Extracting Honey
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
Uncapping is done with an uncapping fork or a warmed knife, guided flat over the comb so the cell walls do not break out.
Uncapping is done with an uncapping fork or a warmed knife, guided flat over the comb so the cell walls do not break out. Extraction is done tangentially with one comb face to the extractor wall, turning the combs in between, or radially with the top bars facing outward, in which case turning is unnecessary. Freshly built combs should be spun slowly at first, or they break. Stainless steel is hygienically flawless; tinplate scratches and leaves dark streaks in the honey.
Check ripeness before extracting. The degree of capping alone is unreliable; the shake test shows whether the honey stays thick in the cells, and the refractometer is decisive. Straining is done warm, at around 25 to 30 degrees Celsius; there is no standardized mesh size. Afterward the honey settles in the tank, wax and air bubbles rise and are skimmed off flat after about three to five days.
To this day there are no beekeeping-specific hygiene guidelines; the local food safety authority is responsible, and practice varies by region. Washable surfaces, a water connection, and a handwashing facility are required; pets and potted plants do not belong in the room. Clean equipment cold first, then rinse it hot, otherwise the wax smears. Never let equipment and cappings wax be licked clean outdoors: that causes robbing and spreads foulbrood.