Larger Volume of Honey This Year

[Duffydog]

I  harvested a much larger volume of honey this year and am very pleased. I keep  it in 5 gallon buckets and also have a 16 gallon Maxant tank. In past years I was not concerned about keeping it in 5 gallon buckets, but this year i am out of room and concerned that I might have an ant and moisture problems. I decided to slowly bottle all of the honey over the next month or on on the assumption that it would do better in terms of moisture control and be better preserved than in plastic 5 gallon buckets. Does this sound reasonable?

[sc-bee]

Sounds ok but my 5-gal buckets have an o-ring seal. There should be no issue in a bucket with a seal with moisture. I have never had an issue with ants getting in and if the bucket does not have any honey residue on the outside why would the ants be drawn to them?.... As far as the tank no idea I have never owned one..

Please update your profile..some beekeeping advice is about location....

[Acebird]

The issue with bottling everything is how fast your honey crystallizes.  It is easier to re-liquefy if it is in the bucket.

[Duffydog]

Yes crystallization ids a problem. I usually get orders for about 3 cases at a time and each case has 12  9 ounce glass jars. I have recrystallized both buckets and jars with about the same degree of time involved. Wish I had more of the Maxant 16 gallon water jacket bottling tanks. But I can only afford one.These tanks are great and I can set a low temperature and avoid crystallization. The buckets  do have seal and I  find they work very well also.

[sc-bee]

The issue with bottling everything is how fast your honey crystallizes.  It is easier to re-liquefy if it is in the bucket.

Ummm... don't now that I agree with that one.... it depends on quantity needed. A small hating pad will handle jars or a water bath, Small time, like me, jars are easy to put back to liquid as needed. Buckets..... wellllllll to me kinda hard to handle.

[Acebird]

I assumed based on his first post that he was doing more than a few jars.  Water baths work if there are no labels on them.  He can dump the 5 gal buckets into his heated bottling tank and only do what he has orders for.

[BeeMaster2]

I use my honey heater box. I handles a 5 gallon bucket, several cases of jars or a lot of bears. Put them in today and take them out the next day. No over heating. The how to build directions are on this site.
Jim

[sc-bee]

I assumed based on his first post that he was doing more than a few jars.  Water baths work if there are no labels on them.  He can dump the 5 gal buckets into his heated bottling tank and only do what he has orders for.

At the time I posted I did not catch it was a jacket tank  .... at the time you posted you had no idea because it said.."
 and also have a 16 gallon Maxant tank."   States nothing of a water jacket in the opening post but maybe that is all Maxant makes in a 16 gal I did not look it up and have no idea.

With that said it looks like a no- brainier.... 5 gal buckets and heat in the jacketed tank...

[tjc1]

I use my honey heater box. I handles a 5 gallon bucket, several cases of jars or a lot of bears. Put them in today and take them out the next day. No over heating. The how to build directions are on this site.
Jim

Hi Jim - did you mean to add a link to the site (Oh, maybe you mean right here on Beemaster... - I'll look)

[Acebird]

16 gallon Maxant tank.

Google it and see what you get.

[BeeMaster2]

Here are the links:
   How to Make a Honey Bucket Heater - Part 1
Still looking for part 2.
Jim

[sc-bee]

16 gallon Maxant tank.

Google it and see what you get.

No reason too..... by the time I close the page I have forgotten.... Yes my memory is that good or maybe that selective... so my wife says 

[BeeMaster2]

Try this site for the rest of the instructions:
http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Bucket-Heater_20100726.pdf

Use the thermostat from an old how water heater to control the temperature.
I installed 2 thermostats with 2 switches. One is set for 104 degrees for honey and one is set for 155 degrees for wax. You will need at least a 150 watt bulb to melt wax.
Jim

[Duffydog]

Has anyone used a dehydrator? I have large unit that  could contain several 12 jar cases and I could set the temperature at whatever works  but perhaps 98 or intuit range. I can also set the amount of time. It would not accept a 5 gallon bucket but would work for many jars without labels.

[Acebird]

Jim this is a lot less work if someone wants to go this route.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=610946559294265&set=pcb.610947639294157&type=3&theater
It uses a styrofoam box used to ship temperature sensitive drugs in.  Drug stores just get rid of them.

[BeeMaster2]

Looks good Brian. Premade and insulated.
One thing that I added to mine is I drilled a small hole in the side and pushed the tip of a cooking thermometer into the box so that I did not have to open the box to check the temperature.
Jim

[Acebird]

You see that I did that with mine.  Just shoved it through the top.