# Honey extracting time.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

There are some pictures missing of how we do it. Some are when we remove them from the hives. I pull each frame shake it and brush the rest of bees off. I then hand the frame to Kare who takes it to the truck and places it in a box then covers it. Takes us longer doing it that way but the girls don't seem to get as rilled up and we don't have to deal with stinky fume boards. Kare always worrys when I even think about useing the bee blower.

So here are the supers stacked in the honey house. I use both the medium and shallow boxes and as the mediums need replaceing I go with the shallows to save on the back. Only about 10 pounds difference.



















The uncapping tub and extractor.










Ready to uncap with the hot knife.










Rolling the caps off.


















 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

The wax tub.

















Inside the 72 frame extractor.









 Al


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

Great pictures! Thanks.

How many frames do you run in your honey supers?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

The older ones run 9 frames. The newer ones run 8 frames.
As I redo them I go to 8 frames. Easier to uncap, and more wax. Since I make more money much easier with wax than honey I want the wax.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I set the supers out well away from any colonies so the girls can dry them for storage.










After allowing a week for the caps to drain After mashing them with a potato masher, If it is warm enough I put them in my solar melter. 










Normally in the fall it isn't warm enough so I put them in the Kelley wax melter.










Make sure you use some type of release agent in the pail when draining the melter or you may have to cut the pail off like I did with this block.










Normally in January it is cold enough I get our wood furnace burning hotter with out driving us out of the house. I use a double boiler and melt the wax and pour into silicone bread pans in 3 pound blocks.










Last year these 3 pound blocks went like hot cakes at $4.00 a pound plus shipping (flat rate UPSP $9.80) off E bay & creigs list.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Some of the honey is bottled, these quilt ones make nice Christmas gifts and we sell a couple of 24 packs of them every year to two ladies. We sell about half a dozen 24 pacs broken down into 2 thru 12 jars at a time.



















A lot of our 12oz bears sell at the green house, along with the 24 oz size.










The upside down jars are a hit every where. People buy one of them and a 3 pound (quart) round jar to refill them.










Any lid over 1 1/2 inches around gets dressed up with our lid label.










We also sell in pint & quart canning jars, 1 & 2 pound queenline glass and plastic jars, 3 pound jugs, and glass rounds, 12 pound plastic jars, 24 pound pails and 60 pound pails. 

Last year 2800 pounds went to the whole saler.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I consider my self lucky to have gotten this big Kelley's extractor.
Ya it takes a long time to fill it seams like but once done just turn on the power switch set the drive wheel and go do what you want for about 30 miniutes.
The worm gear changes the speed, holds it at top speed for a couple of minutes then hits the limit switch and shuts off.
I do have a second capping knife so may just get Kare into uncapping to fill the thing faster. 

 Al


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## Archer (Jul 9, 2008)

> Normally in January it is cold enough I get our wood furnace burning hotter with out driving us out of the house. I use a double boiler and melt the wax and pour into silicone bread pans in 3 pound blocks.
> 
> Last year these 3 pound blocks went like hot cakes at $4.00 a pound plus shipping (flat rate UPSP $9.80) off E bay & creigs list.
> 
> Al


Hello Al,
What do people do with the wax?


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

Archer said:


> Hello Al,
> What do people do with the wax?


 Not Al, but they make candles, soap, lip balm and many other products.
we use some mixed with lard and a couple other things to grease patches for the black powder rifles


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

For a complete list from A to W go here.

http://www.texasdrone.com/Beeswax-Uses.htm

for some facts and uses go here.

http://www.beeswaxco.com/beeswaxFacts.htm

 Al


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