Required:
- Strong healthy colony
- Good access to quality nectar crop
- Adequate, clean, honey supers for storage
- Keep queen confined to brood area
Frames should have all cells sealed (capped) prior to removal from hive.
Warm frames prior to decapping operation
Use hot and/or vibrating decapping knife.
Extract carefully in a warm environment
Honey heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and filtered (#80 sieve) will remove defects. (up to 160 degrees F for one minute) Don’t overheat!
Defects: Pollen, dust, propolis, air bubbles
Keep odors out of honey – smoke, fermentation, carmelization.