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The Knighty NI
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Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 780
Location: Lost in space on a rather small Blue ping pong ball. :)
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 Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:31 pm Post subject: Its Been a Long Hard Summer :) |
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Hello to all the Kannigits and Kannigiteses here at KWSN
Its been a while since the last time I visited the board as have been very busy with work and getting established in a self employed role.
Things are starting to settle down now that the main part of the bee keeping season is over here in the UK. Honey collected, extracted, sealed in jars and all that remains to be done is to sell the rest of the crop.
Here is a piccy of the finished results. Its only being sold locally at this time as only producing a 1000 or so jars a year. This will grow in time as I increase the number of bee hives.
Despite the fact that I have not been able to spend time here and enjoy all of you wonderful peoples company, you have not been far from my mind. AS you can see from the sig at the bottom, the shrubber has been left on full pelt as well to ensure continued support for the team.
Anyway I should be able to start visiting more often again and take part in some of the POTM's over the next few months until next season kicks in.
Its Great to be back. 
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Gemjunkie
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Joined: 03 Jul 2010
Posts: 3519
Location: Earth, lately
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| Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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Hope it's a great success.
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Concrete-mixing Moose
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Joined: 30 Apr 2012
Posts: 567
Location: The Joyce Grenfell Home for the Distressed
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:46 am Post subject: |
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Like Summer in a jar ... mmm. Hope it goes well.
Years ago I heard that cedar was the best material for bee hives, is that right?
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The Knighty NI
Prince
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 780
Location: Lost in space on a rather small Blue ping pong ball. :)
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:10 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Like Summer in a jar ... mmm. Hope it goes well. |
Yes all the taste of summer in a jar. The best bit is the honey in the area where I live has a flavour of elderflower with it. Definitely an Kniggartlly requirement 
| Quote: | | Years ago I heard that cedar was the best material for bee hives, is that right? |
Depends on which cedar as there are many varieties, as can be seen from this Cedar Species Wiki Link
The absolute best cedar is red cedar.
Bee hives made from red cedar have a lifetime expectancy of 50+ years before needing to be replaced.
They will certainly outlast me. However, I have a nephew who is taking an interest so I will have something to pass on to him as a business with a good few years lifetime. Enough for him to become established 
Below is one of my hives double brood boxed as a queen rearing hive for a few weeks.
The brood box on the top is red cedar. The one underneath I don't know what that is made from as its one of the original hives I purchased as a complete hive and was already painted in the reddish colour as is the one next to it on the right.
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Sir Papa Smurph
Cries like a little girl
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 4430
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 8:35 am Post subject: |
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I'm guessing that you do not adulterate your honey with corn syrup. Can this be shipped to the US?
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The Knighty NI
Prince
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 780
Location: Lost in space on a rather small Blue ping pong ball. :)
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:36 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I'm guessing that you do not adulterate your honey with corn syrup. |
Attempted to ensure no adulteration in any form.
When extracting the honey and processing it I use the minimum amount of temperature increase about 24-26C to allow flow for both activities. The funny thing is, inside the bee hive the temperature is higher at around 32-36C.
| Quote: | | Can this be shipped to the US? |
As for shipping to the US that is something I have not considered due to the high cost. My understanding is that you are able to purchase considerably larger jars or tubs of honey for the same amount of $'s as a 340g jar of my honey.
| Quote: | Paraphrased from Guide to Bees & Honey by Ted Hooper MBE Many of the fine flavours and bouquet of the honey are composed of natural aromatic oils and other natural substances of plant origin which are extremely volatile. This is essentially the flavours of the flowers the bees have harvested.
The other factor with heat is that it will breakdown the natural diastase which is an enzyme and increase the amount of hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde or HMF. HMF is a substance produced by the degradation of sugars in the presence of acids, and this occurs with ageing of honey and accelerated by heating. It is probably what causes honey to darken with age. HMF is complex and beyond the capability of most bee keepers, who therefore will never know for sure whether they are selling honey within the legal requirements or not. However, providing normal methods of handling are use and heating is kept to a minimum there should be no problem. |
I took all of that onboard in an attempt to produce the finest tastiest honey possible.
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Clark
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Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 1448
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 10:29 am Post subject: |
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Excellent.
My grandfather and his father produced top-class honey until my grandfather developed an allergy to bee stings 
My best friend's just got a hive which used to belong to a uni that was doing a study on them.
Going to check it out next month but I have a feeling there won't be much activity with the bees starting their winter kip.
A shame NanoHive@home is dead
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stooper101
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Joined: 16 May 2009
Posts: 1248
Location: Cheese Country
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome back to the forums Sir Knighty
Hope the business really takes off. The honey looks good and reminds me that my jar at home is dangerously low. I'll have to see about the farmer's markets before it gets too cold out.
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Grawlfang
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Joined: 18 Feb 2005
Posts: 1256
Location: The Land of our lord JC, silly walks and all
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| Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:16 am Post subject: |
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I (using best south coast accent) reckon that'd go da'n well with moi Rhubarb Woine that 'ould
N!i
Fang
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The Knighty NI
Prince
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 780
Location: Lost in space on a rather small Blue ping pong ball. :)
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| Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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That is one of the pains of bee keeping if you develop an allergy. Realised earlier this year that I am allergic to their stings as well. Usually takes around 10-12 days for the swelling and outrageous itching to go away. So I have bought special new gloves and overlay them with latex gloves when handling the bees.
They can still sting through the new armour though not so badly.
The other precaution I have in my pocket are anti-histamines and a bottle of water just in case I get stung. At least I can take a remedy earlier rather than having to wait until I get home.
Yarr Grawl Arrh tha'll do nicely, bit o rubarb woine (smacks lips)
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