Author Topic: Cut Comb Honey Production (Read 25048 times)

riverbee · « **Reply #20 on:** July 11, 2014, 11:18:07 am »

that's cool tbone! and 'yeah baby'......how can anyone not like comb honey?!!!........

i let mine drain tbone, because it's packaged and sold to customers......presentation!........i don't want the comb swimming in a bed of honey that leaked out. also when i drain it, i package it right away, and it goes in the freezer for 24 hrs or more until sold.

Beeracuda · « **Reply #21 on:** July 11, 2014, 01:18:18 pm »

We are going to have to try some foundationless next year. I would love to have some of our own comb honey and might even sell some!

riverbee · « **Reply #22 on:** July 12, 2014, 12:14:33 am »

you will get hooked on it bc, especially when you see how fast the bees draw that comb out and fill it in a good flow! it is so cool to see! oh and uhhh....taste too!

Yankee11 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 12, 2014, 12:47:00 am »

OK Riverbee, you motivated me.

These go in tomorrow.

pistolpete · « **Reply #24 on:** July 12, 2014, 01:20:17 am »

My honey producing season is just starting, supers went on about two weeks ago. I have 6 foundation less frames on the go in 3 separate hives. When I checked on them a couple of days ago they were about 1/2 way drawn. On one frame they built one leaf of comb perpendicular to the other frames. I cut that part out and ate it on the spot. It was more nectar than honey, but delicious nevertheless. I'll be checking one hive tomorrow and see if I can grab some pictures.

apisbees · « **Reply #25 on:** July 12, 2014, 01:54:16 am »

The issue with using deep frames is you need an increadable flow to get the entire frame drawn filled and capped. If it takes the bees to long or if the frames are left on the hives for to long the wax cappings become travel stained. Using shallow or mediums allows the frames to be removed sooner and quicker.

Sent from my LG-P500h using Tapatalk 2

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #26 on:** July 12, 2014, 08:56:51 am »

Rb, how do you sell your comb honey? I usually put on 8 to 10 shallow supers a year ( i use a 1 in. starter strip) to sell at the farmers market. We sell 8 .oz and 16.oz clear plastic boxes of comb honey ( the container has to have the weight on it to sell at the farmers market, so we have to add honey to the boxes to make it 8.oz or 16.oz boxes, if not we would have to make labels with different weights for each box and figure a price for each container. If you cut it out of the frame and let it drain each block of cut comb would weigh different. was just wondering how you handle this, or would if you sold at the farmers market. Jack

Bamabww · « **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2014, 10:30:12 am »

How did I miss this thread? Thanks so much for the video riverbee. That is so simple even I could do it. The comb honey is very pretty the way you package it and I'm sure tasty as well.

pistolpete · « **Reply #28 on:** July 12, 2014, 04:14:39 pm »

I took a couple of pictures today. You might notice that I used a wood starter strip on these frames. It seems to work all right, especially if painted with wax. All the cells are drone sized, but they're above a queen excluder, so that hardly matters. My plan for these is chunk honey for gift jars.

tbonekel · « **Reply #29 on:** July 12, 2014, 06:09:05 pm »

That looks great! Love that beautiful fresh wax!

riverbee · « **Reply #30 on:** July 12, 2014, 08:57:06 pm »

"OK Riverbee, you motivated me.
These go in tomorrow."

yankee, AWESOME! i am totally impressed by the neat marking on the tops of your frames!!! how did you do that?! ps wish you well! post back let us know how it worked for you, and thank you!

"Rb, how do you sell your comb honey? I usually put on 8 to 10 shallow supers a year ( i use a 1 in. starter strip) to sell at the farmers market. We sell 8 .oz and 16.oz clear plastic boxes of comb honey ( the container has to have the weight on it to sell at the farmers market, so we have to add honey to the boxes to make it 8.oz or 16.oz boxes, if not we would have to make labels with different weights for each box and figure a price for each container. If you cut it out of the frame and let it drain each block of cut comb would weigh different. was just wondering how you handle this, or would if you sold at the farmers market. Jack"

yep jack, i have to weigh each cut section after it has drained with a digital scale. (i don't add any honey). wisconsin requires weight. i charge by the weight, so my trusty calculator helps me out on this (not a math brain) all my labels are hand made and one size. what i do is add the weight and price by hand in a gold marker to the comb honey label (white). this is not a stick on but a 'gift tag' tie on around the box, hmmm like gift wrap. i probably don't produce as much comb honey as you jack. most of the comb honey i harvest from 8 frame supers weighs well over 1 pd even after draining over night, and the weights are different as you said, and i have to use the larger containers for them to fit in, not the standard ones you use. i know how much the container weighs. sort of an assembly line.....the cut peices go in the container, it's weighed and marked with a sticker, then i go back to label and package for sale with the weight and price on each and every one.....hope this answers your question?!

ps....you are welcome wayne!

pete, thanks for the pix!
" All the cells are drone sized"
yep, and that's what you will find and appreciate when producing foundationless comb honey.....the size of the cells are drone sized.....and it's beautiful when it's finished! nice looking white wax!

Yankee11 · « **Reply #31 on:** August 28, 2014, 06:07:08 pm »

Looks like they did a good job on them. Now just have to get them cut up. Never sold comb honey before. Should be fun.

riverbee · « **Reply #32 on:** August 28, 2014, 06:29:26 pm »

very cool! very nice looking frame of comb honey yankee! how many frames did you harvest?

Yankee11 · « **Reply #33 on:** August 29, 2014, 08:51:44 am »

Looks like I will get about 8 or so. I need to order me one of those trays that you show in the video.

Zweefer · « **Reply #34 on:** August 29, 2014, 09:27:58 am »

I am curious along with Riverbee - what about the marking on the top of the frames?

riverbee · « **Reply #35 on:** August 29, 2014, 11:55:22 am »

the tray works really slick. what also works is find a large stainless steel grilling tray with small round holes or with small perforations and set that on top of a shallow baking sheet.

Google Search Stainless Steel Grill Tray

zweefer, looks like yankee got all professional marking his comb honey frames, a nice stencil or something? nice touch! i just scribble on the tops of the frames with a perm marker.......

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #36 on:** August 29, 2014, 12:06:27 pm »

Took off 3 shallow supers of comb honey yesterday, one was snow( you reading this perry

) white. the other two supers will become chunk honey i left it on to long

Jack
PS. It's good to be back, my phone line (AT&T) was out for 5 days.

riverbee · « **Reply #37 on:** August 29, 2014, 12:46:41 pm »

"PS. It's good to be back, my phone line (AT&T) was out for 5 days."

i wondered where you had been jack! oops on the not so snowy white comb honey, but chunk honey is just as good!

Yankee11 · « **Reply #38 on:** August 29, 2014, 02:27:03 pm »

Hobby Lobby ink block stamps and water proof ink.

Bought the set to number my hives, quick and easy. Just stamped the top bars

Zweefer · « **Reply #39 on:** August 29, 2014, 08:16:34 pm »

Nice!