I have the same unit.

What was your liquid honey-to-seed honey ratio?
How long did you run the creamer?

I have not had to scoop out a gallon of creamed honey, but the last gallon is always the slowest. I usually do batches of 10 gallons of honey with 2 gallons of seed and I run it for 4 days. Of course, honeys are very different in viscosity and glucose/fructose content, so what works for me will not necessarily work for you.

With 12 gallons, you have a lot of head pressure while bottling the first 10 gallons. After that, I tilt the whole unit up at least 30 degrees where the creamed honey runs (slowly) towards the spout. I have had to "help" it with a spatula into the spout, but have not had to actually scoop it out.

Don't know if any of this really helps. I have had the creamer through 2 seasons now. I have 12 gallons churning as we speak.

 

I have the same unit.

What was your liquid honey-to-seed honey ratio?
How long did you run the creamer?

I have not had to scoop out a gallon of creamed honey, but the last gallon is always the slowest. I usually do batches of 10 gallons of honey with 2 gallons of seed and I run it for 4 days. Of course, honeys are very different in viscosity and glucose/fructose content, so what works for me will not necessarily work for you.

With 12 gallons, you have a lot of head pressure while bottling the first 10 gallons. After that, I tilt the whole unit up at least 30 degrees where the creamed honey runs (slowly) towards the spout. I have had to "help" it with a spatula into the spout, but have not had to actually scoop it out.

Don't know if any of this really helps. I have had the creamer through 2 seasons now. I have 12 gallons churning as we speak.

I have the same unit.

What was your liquid honey-to-seed honey ratio?
How long did you run the creamer?

I have not had to scoop out a gallon of creamed honey, but the last gallon is always the slowest. I usually do batches of 10 gallons of honey with 2 gallons of seed and I run it for 4 days. Of course, honeys are very different in viscosity and glucose/fructose content, so what works for me will not necessarily work for you.

With 12 gallons, you have a lot of head pressure while bottling the first 10 gallons. After that, I tilt the whole unit up at least 30 degrees where the creamed honey runs (slowly) towards the spout. I have had to "help" it with a spatula into the spout, but have not had to actually scoop it out.

Don't know if any of this really helps. I have had the creamer through 2 seasons now. I have 12 gallons churning as we speak.

We are using mesquite honey with a 9:1 ratio of honey to seed. 25 gallons of honey. It ran fairly well until the last gallon. I then turned on the machine and that helped it push the honey through the gate. Have you cleaned your unit and, if so, how did you?

Thank you

 

If I make back-to-back runs, I do not clean the unit. However, if there is a break between runs, I do clean the unit. I do not know that it is necessary to do it, but I am concerned with larger crystals developing in the honey remnants left in the unit over time and also of moisture absorption of those honey remnants.

Cleaning it is a real pain in the ass. I place the unit beside my sink and overhang the spout into the sink. I boil about a gallon of water and pour this into the unit and close the unit up. This steams all of the interior and seems to loosen the honey. After it has steamed for a while, I take the sink spray nozzle and spray down the entire interior of the unit, making sure I get the ceiling and back portion of the unit. I flush everything out of the unit into the sink and then let it sit to dry.

Before I put it back into service, I use a heat gun and blow it into the interior of the unit as well as the exterior walls. I also make sure I put the heat gun down in the unit and thoroughly dry the ceiling of the unit. When I am done, the unit is very hot to the touch and COMPLETELY dry and ready to be reused.

I have taken the unit apart to clean, but I found the above method preferable.

 

If I make back-to-back runs, I do not clean the unit. However, if there is a break between runs, I do clean the unit. I do not know that it is necessary to do it, but I am concerned with larger crystals developing in the honey remnants left in the unit over time and also of moisture absorption of those honey remnants.

Cleaning it is a real pain in the ass. I place the unit beside my sink and overhang the spout into the sink. I boil about a gallon of water and pour this into the unit and close the unit up. This steams all of the interior and seems to loosen the honey. After it has steamed for a while, I take the sink spray nozzle and spray down the entire interior of the unit, making sure I get the ceiling and back portion of the unit. I flush everything out of the unit into the sink and then let it sit to dry.

Before I put it back into service, I use a heat gun and blow it into the interior of the unit as well as the exterior walls. I also make sure I put the heat gun down in the unit and thoroughly dry the ceiling of the unit. When I am done, the unit is very hot to the touch and COMPLETELY dry and ready to be reused.

I have taken the unit apart to clean, but I found the above method preferable.

Wow! Thank you. Great input. We do have a commercial kitchen and our sink has a strong spray nozzle. I was considering taking it apart, but that doesn't look fun either! I am on my second run right now, so I will tackle it with your suggestions at the end of this cycle. Thanks again.

 

I am in a dinky kitchen with a circa 1985 plastic spray nozzel like you would have in a residential kitchen. An OLD residential kitchen. This is why I start the process off with boiling water. With a commercial kitchen and spray nozzle, you can likely skip the boiled water portion of that and flush the unit with very hot water from the spray nozzle. You just have to be sure that the unit is completely dry before reusing it.

 

i have the lyson heated creamer on order just waiting for betterbee to contact me that its ready to ship. Sounds like you guys love ur units albeit that there sounds like there is a learning curve to it. I cant wait for mine.

 

Yes. I don’t know what your creamed honey experience has been so far, but I could make only about a dozen jars up at a time in a KitchenAid mixer. Pouring was a disaster and I made a mess of my kitchen. Now, I pour 10 gallons of honey in and dump 2 gallons of seed. Hit the 48 hour button. 48 hours later, I hit it again. 48 hours after that, I sit and jar about 10 cases of creamed honey.

One of the only negatives I have about the machine is that it is difficult to load the honey from a 5 gallon bucket. The opening is just too small. However, you can manage it. I wish they would manufacturer an additional device you could put on the front temporarily for loading.

 

Does creamed honey from this machine remain somewhat soft and creamy or does it become firm and harden in the containers? I'm asking because creamed honey in glass jars can be a problem if it hardens and begins to separate from the inside surface of the container. It only affects the appearance, but when it separates it can look similar to mold on the surface, which of course is is not.

 

SWM: I have only run my Lyson for 2 years, so I have limited experience. I am familiar with the "marbleized" look of creamed honey when using my KitchenAid, but I have not yet experienced it when using the Lyson. I will not swear that it does not happen. In fact, I suspect over a long period of time, it will happen.

As to creaminess, you definitely get a creamier product by running it in the Lyson for 4 straight days. Hands down better product and I have done a lot of both.

Additionally, you do not get the foamy appearance at the top of your jars when you open the lid. The Lyson gets all of that air out of the product for you, so the appearance is perfect on top. Obviously, nothing wrong with the white foamy appearance from a quality/taste standpoint. But not good for marketing.

As an aside, my honey is always on the wet side. I am hovering just below or at 18% moisture. The crystallization process increases moisture in the honey, so I am always concerned about fermentation. I keep all of my product refrigerated until sold. Fermentation is arrested at around 52F.

Creamed honey kept this way does not have a good texture (somewhat hard) while still cold. I pull all of the cases I want to sell out of the refrigerator and let them reach room temperature. Once they get back to room temperature, they have that creamy smooth feel again.

If you have a market to sell it in, the Lyson 50L can pay for itself within one year. I have sold over 850 9fl.oz. jars this season. I could not have done that with a KitchenAid. Finding that market can be tricky. I wholesale all of mine.