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Beekeeper here

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afdoty

NewBee
Staff member
Registered Member
Feb 19, 2009
636
0
0
Monroe, CT
Hi Tim, Welcome to GotMead....and thank you for joining....8)

Would love to get my hands on some of your honey. you're still in South Africa?

I was reading through your Web Page and saw a link about a German Study under "Difference between raw and processed honey. The link dosen't work for me. Could you post the web address?
 

TimV

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 9, 2009
72
0
0
Thanks. No, we're back in the Central Coast of California, San Luis County. I'll check that link problem out.
 

socpsy

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 23, 2009
131
0
0
NW Arkansas
www.socpsy.com
Very cool, TimV! I'd like to add a book or two about beekeeping to my reading list. Any suggestions?

I suspect Arkansas is a bit too far from San Luis county to get a honey delivery!? ;D
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
2,373
4
0
Elk Grove, CA
You know, Al the distance between San Luis Obispo County and Sacramento County is bigger than the whole State of Connecticut. :)
 

afdoty

NewBee
Staff member
Registered Member
Feb 19, 2009
636
0
0
Monroe, CT
You know, Al the distance between San Luis Obispo County and Sacramento County is bigger than the whole State of Connecticut. :)

Hey, most distances are bigger than the state of Connecticut.....of course Califorina has a coast line about the length of the entire East Coast......Size envy???? Naaaaaaaaaaaa, it's just easier to get around in CT.
 

TimV

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 9, 2009
72
0
0
With honey the shipping cost usually makes it not worth it.

All beekeepers have "cappings" and while some make mead with it, most don't, and you could get raw local honey cheap that way. One of the things I want to do to pay for the help I'm getting here is to start a batch next week from cappings, complete with photos and this forum's advice.

So, if it works out, that would be a source of very cheap local honey for you all. Stay tuned.
 

afdoty

NewBee
Staff member
Registered Member
Feb 19, 2009
636
0
0
Monroe, CT
With honey the shipping cost usually makes it not worth it.

All beekeepers have "cappings" and while some make mead with it, most don't, and you could get raw local honey cheap that way. One of the things I want to do to pay for the help I'm getting here is to start a batch next week from cappings, complete with photos and this forum's advice.

So, if it works out, that would be a source of very cheap local honey for you all. Stay tuned.

Actually the cappings are what I'm looking for. Most bee keepers around here hoard the cappings......seperate the wax from the honey and seel the wax. I like to make my meads with as raw a honey as I can find.....and the cappings are about as raw as it gets.
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
When I used comb/cappings honey for my Wolf Moon recipe, I simply submerged the whole shebang in hot water, which dissolved all the honey. I then poured that liquid into my fermenter, and I strained off any wax that happened to sneak out of the honey bucket during the process.
 

afdoty

NewBee
Staff member
Registered Member
Feb 19, 2009
636
0
0
Monroe, CT
Mix it with some warm water, ferment, and then rack under the wax?

Might be hard to determine the gravity, though.

Exactly! But you're right...an accurate reading might be difficult. It'll be interesting if I can ever find what I'm looking for.
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
2,373
4
0
Elk Grove, CA
Exactly! But you're right...an accurate reading might be difficult. It'll be interesting if I can ever find what I'm looking for.

You might want to get rid of some that you've already got going before you do, as from the looks of it you have no floorspace for any more carboys.

:eek:

My friends are amazed at the 25ish gallons in my cupboard, but your house? WOW.
 

TimV

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 9, 2009
72
0
0
Yes, honey will dissolve off wax at just warm temperatures. I mix half cappings and half water when I feed the stuff back to my bees.

I figured I'd do the same, strain in my regular honey strainer and add water until it gets to 20-24 percent sugar. Then the camben tabs, since there'll be lots of microflora in there.

I figure I've got enough for 10 five gallon batches, and if I don't feed back to the bees, probably twice that amount every year, so that's why all the questions.
 
A

andrewschwab

Guest
Guest
O my hell, I have been silent trying to let this thing play out.

The cappings is the best part. For some reason when honey is jetted through the air it takes on a different flavour of sorts...

There is a women near by who does a mead with cappings/honey. IT is to KILL for. The rest of her meads really suck. So there is something to that honey.

What most beekeepers do is either heat the wax/honey=cappings real hot and seperate it that way. The honey is junk at that point. The wax on the other hand is great, mostly clean.
Some spin out the honey much like they spin out the frames.

Very simple put your cappings in your water, mix, mix, mix, mix. The honey will be dissolved into the water in short order. Take your reading untill you get where you want to be... Leave the wax there it does no harm (at least what I have seen). Prep your yeast (like all good mead makers do), and brew like any other traditional.....

If you want the cappings timing is everything. First build a relationship with a couple beekeepers(most of them like to drink ;) ) Find out when they plan on extracting there honey. Maybe they have a certain kind your after. Leave or bring them a bucket (5-4 gallon bucket) and ask if the will fill it from the cappings. Then be willing to pay at least $1.50 per pound for what is in that bucket.

Extracting is mad time of year for beekeepers, the honey has to get stored, the bees need set up for winter all at the same time. Work work work.... It can be one of the more stressfull times of year for a beekeeper. We are working(looking out) months ahead. Like myself I am prepping for winter in Aug... If I didn't no bees come spring :sad11: ;D

For most areas it to late this time of year, but build your relationships starting now. ;)
 
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