Honey extractor kits for hire

Honey extractor kit

CBKA honey extracting equipment

CBK extracting equipment

We have two honey extracting kits for hire to Conwy BK members @ £12 per week or part of a week, plus £20 deposit.
Cash payment please.

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, one honey bucket, a settling tank and a set of instructions.

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

  1. Honey jars and lids.   See our page Honey Jars 2023
  2. Labels.
  3. Kitchen scales, preferable electronic.
  4. A stand for the settling tank.

Safety

  1. Be aware of hot knives and moving parts.
  2. 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.
  3. Familiarize yourself with the extractor, and if in doubt, ask for help.
  4. You should load and unload combs into the extractor using only the front plastic lid.  The rear lid stays permanently closed.

Click here to see a useful video from the Isle of Man.   Please watch this video before extractring honey for the first time.

Instructions

  1. Check that the equipment is clean, and the workplace is suitable for food handling.
  2. Place the extractor on the floor. Check that the honey tap is closed!  Place a bucket under the tap.
  3. Uncap both sides of a frame of honey.
  4. Place three frames in the extractor and close the lid.
  5. Hold the 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!
  6. Turn the combs round and spin all the honey from the other side.
  7. Turn the combs round again and spin the first side fully. This should avoid breaking the combs.
  8. Do not allow honey to rise above the bottom bearing of the extractor.
  9. Place empty frames back in the super.
  10. Continue until completed.
  11. With extractor on a worktop and settling tank below, fit the double strainer to the settling tank.
  12. Check settling tank honey tap is closed.
  13. Tap off honey into the strainer.
  14. Warning! Honey flows silently. It does not gurgle! Do not allow strainer or settling tank to overflow.
  15. When complete, place settling tank on a stand on the worktop. Fit lid and leave for approx 48 hours to settle.
  16. Wash extractor and strainer thoroughly. See notes below. Do not leave out in the garden for the bees to clean! This will cause robbing from your hives.
  17. Wash jars.
  18. Place empty jar on scales and tare to zero.
  19. Fill jars on the scales to minus 0 / plus ½ ounce tolerance.
  20. Fit lid and label.
  21. Wash out the settling tank.
  22. We suggest you store full jars of honey in a blue plastic mushroom box, which holds 15 x 454g jars. Ask at your local supermarket.
  23. Store in a cool, dark place. Honey may ferment if stored in a centrally-heated room.

Afterwards

  1. Clean all equipment thoroughly and return the kit in the boxes promptly. Open the extractor tap before placing in the box.
  2. 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.  You may wish to use Certan spray to protect the combs from wax moth.
  3. 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

  1. Do not attempt to dismantle the yellow gear mechanism.
  2. Lift up the front lid. Slide to the right and remove.
  3. Using spanner provided, remove two 13mm nuts.
  4. Lift off two yellow brackets and rear guard.
  5. Lift complete cage mechanism from tank.
  6. Clean thoroughly.  Do not turn the drum upside down. DO NOT LOSE THE STEEL BALL IN THE DRUM BEARING. IT CAN EASILY FALL OUT.
  7. Reassemble cage to tank. Check that the shaft is correctly located in the bottom bearing.
  8. Refit rear guard and two yellow brackets, without using any force.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

To book the kit, please contact Peter McFadden, Email peterhoney914@gmail.com
Secretary, Conwy Beekeepers
Collect from….
Ynys Goch
Ty’n y Groes
Conwy LL32 8UH

Updated July 2023

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