NOVEMBER 15, 1913 



Beekeeping in the Southw^est 



Louis Scholl, New Braunfels, Texas. 



HEATIXG EXTRACTED HONEY. 



The writer has had occasion during the 

 last few weeks to reliquefy about 10,000 

 lbs. of honey, granulated more or less, and 

 to make some observations in this connec- 

 tion. One of the greatest objections to heat- 

 ing extracted honey is the effect this has 

 upon the color of the honey. Each succes- 

 sive heating will darken it a little more, if 

 not carefully done ; and if the honey is heat- 

 ed slightly too much the flavor will change 

 also. It was found that slow heating of the 

 honey, especially if it was in sixty-pound 

 cans, and granulated solid, did not affect the 

 color and the flavor as did rapid heating. 

 In the former the honey was melted grad- 

 ually and with veiy little fire. Rapid heat- 

 ing takes less time, but the results are less 

 favorable. 



A large vat was used, holding six sixty- 

 pound square cans at a time. This vat is 

 deep enough so that the cans can be com- 

 pletely submerged in the water. They rest 

 on a framework of wood, so they are about 

 two inches from the bottom of the vat, and 

 the vat is about four inches deeper than the 

 top of the Cflns as they stand in it. In order 

 to supi^ly heat to the top of the cans, which 

 can not be done very well by the hot water, 

 a cover is placed over the vat. and this holds 

 in the hot steam. Thus the cans are all well 

 surrounded by heat, and the liquidation is 

 more even and is quicker. 



At intei-A-als the cover is removed and the 

 honey in the cans stirred up if possible. Of 

 coui-se it is difficult to do this at first ; how- 

 ever, we use a strong steel rod, about % 

 inch in thickness, and run this throiiffh the 



Scholl's honey-liquefying vat, holding six cans of 

 is deeper and has a cover over all to keep the heat 

 cans. 



mass of granulated honej' at various places, 

 so as to break up the compactness of the 

 contents of each can. Doing tliis several 

 times will enable some of the liquid honey 

 to permeate through the cavities made, and 

 hasten the melting of the honey. After that, 

 the entire mass can be easily stirred, and the 

 rest of the gi*anulated masses of honey 

 broken up, so that the liquefying takes less 

 time, and none of the honey gets so hot as 

 to spoil the color and flavor. 



If a set of cans is started off in cold or 

 only moderately warm water, and then heat- 

 ed carefully so that the water does not boil, 

 there is little danger of spoiling the honey. 

 On the other hand, with too much fire and 

 the water boiling, thei'e is a tendency in the 

 honey next to the tin containers to become 

 too hot before the granulated mass is en- 

 tirely dissolved. This will occur in spite 

 of stirring or breaking up the granulated 

 masses as mentioned above, and care should 

 be taken not to subject the honey to such 

 high temperatui'e. It is true that one can 

 " work up " a large number of cans of gi'an- 

 ulated honey in a certain length of time; 

 but there is no saving of fuel, and there is 

 the risk of si3oiling both color and flavor of 

 the honey. 



The vat method is mentioned here for the 

 reason that most beekeepers must resort to 

 that way of reliquefying their gi-anulated 

 honey. Usually the family wash-boiler is 

 brought into play, and one can at a time is 

 heated. This requires a lot of fuel unless 

 the boiler is set into a furnace, and it takes 

 quite a lot of time to heat any number of 

 cans of honey. Another trouble is that these 

 boilers are not deep 

 enough and do not per- 

 mit subjecting the en- 

 tire can to the heat. As 

 a result the honey in the 

 lower part of the can 

 usually gets too hot 

 while that on top is still 

 in the granulated stage 

 unless it is worked up 

 continually. 



A better method, and 

 one which will pay any 

 beekeeper, is to have a 

 vat constiricted of gal- 

 vanized iron, to hold 

 either two, four, or six 

 cans, whichever is the 

 most suitable for his use. 

 A furnace may easily be 

 Continued on page 820. 



honey. The new vat 

 around and over the 



