Bucket heaters

[tedh]

Which is the best bucket heater?  What temperature should the heater be set at?  The buckets we use have gate valves.  Thanks, Ted

[riverbee]

this is what i use ted, but this is used on 5 gallon pails without gates.  i have used it  a time or two on a bucket with a gate, sort of a pain, because the heater needs to sit low on the bucket. also, there is no 'control' of heat on this, it ramps up to about 185 df. it does a great job for me to liquefy a frozen crystallized bucket of honey. 

B & B Honey Farm 5 gallon pail heater

i think there are different ones out there, not sure what's the best. there is one i think that fits a 5 gallon pail, sort of a blanket type thing. bee blanket?
can't remember!

[tedh]

Thanks Riverbee, I read about the bee blanket but wondered if anyone has used one.  How warm can honey get before doing damage to the enzymes and other "goodies" in the honey?

[Some Day]

Honey should not be heated rapidly, over direct heat. Basically, the hotter you heat it, the more potential for reducing nutritional value. Excessive heat can have detrimental effects on the nutritional value of honey. Heating up to 37°C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components, part of which are antibacterial. Heating up to 40°C (104 F) destroys invertase, an important enzyme. Heating up to 50°C (122 F) for more than 48 hrs. turns the honey into caramel (the most valuable honey sugars become analogous to sugar). Heating honey higher than 140 degrees F for more than 2 hours will cause rapid degradation. Heating honey higher than 160 for any time period will cause rapid degradation and caramelization. Generally any larger temperature fluctuation (10°C is ideal for preservation of ripe honey) causes decay. -John Skinner, University of Tennessee

[Some Day]

This is just my gut feeling, but I think heating to 91 to 92 degrees F would be ideal.  This is about the same temperature that queen cells thrive.  I have no proof that this is ideal.

[tedh]

Thanks Some Day!  I've got several buckets starting to crystalize and a craft sale at the local nursing home I want to get ready for.  Ted

[Some Day]

Ted,

If you can find an old refrigerator you could rig up a 100 watt bulb to be on constantly inside.  The refrig should hold a couple of 5 gallon buckets and the 100 watt bulb will generate enough heat to warm the honey.  Maybe stick a thermometer inside to check temp.  It might take 24 to 48 hours to warm up the honey.

[riverbee]

ted,
with any bucket heater you will probably have to check temp.............

with a frozen, crystallized bucket of honey i put the bucket heater on and monitor the temp. i normally put the bucket heater on frozen/crystallized buckets later in the evening, and in the morning check the temp.  when the temp reaches about 103 or less......warm enough for me to strain into a bucket with a honey gate on it, i shut it off and strain.

i have always kept mine at or below 103 df; just enough to easily strain into a bucket with a gate on. so somewhere between 95 d f and 104 df, don't let it get above this, and especially for a long period of time.

[CBT]

This is what I use and it works great. It’s on Amazon they have several sizes. We use the 7 “
Silicone Drum Heaters with Adjustable Thermostat Duda Diesel Silicone Drum Heaters with Adjustable Thermostat
Duda Diesel
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41-uvBevQeL.jpg

[tedh]

Thanks CBT!  Thats the one I've got.  I think we had this conversation in the past.  I was wondering if there was one specifically for buckets with gates on them.  I don't enjoy moving honey from one bucket to another to liquify, then back again to bottle. Just lazy i guess.  That and it never fails that i get unsuspected honey on my shirt or arm only to find it out later.  Ted

[riverbee]

ted, have you looked at this one? i had researched this before because once in awhile i will have a 5 gallon pail with a honey gate on it, that starts to crystallize (primarily during winter months) and it is sort of a pain to heat the pail to kill the crystals.

amazon the almighty..........

Powerblanket BB05GV Bee Blanket Honey Heater, 5 gal Pail Heater with Cutout for Gate Valve

it's a fixed temp, and no higher than 110 df, so depending on how advanced the crystallization is would depend on how crystallized the honey is to liquefy. also i am a review person, i read the reviews, questions and answers.  like you i am a bit of a seasoned keep with experience on how most of these work, so the blanket is designed for what it is designed to do......

moving crystallized honey to another bucket is a pain, been there done it, that's why i 'cheat' sometimes and strap my bucket heater on higher than it is supposed to go on any bucket, (above the gate) and depending on how full it is. i monitor temp and stir from the bottom up so anything settled on the bottom gets moved up.

not sure, but for 116 bucks i think i might have to try this out.

if anyone knows of anything similiar to this, i'd be interested as well.

[Zweefer]

I have both the one riverbed has and the bee blanket. I use “riverbees” on crystallized honey pails, and the blanket on my filling bucket. Keeps it at the perfect temp!


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[Sour Kraut]

" Excessive heat can have detrimental effects on the nutritional value of honey. Heating up to 37°C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components, part of which are antibacterial."

Someone  better tell the bees that, because honey coming off a hive in the summer is way hotter than 37C

[rober]

using a hot plate set at medium my large stock pot keeps water at 90*. a 2" spacer keeps the submerged bucket away from direct contact with the hot bottom while warm water surrounds the bucket. my pot can accommodate a gate valve. this set up will liquify a rock solid bucket of honey overnight. the honey registers at 85*. in a 24 period 1-2" of water will evaporate. since I do this in my honey house I leave myself a couple reminders around the house & shop. don't ask. the pot cost me 16.00 at a restaurant supply house & I can also use it for cooking gumbo or whatever. hot plates average out at 15.00. Oster seems to outlast some other brands.

[tedh]

Hdey Rober, could you post a pick of your setup?  Maybe a link to the restaurant supply place?  Thanks, ted