The best honey extractor for beginners is an essential harvest honey tool minimizing damage to the comb for beekeepers. Old times when beekeepers would cut the comb from the frames and crush it, requiring the bees to rebuild the comb each season. Today, we have more honey extraction methods that extract honey while preserving the frames.

Before talking about the best honey extractor for beginners, let’s briefly discuss the honey harvesting process.

Preparing for the extraction process

How to remove the bees from the honey super?

Some beekeepers use a bee escape. Place a bee escape over the hole in an inner cover overnight to allow the bees to exit. Another method is to use a fume board treated with Bee Go, which is best in hot temperatures and when the hive is exposed to sunlight. Alternatively, beekeepers can use a bee brush to gently remove the bees from the bee frame. If you choose this method, please make sure you have a spare empty super and cover to keep the bees out while brushing the next frame. We prefer using a Bee Shaker Machine, a mechanical device that separates bees from the honeycomb without causing harm to them. The bee shaker machine is a valuable tool during hive inspections, honey harvesting, and other bee management activities.

 How to remove the honeycombs from the bee frames

An uncapping knife is important, and it also can be any long, flexible sharp knife. Additionally, you will need an uncapping tank or pan to place the frames that flow honey. Some people personally use a stainless steel sheet cake pan, and they place a board across the top of the pan with a nail or sharp screw sticking up. This setup allows you to place the frame of honey on it and easily rotate it to uncap both sides. Sometimes, you may suffer honeycombs that cannot be uncapped with a knife, and you can use a Capping fork (also known as a Capping Scratcher) to cap honeycombs. Although a Capping fork can be used to remove the honeycombs instead of a knife, it can be a slow process, so a lot of people prefer using uncapping knife

What is the best honey extractor for a beginner

Now, let’s talk about the best honey extractor options for beginners. 

Honey extractors have several types, including the 2 frame honey extractor, 3 frame honey extractor, and 4 frame tangential extractors. These extractors are relatively cheap and suitable for small-scale beekeepers managing less than ten hives. In tangential extractors, the honey frame sits perpendicular to the axis of the extractor basket. This type of extractor extracts honey from one side of the honey frame at a time, requiring manual reversal of the frame to extract the opposite side. When using a tangential extractor, it’s important not to spin the full honey frames too hard on the first side to avoid cracking the foundation due to the weight of honey in the other half of the frame. After rotating the frame, start spinning it slowly and gradually increase the speed as honey is extracted. Finally, rotate the frame again and spin it quickly on the first side that was extracted to ensure maximum honey extraction. 

On the other hand, radial extractors offer a different approach. In radial extractors, the honey frame sits parallel to the axis of the frame holders, allowing both sides to be extracted simultaneously. Some beekeepers prefer rotating the basket slowly and then speeding up once most of the honey is out of the comb to ensure all the honey is extracted without damaging the comb. We offer a range of radial extractors, including the 6 frame manual honey extractor, 8 frame manual honey extractor, and 6-72 frame electric honey extractor. 

Once you’ve extracted a few frames, you may notice that the honey starts hitting the bottom of the rotating basket, making it difficult to spin. At this point, it’s time to open the gate on the extractor and drain the honey into a storage tank. To ensure the highest quality honey, we recommend using a dedicated honey tank for straining the honey as it flows out of the extractor. This step helps remove any impurities or wax that may have passed through the initial straining process. You can further refine the honey by straining it again using a 200, 400, or 600 micron filter on top of the bottling tank. This additional straining step ensures that any remaining wax particles are caught, resulting in a clean and pure final product. Once the honey has filled the bottling tank, allow approximately three days for any air bubbles to rise to the surface of the honey. This allows the honey to settle and ensures that the bottled honey appears smooth and free of foam.

Conclusion:

Choosing the best honey extractor for beginners depends on the specific needs and scale of your beekeeping operation. Tangential honey extractors, such as the manual and electric 2 frame, 3 frame, and 4 frame honey centrifuge options, are suitable for small-scale beekeepers. They extract honey from one side of the frame at a time, requiring manual rotation or motored drive. Radial extractors, like the 6-frame manual honey extractor, 8-frame manual honey extractor, and 6-72 frame electric honey extractor, allow for simultaneous extraction of both sides of the frame. 

Regardless of the honey extractor you choose, remember to remove the bees from the honey super using methods like bee escape, fume boards, bee brushes, or bee shaker machines. Some basic tools such as an uncapping knife, uncapping pan, and capping fork to effectively remove honeycombs. 

Once honey extraction is complete, ensure that you strain the honey to remove impurities and wax particles. Consider using a dedicated honey tank for straining and allowing the honey to settle for a few days to remove air bubbles. This attention to detail will result in a high-quality final product that is appealing and ready for bottling.

If you have any questions or need assistance selecting the best honey extractor, feel free to reach out to us.