Centrifugal honey extractors and honey presses are the two most common types of honey extraction machinery. Machines help to speed up several processes and improve other aspects of production. This post will teach you about how to extract honey by pressing machine.
What is a honey press?
A honey press is a piece of machinery that squeezes a honeycomb between two surfaces. It has the option of using rollers or a pressure plate. The pressure plate, a receptacle for honey-filled comb that can allow honey to flow through it, and the employment of some force on the pressure plate are all typical components of a bucket honey press. The force applied to the pressure disc will crush the comb placed underneath. The honey will then release from the cells.
For the beekeeper, extracting honey with a press is a really satisfying experience. It completes the first stage of separating two primary beehive products. The individual establishment will perform the subsequent wax or honey treatment. You should work with at least 800 F or warmer pressure on the comb. If the temperature drops below 700 degrees F, you must run for several days to get the best results. However, you should not heat the honey or comb too hot to retain its nutritional value.
Beekeepers screen and filter honey to varying degrees during the cutting and straining of the honey extraction process. Sometimes people use a filter to remove wax clumps but still leave pollen in the honey. The flavor of pressed honey with pollen is more prominent. Because pollen grains are present in honey, it has a higher nutritional value.
The advantages of using a Honey Press
Beekeepers should evaluate these performance and usage features when deciding whether to employ a centrifugal extractor or a honey press.
- Using Warré or Top Bar beehives
One significant advantage is that it is ideal for honey extraction when utilizing a Warré or Top Bar hive in your beekeeping operation. It is not mandatory to reuse combs in ungrounded beekeeping with the above two types of hive. However, with the Langstroth beehive, retrieved beehive frames should be restored to the beehive with their comb intact. It increases honey and brood production in the beehive by saving bees the time and resources required to draw new combs.
- Multipurpose
Ideal equipment for beekeepers who also run other agricultural businesses. You can use it to juice other agricultural products. Winemakers use honey press to extract the juice from the berries. The ability to use the same equipment for multiple purposes on the farm makes it a worthy investment for such beekeepers.
- Efficient
Honey from a honey press is not wasted. It may be more cost effective to employ one in fewer honey harvests than a centrifugal extractor. As a result, honey presses are highly popular among beekeepers with modest beekeeping operations and those who are just starting out in beekeeping.
- Easy to move
A honey press is lightweight and easy to transport. It is typically less than an equal-capacity centrifugal extractor. It can also be disassembled for storage. When you need to use it again, it only takes a few minutes to put together. Because of these factors, the device is more valuable to many beekeepers. They can simply transport the presses to apiaries and return if necessary.
- Helping get chunk honey
This method of drinking honey is the most natural. When other types of extraction procedures are applied, the clear honey obtained is sometimes perceived as over-purified by these customers. To satisfy the market demands, beekeepers often use honey presses when preparing their hive crops.
Consequences of using a Honey Press
The primary issues are as follows:
- Destroys comb
Crushing the comb during harvesting will not increase honey production in the beehive. After honey extraction, the comb is returned to the beehive and immediately utilized to store additional honey. Bees swiftly clean it and begin storing honey in the comb. They then re-cap the cells that have enough ready honey.
- Labor intensive
Using a honey press can be exhausting for beekeepers at times. It is thought to be more time-consuming than employing a centrifugal extractor. However, new design innovations and tweaks are assisting in overcoming this disadvantage.
- Not everyone likes it
Some honey users may find the completed product of honey pressing to be unappealing. There are some honey users who want clear honey, while others who prefer honey in comb prefer it unpressed. These two sorts of honey consumers do not like honey that has been treated with a honey press.
>>> Read more: How to Make a Homemade Honey Extractor: DIY Beekeeping
How to clean a Honey Press
After pressing honey, clean the honey press by removing any sticky fragments of wax or honey. If you do not remove them, they will contaminate the device. They can also promote the growth of germs and fungi on them. Some insects attracted may prey on surrounding beehives and bees. They can steal neighboring honey bee hives if any of them are honeybees.
Good beekeeping cleanliness ensures that the quality of beehive products is unquestionable. People often use devices such as honey presses at certain times of the year. Therefore, you should clean them before and after use. You should also cover them to prevent dust from getting on them. Cleaning also extends the life of the equipment and ensures that it performs optimally.
To clean the honey press, use warm water and food-safe detergent. When washing with detergent, you should rinse thoroughly with clean water. The honey press has an easily removable design for cleaning all parts. Contrary to popular belief, you should not boil honey in the press to improve its flow. Some heating is possible, but exceeding 400 degrees Fahrenheit destroys honey. When exposed to high temperatures, the nutrients in honey are destroyed.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to separate honey and wax is to press honey out of the honeycomb. It offers some benefits to centrifugal extractors. When compared to other honey extraction methods, crushing the comb and then straining out the honey has a few drawbacks. Using machines in beekeeping helps to increase production and product quality.
>>> Read more: Best Honey Extractors Review – Manual And Electric Options
