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In a radial extractor, centrifugal force pulls the honey out of the uncapped frames. Such machines range in capacity based on the number of frames they can hold.

In a radial extractor, centrifugal force pulls the honey out of the uncapped frames. Such machines range in capacity based on the number of frames they can hold.
© Ontario Beekeepers' Association, Technology Transfer Program

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In a radial extractor, centrifugal force pulls the honey out of the uncapped frames. Such machines range in capacity based on the number of frames they can hold. The honey is pulled to the walls of the extractor, where it flows to the bottom to be filtered. This small manual honey extractor would be best suited to a hobbyist operation. By the 1920s, Canadian beekeepers were using large honey extractors driven by gas engines; this one was advertised in a Ruddy catalogue. Each of these dual Cowan radial honey extractors can handle 120 frames at a time. Unlike the stainless-steel ones used today, early extractors were made of tinned or galvanized metal, ca 1920. A stainless-steel honey extractor. Placing uncapped frames in a large extractor, ca 1920. A honey extractor in operation. A mechanical uncapper that could process both sides of a frame at once, ca 1920. Steam-heated uncapping knives being used on top of an uncapping table, ca 1920. Sampling honey from bulk storage tanks, ca 1920. As frames were fed into this device, its blades cut the caps off from both sides, ca 1920. These empty supers were ready to be returned to the bee yard, ca 1920. This large early radial extractor was driven by line belt, ca 1920. An uncapping table (left), and a large mechanical honey extractor (right), ca 1920. A small electric extractor in action. The wax that seals the caps must be removed before the honey can be extracted from the frames.

Extracting

Extracting the honey means removing it from the hive frames. To do this, the uncapped frames are spun in a machine called an extractor. Centrifugal force draws the honey out of the combs and into a reservoir. For this process to work well, the honey must be warm enough to flow, and so it's best to extract it as soon as possible after the frames have been removed from the hives, while they still contain some heat. Otherwise, the frames should be left in a warm room prior to extracting.

Extractors vary in size and in the type of technology they use, but the mechanical principles differ very little. The smallest extractors are two-frame manual types, whereas some others are completely automated, and can hold 120 frames at once and process over 600 frames per hour.

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