How Honey Extractors Work

Honey extractors primarily consist of a reel supported inside a tank with proper gearing and either hand crank or power connections to make the reel revolve at a speed sufficient to remove the honey by centrifugal force with a minimum damage to the combs. The honey is thrown onto the sides of the tank and from there is runs down to the bottom where it collects and is drawn off into suitable containers or with the bigger machines it is run off in a steady flow to other tanks.

Kinds Of Extractors

The lowest priced extractors are the 2, 3 and 4 frame non-reversible style. Non-reversible means that the frames are set in one position. The honey is first thrown out of one side of the frame, the extractor is stopped and the frames are removed from the tank and the opposite side of the comb placed to the outside so that the honey will be removed from it. These low-priced ($15.00-$35. 00) extractors are suitable for upwards to 25 or more colonies.

The baskets in a reversible extractor are hinged on the back so that they can be swung from one side to the other.

In the medium priced bracket ($50. 00 to $150. 00) are the reversible extractors made in the 2 and 4 frame sizes. These machines are substantially larger and heavier than the non reversible type and are built for hard production use. The baskets are swung on pivots so that when the honey is thrown out of one side of the frames the baskets are swung into the reversed position and the other side is extracted. This greatly speeds up the operation of extracting.

In the medium priced bracket ($50. 00 to $150. 00) are the reversible extractors made in the 2 and 4 frame sizes. These machines are substantially larger and heavier than the non-reversible type and are built for hard production use. The baskets are swung on pivots so that when the honey is thrown out of one side of the frames the baskets are swung into the reversed position and the other side is extracted. This greatly speeds up the operation of extracting.

The higher priced extractors are largely of the radial type with the frames being placed in the extractor like the spokes of a wheel, the centrifugal force removes the honey from both sides of the comb at the same time. These are made in 20, 30, 45 and 50 frame sizes. The 30 frame and larger sizes are much preferred because the larger diameters produce greater centrifugal force. While these radial extractors hold a large number of frames they extract the honey more slowly and may not necessarily extract the honey any faster than the 2 and 4 frame reversible machines.

The higher priced extractors are largely of the radial type with the frames being placed in the extractor like the spokes of a wheel, the centrifugal force removes the honey from both sides of the comb at the same time. These are made in 20, 30, 45 and 50 frame sizes. The 30 frame and larger sizes are much preferred because the larger diameters produce greater centrifugal force. While these radial extractors hold a large number of frames they extract the honey more slowly and may not necessarily extract the honey any faster than the 2 and 4 frame reversible machines.

The Processing Of Extracted Honey

When honey is extracted small pieces of the capping drop into it as well as small pieces of the frames which may be cut or broken off. A few bees somehow manage to drop in at times and as a result all extracted honey must be strained. This can best be done by the small beekeeper by tying a double thickness of damp cheese cloth, that has been wrung out as dry as possible, over the top of a tank or other available container, and passing the honey through this while it is still warm. If the honey is allowed to get thick and cold this straining process will be very slow and difficult.

The small beekeeper with only a small crop can probably sell his crop before it granulates but once granulation starts in, the beekeeper is in a bad fix if he has his honey in small containers because the honey takes on the appearance of lard and most honey users do not like the looks nor the taste of granulated honey, especially when it is only partially granulated.

Honey should never be heated over an open flame but in a jacketed tank of which there are many styles. The honey should be heated to 150-160 degrees and bottled while hot to retard granulation.

Window cartons display and protect section comb honey and dress it up.

Window cartons display and protect section comb honey and dress it up.

To overcome this granulation all that is needed is to heat the honey to 150-160 degrees and to pack it while still hot to kill the yeast and bacteria from the air. The honey container cannot be placed directly over a flame to heat it and it is necessary to place it in some kind of a double boiler arrangement. The very small beekeepers can place a clean new pail inside a larger pail or tub or similar arrangement. Medium sized beekeepers can buy special double boilers and jacketed tanks designed especially for this purpose while the commercial men turn to expensive, special equipment and use filter presses to strain and clean their honey under pressure at a rapid rate.

Before packing cut combs in the jars the pieces should be separated and allowed to drain for 24 hours in a very warm room. Larger packers use a thermostatically controlled oven, as pictured, to insure fast and good draining.

Before packing cut combs in the jars the pieces should be separated and allowed to drain for 24 hours in a very warm room. Larger packers use a thermostatically controlled oven, as pictured, to insure fast and good draining.

Packing Honey

Honey that has been heated should be packed while still hot to prevent granulation. In filling jars hold the jars on an angle so that the honey runs down the sides of the container and this will do away with most of the bubbles and foam that often collect at the top of honey jars.

Honey weighs 12 pounds to the gallon and so the rule of "a pint a pound the world around" does not apply. Thin jars make honey appear to be lighter in color than round thick jars and to take advantage of this most beekeepers use the thin, tall modernistic jars that are made especially to hold one and two pounds of honey.