Honey extracting kit
We have two honey extracting kits for hire to Conwy BK members @ £8 per week or part of a week, plus £20 deposit.
Each kit consists of an uncapping fork, a simple uncapping bowl, a 3-frame stainless steel extractor in a box, a 13mm ring spanner, a double strainer, a settling tank and a set of instructions.
The kits are stored at the National Beekeeping Centre Wales at Bodnant Welsh Food, near Tal y Cafn, signposted on the A470. The kits can be collected and returned during opening hours only. See www.beeswales.co.uk
Phone 01492 651106 to check availability before travelling.
Check that the kit is clean and complete and in working order before you hire it. Check that the extractor plastic lids are not cracked or broken.
Terms and conditions.
Please treat the equipment with extreme care. You are responsible for the safe and prompt return of all the equipment in a clean state.
You will lose your £20 deposit if the equipment is returned damaged, especially if either of the extractor plastic lids is returned cracked or broken. Do report any problems.
Clean the kit thoroughly before you return it. DO NOT LOSE THE STEEL BALL IN THE DRUM BEARING. IT CAN EASILY FALL OUT. If you lose it, you will lose £5 of your deposit!
You will need to provide
- An uncapping fork, or a bread knife and a means to warm it, say a washing up bowl full of hot water.
- Honey jars and lids
- Kitchen scales, preferable electronic.
- A stand for the settling tank.
- Be aware of hot knives and moving parts.
- Before use, check that the two nuts on the extractor cross beam are tight, using the spanner provided, and check that the yellow handle turns freely.
- Familiarize yourself with the extractor, and if in doubt, ask for help.
- Note that combs are loaded and unloaded into the extractor using only the front plastic lid. The rear lid is permanently closed.
- Check that the equipment is clean, and the workplace is suitable for food handling.
- Place extractor on the floor. Check honey tap is closed!
- Uncap both sides of a comb of honey.
- Place three combs in extractor and close lid.
- Hold extractor firmly, and spin the handle until about half the honey is removed from one side of the combs. Do not spin the handle fast or you may damage the combs and the extractor. You will be charged for any damage to the extractor!
- Turn the combs round and spin all the honey from the other side.
- Turn the combs round again and spin the first side fully. This should avoid breaking the combs.
- do not allow honey to rise above the bottom bearing of the extractor.
- Place empty combs back in super.
- Continue until completed.
- With extractor on a worktop and settling tank below, fit double strainer to settling tank.
- Check settling tank honey tap is closed.
- Tap off honey into strainer.
- Warning! Honey flows silently. It does not gurgle! Do not allow strainer or settling tank to overflow.
- When complete, place settling tank on a stand on the worktop. Fit lid and leave for approx 48 hours to settle.
- Wash extractor and strainer thoroughly. See notes below. Do not leave out in the garden for the bees to clean! This may cause robbing from your hives.
- Wash jars.
- Place empty jar on scales and tare to zero.
- Fill jars on the scales to minus 0 / plus ½ ounce tolerance.
- Fit lid and label.
- Wash out the settling tank.
- We suggest you store full jars of honey in a blue plastic mushroom box, which holds 15 jars. Ask at your local supermarket.
- Store in a cool, dark place. Honey may ferment if stored in a centrally-heated room.
- Clean all equipment thoroughly and return the kit in the boxes promptly. Open the extractor tap before placing in the box.
- Place super of wet combs back on a hive of bees above a crown board. The bees will repair and clean the combs. Check that hive entrance is reduced to prevent robbing. Remove super of dry combs via a Porter escape after a few days, and store in a dry place, using Certan spray to protect the combs from wax moth.
- Place wax cappings in a feeder above a crown board in an empty super on a hive of bees for the bees to clean. Remove clean dry wax for candle-making etc.
To dismantle the extractor for cleaning
- Do not attempt to dismantle the yellow gear mechanism.
- Lift up front lid. Slide to right and remove.
- Using spanner provided, remove two 13mm nuts.
- Lift off two yellow brackets and rear guard.
- Lift complete cage mechanism from tank.
- Clean thoroughly. DO NOT LOSE THE STEEL BALL IN THE DRUM BEARING. IT CAN EASILY FALL OUT.
- Reassemble cage to tank. Check that the shaft is correctly located in the bottom bearing.
- Refit rear guard and two yellow brackets, without using any force.
- Refit two nuts and front lid. The lid must be in the open position when fitting. Check that the lettering on the lid is the right way round, or it will not fit.
- Check handle turns freely.
Please report any problems and let us have your comments.
Work safely, and please remember that you are responsible for any damage.
Updated June 2019