[Ben Brewcat]

This has been well-covered, but it's spring and a lot of folks post about syrup mixing. Because I'm a little OCD, I sat down and tested various sugar mixes (by volume) with a hydrometer yesterday. I confirmed what beeks already know, but here it is for easy use. It's as easy to mix the three most-used concentration levels as this:

Fill half target volume with water, add sugar to target volume (for 5 gallons, start with 2.5 gallons hot H2O and pour in sugar until you have 5 gallons of syrup) = 1:1 (50% sugar)

Fill half full of sugar, add water to target volume (2.5 gallons sugar plus water to make 5 gallons syrup) = 1:2 (33% sugar)

Fill with sugar to target volume, add water to top (5 gallons hot H2O plus water to 5 gallon mark) = 2:1 (66% sugar)

All came to within 2% of the values above, well within the "error bars". As noted the bees care a LOT less and will certainly forgive several percentage points, but I love playing with hydrometers . All were mixed with hot tap water and stirred until no solids remained.

Happy feeding.

 

[throrope]

I went through similar gymnastics, and settled on the following since the local Giant carries 4# and 25# bags. Sometimes either are cheaper - beet sugar I think. This is as close to 2 parts sugar to 1 part water as I care to get:

Pour one 4# bag sugar into 1 qt. water.

Pour one 25# bag into 1-1/2 gallon water.

Stir. Heat in turkey fryer or on the grille side burner to 180 deg F. leave to cool, feed bees or store closed.

Per Draper's, this concentration and heating keeps it from molding etc. for a couple years. I used to get mold in my feeders until I did this.

The fryer lets me do this outside without making a mess in the kitchen. I usually pour from the fryer to a 5 gallon bucket for ease of filling hive top feeders. I had the fryer. Last I looked, Walmart had them cheap online with free delivery to store.

I have five Langstroth hives and am "increasing" with Top Bar for cost. Out of fear, my girls go into winter fat and happy and I use formic acid in fall. I haven't had a winter loss and like most beeks, continue to do what appears to work for me, but I'm probably spending more on sugar than I need. My hives are all from swarms and do so regularly every spring. Too much stores? Genetics? All I know is I'm tired of swarm prevention that hasn't worked for me.

 

[BEES4U]

Ben Brewcat,
What wer your hydrometer reading, Spgr, per sugar concentrations?
Ernie

 

[Naturegoods]

Keep it easier! Pints and pounds of white sugar and water are the same. Five pound bag of sugar and five pints of hot water. See those ounce markings on the measuring cup? How many ounces in a pound?
Keep it simple :applause:

 

[hoodswoods]

1:1 = pound-per-pint in hot water + HBH. Stir (vigorously?) for 5 minutes. My gallon is gone before mold, or I throw it out/stop feeding after 7-10 days or so. Liked the hydrometer test, tho curious what the actual ounce-per-ounce quantities ended up being.

 

[bigevilgrape]

Just remember a pint's a pound the world around.

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Ben Brewcat,
What wer your hydrometer reading, Spgr, per sugar concentrations?
Ernie

Hunh? Oh, Specific Gravity? Well as a brewer/mazer/vintner I use a triple-scale for most measuring, so measured on the Balling (% sugar scale) which is also what bees use . Fortunately Balling, Plato, specific gravity, and PotAlc all convert readily is you like math. Without breaking out the charts, 33% sugar = 1.140 SG (distilled water = 1.000). The rest you can scale from there.

...tho curious what the actual ounce-per-ounce quantities ended up being

I was making up 20 gallons, so that's a little more interpolation than I'm comfortable with on a weekend . Do you mean how many ounces (wt) sugar in ounces (fluid measure) water?

And while I know additives to feed are like trucks, women or politics :lookout:, my only additive is a dash of vinegar to reduce pH.

 

[hoodswoods]

Then you've missed out on mint julips at the kentucky derby

 

[BEES4U]

Solubility of sucrose sugar.
Here is a neat URL to apply the solubility of sucrose.

http://www.sugartech.co.za/solubility/index.php

Ernie

 

[BEES4U]

And, for the fun of it:
Something to get the kids involved in the topic of growing crystals
http://www.crystalgrowing.com/recipes/sugar/sugar.htm
Ernie

 

[StevenG]

Just remember a pint's a pound the world around.

A pint's a pound the world around,
except when it comes to honey.
And then a pint's a pound-and-a half,
and it's all the better for the money! :lpf:

I got several 5 gallon buckets from local bakeries. Turns out they only hold 4 gallons.. lolol I measured and marked a 2 gallon water mark in one, a 16 pound sugar mark in the second. I pour in the hot water to the mark, then dump it in a third bucket. Pour sugar in to the sugar bucket, to the mark, pour it slowly into the 3rd bucket that now has very hot water in it. As pouring I use my variable speed drill with paint mixing attachment, and mix away. Voila! 4 gallons of 1:1 syrup real quick!
Regards,
Steven

 

[plapczynski]

Funny thing is I had two quarts 2-1 left over from the fall and put it out first. After it was gone I made some 1-1. Both were taken at about the same speed and I don't know if there was really a big difference. That's just my opinion.

The next time a see a bee out there with a little hygrometer I will ask her!

 

[RayMarler]

into a 5 gallon bucket,
a gallon or so hot tap water,
a 25 pound sack sugar,
more water to fill to 3 or 4 inches from the top of the bucket,
all the while stirring with a broom stick.
Let sit over night.
Don't know the sugar concentration,
but the bees luv it,
and it's easy for me.