Dirty\fermented extractor

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Busybee7
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Joined: September 3rd, 2017, 7:35 pm

Dirty\fermented extractor

Unread post by Busybee7 »

I narrowed a nice stainless steel extractor, with some plastic buckets that have gates in them. Everything has a fermented smell to it. The buckets are very strong. I can do with out buckets. What can I do with the extractor so it doesn't contaminate my honey?
Allen Dick
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Re: Dirty\fermented extractor

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Basically, just wash everything well and if you have a small pressure washer consider using that but keep in mind that you could get water into the bearings of the extractor if you overdo it. Cold water is usually better than hot water because hot water just spreads wax around while cold water will dissolve the honey especially if the extractor is wet down and then rinsed periodically over an hour or two.

Honey is pretty hard to contaminate because it coats whatever it contacts and sticks to it so all the rest of the honey runs off. For that reason concerns about spreading disease with an extractor do not seem very reasonable to me and a little rust on the surface of older extractors and galvanized extractors are not likely to do any harm to the honey that is run through them. The washdown honey water should probably be thrown away.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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cgybees
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Joined: May 26th, 2015, 4:19 pm

Re: Dirty\fermented extractor

Unread post by cgybees »

You could also run some wine making food-safe sanitizer solution through it after you've cleaned off the general crud.
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Busybee7
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Joined: September 3rd, 2017, 7:35 pm

Re: Dirty\fermented extractor

Unread post by Busybee7 »

Very good, thank you! I was able to harvest 5 gallons..... Plus as many spoon fulls as my kids and I could eat.
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