Honey extractor
A honey extractor is a centrifugal machine that flings honey out of the combs once the bees have capped them with wax.
A honey extractor is a centrifugal machine that flings honey out of the combs once the bees have capped them with wax. After the cappings are cut off, the frames spin in a drum and the honey is thrown out of the cells. Models range from a manual two-frame machine to commercial radial extractors for 24–72 frames.
According to FAO, the wax cappings are first cut off with a knife or a machine, then the honey is spun out in the centrifuge; the extraction temperature should not exceed 30 °C. Only ripe honey is harvested: more than 75 % of the cells must be sealed.
After extraction the honey is left to settle, so that air bubbles and wax float up; at 25–30 °C this usually takes a few days. Honey with less than 18 % water can be stored with little risk of fermentation, while the legal maximum in the EU is 20 % (23 % for heather honey).
Why this matters to you. An extractor is about quality, not taste: extraction at no more than 30 °C protects honey from overheating, and honey with moisture below 18 % rarely ferments. The same rules apply to a small apiary and a large honey house.
Facts
| Temperature | Up to 30 °C |
|---|---|
| House range | From a manual 2-frame model to radial machines for 24–72 frames |
| Moisture | Ripe honey: below 18 % water; EU maximum 20 % |
| Main use | Centrifugal removal of honey from combs after uncapping |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Honey extractor → kind of → Apiary and beekeeping → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Next step
- How honey is made and stored
- Part of
- Apiary and beekeeping
- Similar and different
- Langstroth hive
Frequently asked questions
How does a honey extractor work?
After the cappings are cut off, the frames spin in a drum and centrifugal force throws the honey out of the cells.
When can honey be extracted?
When more than 75 % of the cells are sealed; fresh nectar should not be taken.
At what temperature is honey extracted?
No higher than 30 °C (FAO).
Is it true that any honey can be spun out of the combs?
No: unripe honey from fresh nectar can dilute and spoil the whole harvest, so only ripe honey is taken.
How many frames does an extractor hold?
From 2 frames in a manual model to 24–72 in commercial radial machines.
What to read next
- How honey is made and stored — The path of honey from nectar to jar: foraging, ripening in the comb, extraction, filtering, crystallisation, creaming and storage.
- Langstroth hive — The Langstroth hive is a movable-frame hive of stacked boxes, patented in 1852, in which frames hang with a bee space around them.
Similar
Hive frame · Dadant hive · Tree beekeeping · Top-bar hive · Frame hive · Bee smoker
Sources
- FAO Bulletin 124: Honey, harvesting and processing
- FAO Bulletin 124: Honey, heating, packaging, storage
- Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey