Removing Honey from the comb?

Good evening everyone,

I am very new at bee keeping, and only have 2 backyard hives.

My question(s) for everyone is:

-How can I extract honey from the comb without using any fancy modern mechanical equipment?

-How was the honey extracted many years ago, before spinning gizmo's and the like?

-Does anyone here have ideas or easy to make plans to "build" something cheaply that would squeeze and separate the honey from the comb?

To clarify further: This is only to be used to extract maybe a gallon or so of honey, so nothing elaborate. Keep it basic and simple please.

I just wanted to stimulate some conversation and participate a little here on this forum.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Regards,
Bill from NJ

A simple way would be to crush the comb, place in a strainer or muslin bag and hang, allowing the honey to drip out.
Some major problems apart from the mess would be old or cold honey gets thicker and won't run and the cost would be prohibitive as new foundation would be required each year. This method would in fact reduce the honey crop as it takes a considerable amount of honey to make wax.
All in all not a satisfactory method at all.
Another method would be to make a solar wax melter. Placing the whole frame inside and allow the honey and wax to melt. When cold the two will separate, wax on top of honey. Again the cost is the major snag.
beeworks

Thank you for your reply.
I just want to see what my options would be when the time arrises.

Again thanks,

Bill from NJ

Would it not work just to allow gravity to do the job? Uncap the comb and place it in a large covered tupperware, uncapped side down, supported on the edges by some old wine corks, maybe angled a bit to align the cells to vertical. The honey would then slowly flow out of the cells. Or is there too much viscocity or surface tension to allow this to work?

Randy

Not an expert but from what I've read the surface tension inside the cells would allow a little of the honey to drip out but the rest would stay inside the cells, not worth the time to do this either.
An extractor can be built from bicycle wheels very cheaply, search google for extractors, there is a site from an african place that gives plans for it.

I've never had much luck getting the honey to run out of uncapped, intact comb. For the 26 years before I bought an extractor I just did "crush and strain".

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm

_________________
Michael Bush
www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm
"Everything works if you let it"

Mr. Bush,
Thanks for posting the pictures and article. It took me a few re-reads to figure out the simplistic operation of your extractor. I will give it a try. Next question is... what type or size strainer do you recommend for this operation?

Regards,
Bill from NJ

	Bill from NJ wrote:
	I will give it a try. Next question is... what type or size strainer do you recommend for this operation? Regards, Bill from NJ

We do have a good nylon double strainer in our catalog. I have used one for the last 15 years and they work fine.
www.beeworks.com/catalog/index.php look for Honey Processing, first item

_________________
David Eyre,
Forum owner.

Thank you Mr. Eyre for the information.

I know this is late but I have used NEW nylons or paint strainer draped over a bucket or in a stainless steel potato/noodle strainer with great success.

I am afraid I must disagree with Taylor on the extractor idea. Very inexpensive extractors are available, and if you are at all handy you can build your own for even less (lots of plans available on line). Why not just go with comb honey if you don't want to go the extractor route.

That said I have made some very delightful "stuff" by crushing and straining comb with lots of pollen stored in it. Honey with lots of suspended pollen is very tasty - at least if you enjoy pollen.

Two colonies of bees can produce a lot more than a gallon of honey. Why limit yourself?

This post is a bit disjointed, but so be it.

_________________
Tom Elliott
beeman@gci.net
Chugiak, Alaska

i found the link for the bicycle wheel extractor, i'm thinking about using the same deal, but wondering if i could make the frame work out of wood verses the wheel spokes, just seams like the bicycle wheels would be hard to clean up afterwords, was thinking about using ceder wood as it may not warp after cleaning, will cedar wood effect the honey in anyway is the real question, another question, the extractors you can purchase are made of stainless steel, i'm wondering if aluminum has an effect on honey as well, they claim that aluminum is not good for canning tomatoes and pickles, but does it have an effect on honey,

	bourbon_jim wrote:
	the extractors you can purchase are made of stainless steel, i'm wondering if aluminum has an effect on honey as well, they claim that aluminum is not good for canning tomatoes and pickles, but does it have an effect on honey,

Don't cook in aluminum pots has been around for a long time, suspected of causing Alzheimer’s? Why take the risk. This is of course why we use Stainless Steel.

_________________
David Eyre,
Forum owner.

bourbon_jim wrote:

i found the link for the bicycle wheel extractor, i'm thinking about using the same deal, but wondering if i could make the frame work out of wood verses the wheel spokes, just seams like the bicycle wheels would be hard to clean up afterwords, was thinking about using ceder wood as it may not warp after cleaning, will cedar wood effect the honey in anyway is the real question, another question, the extractors you can purchase are made of stainless steel, i'm wondering if aluminum has an effect on honey as well, they claim that aluminum is not good for canning tomatoes and pickles, but does it have an effect on honey,

Honey is acid, all recommendations I have READ say keep aluminum and honey apart. I will turn your honey black.

_________________
Tom Elliott
beeman@gci.net
Chugiak, Alaska