honey press for heather ?

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rhyddid

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 228

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 08 7:53 pm Post subject: honey press for heather ?
I've had a hands-on demonstration of extracting honey this week and it was fun (sticky fun ). Alas, I'm told that my honey is likely to be heather honey and will need to be pressed out. What does pressing honey involve doing ? I've googled about for piccies of the process but can't find any. Thanks now.

sanman

Joined: 05 Oct 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 08 7:14 pm Post subject:
I think its more complicated than that. Heather honey is solid until agitated (can't remember the proper term); this is the reason that most small producers only sell heather honey as cut comb.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 08 9:07 pm Post subject:
It's called fixotropic or phixotropic. And it won't spin out. There's a picture of a press half way down this page. www.honeyshop.co.uk/equipment.html

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 08 10:19 pm Post subject:
If you don't mind destroying the comb you can cut it out & mash it before straining through a double strainer. the mashing breaks the fixotropic nature of the honey but it needs to be warm to strain well. Cheaper than a press. Next year use unwired foundation & go for cut comb. Sells at a premium.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 08 10:22 pm Post subject:
I'm thinking I might do that next year anyway. It would solve the similar problems if you get rape honey too I suppose. Can you still spin unwired frames? (Did I mention I've got bees now? )

cassy

Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 1047
Location: South West Scotland

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 08 10:35 am Post subject:
Have you seen this? He uses a car jack to apply the pressure. Some more info on extracting thixotropic honey here.

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