Monday, June 4, 2012

Spring 2012 Extraction

We had a honey extracting extravaganza on Sunday!  Thanks so much to everyone who came out to help: Dean, Danielle, Elizabeth, Kim and Steve!   Dean is tending three colonies at the Spring Street Farm in Aliquippa, which part of the amazing efforts of the Uncommon Grounds Cafe (Dean's on Facebook, too--look for "Spring Street Farm.").  Danielle and interns Elizabeth and Kim tend seven colonies now (after their successful splits this spring!) at Churchview Farms.  And Steve, a state wildlife biologist,  is one of our area's few Master Beekeepers and Burgh Bees's indefatigable Apiary Director.  Steve also sells his honey on the last Saturday of the month at the Sewickley Farmers' Market. Check out their work:
Beautiful fully capped frame of spring honey
Dean & Robert using uncapping knives
to remove the wax caps from the honey
Danielle showing lovely uncapping technique!

An uncapped frame of honey ready for the extractor


The uncapped frames are loaded into the extractor.
This is a motorized radial extractor, which spins
the honey out of the comb.
Honey pouring out of the extractor and
into a strainer placed over a bucket.

Freshly extracted honey!


When all's done, there's still lots of honey
at the bottom of the extractor.
It will slowly drain into a bucket.



Spring honey bottled and ready to enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. What a cool post! I love how the process was explained picture-by picture. I bet the honey was amazing!

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  2. Thanks for the comment, Allie! The honey IS amazing. Remind me to bring you some when the fall semester starts. :)

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