What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Curly green finger's]

Specs then...

You would of thought so, but I'm long sited or is it short, I can't remember
I'm allso wondering who's silly idea it was to put the full jars back in the boxes

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[Newbeeneil]

Filled up 70 jars this evening and got thinking about the fact I slightly overfill my jars. Normally it's under 5 grams but occasionally it's 10. While jarring I suddenly realised the each gram cost 1.5p so that certainly consentrated my mind!

 

[Swarm]

You would of thought so, but I'm long sited or is it short, I can't remember
I'm allso wondering who's silly idea it was to put the full jars back in the boxes

Just don't try to pick it up.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Filled up 70 jars this evening and got thinking about the fact I slightly overfill my jars. Normally it's under 5 grams but occasionally it's 10. While jarring I suddenly realised the each gram cost 1.5p so that certainly consentrated my mind!

I've been overfilling some times by 10g.. As the wife said you do 10 like that that's 100g lost and so on.. Its hard not to over fill the jars isn't it a measuring vessel of some kind I'm going to think about this a bit

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[pargyle]

That's one of the reasons why I started filling jars from a jug .. I sit the jar on the digital scales, set the tare to zero and then it's really quite easy to get the weight almost spot on.. rarely more than 1gm over but never underweight.

I found filling straight from the honey gate to the jar a bit of a blunt instrument and like you was over filling. So now, the jug gets filled from the honey gate where the blunt instrument does the job filling it quickly, then close the gate, mop up the drips and tighten the wing nut .. then jug to jar. Simples ...

 

[pargyle]

Oops ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

I do that sometimes and it works well.
I have a stainless steel 2 litre milk frother jug with a long spout that dies the job brilliantly

 

[masterBK]

How are your digital scales calibrated?
Like car speedometers, domestic kitchen digital scales do vary somewhat in their accuracy. You wouldn't want a "weights and measures" person knocking on your door.

 

[pargyle]

I do that sometimes and it works well.
I have a stainless steel 2 litre milk frother jug with a long spout that dies the job brilliantly

Yes... I've tried several jugs and the pouring spout is what makes the difference - My favourite is a 2.5 litre mixing jug from Asda which, sadly, they no longer sell - it pours really well and you can control the flow.

I really am a saddo... waxing lyrical about the pouring attributes of a plastic jug ! ...

 

[pargyle]

How are your digital scales calibrated?
Like car speedometers, domestic kitchen digital scales do vary somewhat in their accuracy. You wouldn't want a "weights and measures" person knocking on your door.

I have an old chemical balance with a set of calibrated and stamped weights .. I checked my digital scales against them and it is bang on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Even though the weather was a bit caca today, colonies had to be inspected.
Garn Cottage first in the morning and the flow is definitely back on, one hive which had a near empty super last week had to have another, this was the laying worker unite from early season - now Demarree'd as on ten frames.
the bees weren't too bad there considering even the hive from hell ,Demarree'd but not for increase as the line ends here was prettu forgiving considering each frame in the top box was shaken off to ensure all QC's pulled down (they must have known, as there was only one)
Back home then for a skype meeting and lunch so lateish doing my cousin's farm. they were not happy so were left alone apart from a quick check of one hive which was running on fumes last week and the queen had stopped laying, this week pleanty of honey in the supers and open brood
Then to Jo McGann's place, only half a mile away but bees fine, it was during a contemplation of whether I should roll on or take down another early Demarree (not much brood in the top box, so wouldn't be too much hassle) that I heard a quiet piping so obviously I must have missed a QC!! next thing, the piping got louder and the new queen just strolled across the frame, changing mid way across to more of a quacking sound. Looks like that hive will be a two queen affair this year!!

 

[Curly green finger's]

That's one of the reasons why I started filling jars from a jug .. I sit the jar on the digital scales, set the tare to zero and then it's really quite easy to get the weight almost spot on.. rarely more than 1gm over but never underweight.

I found filling straight from the honey gate to the jar a bit of a blunt instrument and like you was over filling. So now, the jug gets filled from the honey gate where the blunt instrument does the job filling it quickly, then close the gate, mop up the drips and tighten the wing nut .. then jug to jar. Simples ...

The settling tank I have has only one siv so before I put my honey into buckets I'm siving it through muslin cloth not very practical and it is such a ball ache yesterday I started at 5am and 7pm later I've only done 6 buckets.. This was in-between looking after the nippers and trying to get a garden design done at the same Time.
Im going to buy some more sives and equipment recommendations pls?

As to jarring i tare the jars to 0 then fill using a 3 lt plastic jug pooring from the bucket into the jug. Again not very practical.
I need to do something different as it's taking to long to jar up.

 

[pargyle]

I use one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beekeepi...804845&hash=item3d6d549a19:g:iqwAAOSwEwZbR0N5

I decant the honey into small buckets straight from the extractor and then filter through this strainer into my setttling tank.

Leave it to settle for a couple of days and then take the wax that floats to the surface off with cling film. The honey is then clear enough to jar.

Honey gate to Jug .. Jug to jar.

The wax collected in the strainer gets scraped out as I seive it and it goes in with my cappings into my cappings filter (Home made). This just has stainless varroa mesh as a filter. After the cappings have drained the resultant honey then goes through the double strainer and back into the settling tank.

 

[E&MBees]

I use one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beekeepi...804845&hash=item3d6d549a19:g:iqwAAOSwEwZbR0N5

I decant the honey into small buckets straight from the extractor and then filter through this strainer into my setttling tank.

Leave it to settle for a couple of days and then take the wax that floats to the surface off with cling film. The honey is then clear enough to jar.

Honey gate to Jug .. Jug to jar.

The wax collected in the strainer gets scraped out as I seive it and it goes in with my cappings into my cappings filter (Home made). This just has stainless varroa mesh as a filter. After the cappings have drained the resultant honey then goes through the double strainer and back into the settling tank.

I like your cappings filter. Can I ‘borrow’ your design please?

What do you use for a settling tank? I was going to double strain straight from the extractor into buckets with a honey gate and then let it rest before putting in a jar. Is that sufficient?

Thanks.

 

[E&MBees]

I use one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beekeepi...804845&hash=item3d6d549a19:g:iqwAAOSwEwZbR0N5

I decant the honey into small buckets straight from the extractor and then filter through this strainer into my setttling tank.

Leave it to settle for a couple of days and then take the wax that floats to the surface off with cling film. The honey is then clear enough to jar.

Honey gate to Jug .. Jug to jar.

The wax collected in the strainer gets scraped out as I seive it and it goes in with my cappings into my cappings filter (Home made). This just has stainless varroa mesh as a filter. After the cappings have drained the resultant honey then goes through the double strainer and back into the settling tank.

I like your cappings filter. Can I ‘borrow’ your design please?

What do you use for a settling tank? I was going to double strain straight from the extractor into buckets with a honey gate and then let it rest before putting in a jar. Is that sufficient?

Thanks.

 

[drex]

I like your cappings filter. Can I ‘borrow’ your design please?

What do you use for a settling tank? I was going to double strain straight from the extractor into buckets with a honey gate and then let it rest before putting in a jar. Is that sufficient?

Thanks.

That is what I do. Works fine for me. I may leave it in sealed buckets for months until required for jarring.

 

[pargyle]

I like your cappings filter. Can I ‘borrow’ your design please?

What do you use for a settling tank? I was going to double strain straight from the extractor into buckets with a honey gate and then let it rest before putting in a jar. Is that sufficient?

Thanks.

Yes of course ... dead easy to make. My settlling tank is just 20 litre one a bit like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honey-Se...hash=item216b8d35ec:m:mVqZfv-cK7PaQKRDaOYLUGg.

If you don't let the honey settle then the honey won't clear and the bigger bucket just means you have less depth of wax to clear from the surface - the double strainer will not clear all the wax out and what is left will rise to the top of the honey over a couple of days. You then lay some cling film on the top and pinch the middle of the cling film and pull it up and the wax will come with it. You waste less honey doing it this way. After it has settled I then store in plastic food grade buckets until it is needed - but it will set over time and you will need a warming cabinet or some means or making it runny again when you want to jar it.

I do jar some some straight after settling - see my earlier posts on my antics with a honey gate. I use a jug after filling it from the settling tank honey gate.

 

[E&MBees]

Yes of course ... dead easy to make. My settlling tank is just 20 litre one a bit like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honey-Se...hash=item216b8d35ec:m:mVqZfv-cK7PaQKRDaOYLUGg.

If you don't let the honey settle then the honey won't clear and the bigger bucket just means you have less depth of wax to clear from the surface - the double strainer will not clear all the wax out and what is left will rise to the top of the honey over a couple of days. You then lay some cling film on the top and pinch the middle of the cling film and pull it up and the wax will come with it. You waste less honey doing it this way. After it has settled I then store in plastic food grade buckets until it is needed - but it will set over time and you will need a warming cabinet or some means or making it runny again when you want to jar it.

I do jar some some straight after settling - see my earlier posts on my antics with a honey gate. I use a jug after filling it from the settling tank honey gate.

Thanks. I managed to get one of those electric jam preservers with a thermostat from Lidl that was mentioned on here yesterday. That will do as a very basic warming cabinet if I am careful for the moment. I hope to make a better one at some point, but not this year.

 

[Tim.S]

Out apiary inspection today, took 3 times as long as last week but I have got 7 more nice splits for another apiary that I will be making on family land, with others that I have lurking that should give me the 10 I require, plus another 12 nucs as back up. All going well (and we know that won't happen!) there will be 32 colonies by the end of the year.

 

[Swarm]

Did my last Demarree, a 2018 Amm that was getting a bit close to the wire. Her red spot is practically gone but she's a big, black beast and not shy about strutting her stuff, there she was three frames in.
Job done, moved her to a box of comb and placed on the floor and rebuilt the hive. Gave them another super on top as the other two were full of bees.
Had a quick look at no2, the miserable, ginger lot that had the frame of eggs. Lots of gorgeous black bees in there so very happy with that result. Added second boxes to the nucs.