# Preferred extraction method...



## wildolive (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm new to honey extraction and am wondering which method you prefer.
...radial... ...tangential... ...crush & strain...
Thanks in advance for your input.


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## johng (Feb 14, 2009)

Radial is by far the easiest. You don't have to turn the the frames half way through the extraction. One advantage with any extractor is you get to reuse the drawn out combs the next year. With crush and strain that is not an option. But, the extractors do cost some money so that is a disadvantage.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Truth of the manner is people will do what they can afford. If they have the money they will buy a nice radial either new or used like we did to fit their needs.
Maybe they don't have the funds to buy a radial or believe they want a brand new extractor so they buy a tangential. 
And then there are the ones who have nof unds at all so do the crush and strain method. Not a thing wrong with any of the methods. Mostly it is a time thing, except the crush and strain where the bees have to draw out new comb every time.

We have a 72 frame Kelleys radial extractor we bought 3d hand. I love the thing as you fill it with uncapped frames and it runs till it hits a limit switch and shuts its self off.
It replaced the old 32 frame radial galvinized one we bought 3d hand too.
We also have a really old two fram hand crank tangential. I don't know how many owners it's had I just know we used it at first when we had less than 50 colonies and still use it today when we have less than 50 honey supers to extract.

I also have an old goodman 4 frame tanagential I got out of an old honey house we were doing a bee removal job from. the bottom isreally holey, I need to some day patch it up. 

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Four frame Goodman.










Kelley 72 frame radial 3rd hand.



















 Al


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## xbeeman412 (May 10, 2002)

Our honey house is a 40 ft cargo container with a cook and beal uncapper and a kelley 33 frame radial extractor,with a 250 gallon milk tank to hold the honey from the sump. If one has more than a few (15) or more hives they need a radial extractor. Right now We have about 30 to 40 hives. At My peak back in the 90s before I sold out I ran 500 to 600 and had a 40 x 60 metal building for the honey house.

Dollars and space are the only limiting factors as to the extractor You use.


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## johng (Feb 14, 2009)

Very nice Mr. Al!! Do you still uncap that many supers with a hot knife? I ask because of the uncapping tank in the pic. My wife just bought me a new uncapping tank similar to yours. It is a great inprovement over what I had.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have uncapped well over 200 supers of mixed 8 and 9 frames with the hot knife. Believe me the wrist is sore for weeks afterwards.
I would buy a decent uncapper if I could find one I could afford. New isn't in the game at all.
The uncapping tank came out of a milk house along with the 250 gallon bulk tank. I made the board across it with a sharp screw poking thru to hold the frame in place on the bottom. I run the knife from the top down. then lacking a place to put the capping scratcher and the knife when it is hot I made the 1/4 hardwear cloth tray. Once the knife cools I hang it from the ceiling out of the way.
I place a heater under the uncapping tank to helpthe flow of honey from the cappings It is set at 90F.





































 Al


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## wildolive (Jul 25, 2011)

This is all GREAT stuff. Thank you very much!
I have a lot to learn... ...and am looking forward to it!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I do most of the uncapping and extracting after dark, into the wee hours of the morning.
Even though we now have a ceiling in the honey house we always have 1080 gazillion bees around the honey house if I do it in the day time. 










I am sure it is due to the hot knife sliceing thru the caps sending the scent of honey thru every crack and crevis to the outside world. Scares the crap out of Kare to go to the house to get water and such.

 Al


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## johng (Feb 14, 2009)

Oh I bet your wrist does hurt! Most I have done is about 15-20 supers at one time and my wrist was killing me. Was thinking about trying an uncapping plane


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