 1950 lbs, or 162.5 gallons...  hrm..
   My bee math is tells me next year will be MESSY
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2014, 02:13:20 am »
   My bee math is tells me next year will be MESSY

We had plastic tarps over everything!  We can take them outside and spray them off or let the bees clean them off.
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2014, 02:19:27 am »
LOL!  Well done! But stop encouraging Jen!   :laugh:   How much did you end up with?

7 or 8 gallons (30.28 liters) so far.  the straining isn't complete.  but it should be a pretty good haul for what I had to work with.  And the goldenrod is just starting to bloom, so I may get another flow this month.  We'll see.
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline Perry

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2014, 07:20:00 am »
Warming up your frames before extracting will get the honey out quicker and the frames will balance themseves sooner.
Thanks for the vids.  ;)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2014, 12:03:18 pm »
whoohoo!!!........
i keep wild things in a box..........™
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Offline efmesch

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2014, 03:13:46 pm »
Thanks for sharing the sweet pleasures of beekeeping with us.  The videos were great, as was the "introductory" picture with your dad.  :)

Offline kebee

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2014, 05:15:55 pm »
Hope yours didn't do this but I did the first spin at the last real fast and it tore some comb away from the frame, said I would not do this again for I am wanting to put frames of good comb back in hive and I know the bees will repair it but like too have them good comb.

Ken

Offline Perry

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2014, 05:30:35 pm »
I had some nice frames of honey custom extracted for me 3 years ago when we moved and they looked like this afterwards.  :'(
Bee careful, comb is valuable. I will always do my own extracting from here on.






"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
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Offline Jen

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2014, 05:44:30 pm »
Hi Perry, I haven't had the pleasure of extracting yet, so is this plasticell with the comb blown off of it?
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Offline Perry

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #15 on: August 14, 2014, 05:47:50 pm »
Permadent wax coated plastic, and yes, it was spun so hard it lifted some of the comb off I believe.
Now Jack will probably try and say this won't happen if you don't use plastic, so I will intercede and say that had those been wax foundation frames, the entire comb would have blown out and rendered the frames unusable, needed to be cleaned and new foundation put in. I just threw them back in and the bees fixed them up.
 ;D
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Offline Jen

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #16 on: August 14, 2014, 06:02:44 pm »
Thanks! :)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #17 on: August 14, 2014, 11:03:51 pm »
it could have been spun hard perry,  but not every frame was like this.....or........an uncapping plane was used to harvest the wax from the frames and some frames here and there were harvested for the wax, and hoping you wouldn't notice perry...

it's possible to spin the wax right off of any frame......but.....?  i am not so quick to give a benefit of the doubt especially IF the folks who did the work for you didn't mention, oh by the way........no one, absolutely NO ONE wants to spin the wax off the frames like this........
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #18 on: August 14, 2014, 11:41:44 pm »
I had some nice frames of honey custom extracted for me 3 years ago when we moved and they looked like this afterwards.  :'(

I tell people that drawn comb is like money in the bank.
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline pistolpete

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #19 on: August 15, 2014, 12:25:04 am »
a sad sight for sure Perry.  It almost looks like the frames were not uncapped and the weight of the honey pulled the wax off during the final spin.    I ruined quite a few frames my first year because they were not cross wired.   That's when I switched to plastic.   Though I am giving wax foundation one more try this year ( with fishing line). 
My advice: worth price charged :)

Offline Jen

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #20 on: August 15, 2014, 12:25:59 am »
That's why I've been feeding all summer long, to get as much drawn comb as I can... just in case next spring my hives start sw...... again  :D

I have put together all wired wax with hooks, and have crosswired them. When the season comes for me to have honey, we'll see how they do. But I'm still intrigued with foundationless. I may slowly start that next season as well.
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #21 on: August 15, 2014, 10:32:21 pm »
Got the last in jars today.  Final total was 30 quarts and 1 pint and a few tablespoons.  I split with my Dad 50/50.  Because I ran out after selling after my first extraction year before last (my bees didn't do well last year so no honey), I've decided to keep nearly all of it, give some to special friends, and sell a couple of quarts to loyal customers that really really want some.  I won't sell for less than $20/quart.

I put the supers back on the hives.  If it keeps raining, I may get another batch.  The golden rod are just now opening, and I see all kinds of other stuff blooming, so who knows?
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #22 on: August 16, 2014, 09:24:08 am »
Dang Perry..   I would have had difficulty not chewing someones behind pretty hard if I had frames returned like that.   They were in a hurry. Fantastic way to lose business.  I shudder to think what they would have done to my foundation-less non wired frames..   
   
   Same situation here SLowModem..   Buds are coming out on the goldenrod. I see lots of other flowers blooming, and it is raining at this moment. It is looking like the fall flow is going to be every bit as good as the spring flow was.
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: 8/13/14 Extraction
« Reply #23 on: August 16, 2014, 03:47:50 pm »
Since both of the hives swarmed this spring, if I can keep them going like they are now and not swarming (they have two deeps and two supers in each hive to play in) maybe things will be even better!  ::fingers crossed::
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs