8/13/14 Extraction

[Slowmodem]

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!):

[Jen]

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

[LazyBkpr]

LOL!  Well done! But stop encouraging Jen!      How much did you end up with?

[Jen]

Snarking,

[Slowmodem]

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!

[Slowmodem]

LOL!  Well done! But stop encouraging Jen!      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!"

[LazyBkpr]

  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

[Slowmodem]

   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.

[Slowmodem]

LOL!  Well done! But stop encouraging Jen!      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.

[Perry]

Warming up your frames before extracting will get the honey out quicker and the frames will balance themseves sooner.
Thanks for the vids. 

[riverbee]

whoohoo!!!........

[efmesch]

Thanks for sharing the sweet pleasures of beekeeping with us.  The videos were great, as was the "introductory" picture with your dad. 

[kebee]

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

[Perry]

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.

[Jen]

Hi Perry, I haven't had the pleasure of extracting yet, so is this plasticell with the comb blown off of it?

[Perry]

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.
 

[Jen]

Thanks!

[riverbee]

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........

[Slowmodem]

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.

[pistolpete]

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).