2.8 Preparing section, cut comb and chunk honey

Question 1

Section C question:
A beekeeper would like to produce and sell chunk honey. Describe the planning process that is required. What are the main considerations when deciding what honey to use and what crops to target to produce this product?

Answer 1

1 It is first necessary for the bees to be able to forage on suitable flowers, i.e. those with less glucose content in the honey. Ling heather honey would be first choice either if it is locally available or the beekeeper is prepared to take some
colonies to a suitable stand.
If not then borage, Himalayan balsam and pure wildflower honey are slow to crystallise and are good for cut comb honey.
With the exception of wildflowers, these sources of forage all appear later in the season
so the aim must be to build up strong colonies to make full use of the flow when it starts.
A young queen will help achieve this.

2 Drawn comb in the supers will enable the bees to devote their energy to collecting and processing the nectar. Thin foundation is a must. This can be used during an oil seed rape flow early in the season when it will be drawn out by the bees. It needs to be extracted very carefully and then given back to the bees to clean. If the cleaning is not done
thoroughly then the OSR residue could lead to the honey crystallising quicker when it’s
wanted for cut comb.

3 Back in the honey room, clean all the surfaces and wash and dry all the utensils. Place
the frame on a flat dry surface and cut round the edges of the frame to it separates from
the woodwork.
For cutting the comb use a template that is half the size of the one used for cut comb as
the ‘chunk’ needs to pass through the neck of the jar. Remember it needs to be long enough to fill the jar from top to bottom with no gap at either end. It should not be able to float.
Place the chunk in the jar and top up with runny honey from the same source.
Label the jar ready for sale.

Question 2

Preparing chunk honey

Answer 2

Preparation as for cut-comb
Place neatly cut slabs of honey comb in cleaned and dried jars
Fill jar with cooled liquefied honey prepared as follows (Heat to 32-35°C to turn the honey into a state where it can be poured, eave to settle, to remove air bubbles and allow alien materials to rise to surfac, clean surface with cling film, to remove alien material
The comb should have all the qualities of cut-comb and the liquefied honey should be of the same colour and flavour as the comb honey
Standard labelling rules apply

Question 3

Preparing cut comb

Answer 3

1 When comb is fully sealed, remove it from the hive
2 There should be no evidence of granulation, fermentation, propolis, Braula or wax moth
3 Cut the comb out completely around the wooden frame timber
4 Cut comb with sharp knife or shaped cutter
5 Lay it on its side on a draining surface over a tray, e.g. a Waldron Queen Excluder (wooden framed excluder)
6 Leave the combs on a grid to allow loose honey to drain off and edges to crystallise
7 Store in fridge/freezer at <4°C
8 The usual container is 8oz/227g,
9 Standard labelling rules apply

Question 4

Preparing sections

Answer 4

There are two types of section
o Standard Basswood, with three split sides
o Round plastic type, which bees seem to prefer because there are no corners to fill and the queen will rarely lay in them
To prepare square sections (Basswood)
o warm them prior to painting the inside of the section with molten wax excluding the corners
o to prevent sagging, using only a thin strip of foundation standing only ¼inch (6mm) proud of the section; insert it with points of the hexagons towards the top
After carefully removing complete sections, scrape burr comb and propolis off
Store upright in tins at <4°C
Prepare rounds in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions
Good sections should weigh about 16oz (454g), have good even cappings with no weeping or granulation and no evidence of Braula or Wax Moth

Question 5

Rules for sections, cut comb and chunk

Answer 5

1 Strong colony
2 Good flow
3 Second super
4 Unwired frames
5 Wax paint on frames
6 No granulated, fermented, braula, moth, propolis, pollen
7 Even thickness
8 Freeze in airtight bag for 2 days to kill braula and moth
9 Fully sealed

Question 6

Preparing soft set honey

Answer 6

Remove scum from top using cling film
Heat it to 32-35°C until it has softened. Then stir it until it can be poured, then bottle in clean warmed jars.
Store at 14°C to encourage formation of fine crystals
Consistency smooth like butter but shape of spoon remains in surface