Pumping Honey From Drums

[ovalvasix]

Hello!

I'm wondering what type of pumps can be used for pumping honey out of the 55g drums they come in. The way we're currently doing it is a little... unsafe, so I would like to avoid any accidents.

I figured a rotary/hand-cranked pump would work, but it seemed the stainless steel options were pretty expensive compared to the cast-iron and aluminum. I wasn't sure if pumping honey through those type of materials was considered "food-safe", though I did find a polypropylene one.

If using an electric pump, it would have to be low horsepower with high torque, like an impeller pump, but I'm sure cleaning it afterwards would drive someone crazy.

Thanks!
Cory

 

[Vance G]

A gear pump is best and you don't want anything churning air into your honey and clouding it. My best suggestion is to go to beesource.com and ask that question on the commercial forum. They are the folks who could best advise you.

 

[tweak'e]

usually gravity out of drum into a hopper and electric motor with gearbox onto a impeller pump or gear pump.
cleaning is not a big problem. hot water works wonders.

i suggest small hose size as you tend to loose a fair bit in the hoses that you can't drain out.

 

[Noe Palacios]

Hello!

I'm wondering what type of pumps can be used for pumping honey out of the 55g drums they come in. The way we're currently doing it is a little... unsafe, so I would like to avoid any accidents.

I figured a rotary/hand-cranked pump would work, but it seemed the stainless steel options were pretty expensive compared to the cast-iron and aluminum. I wasn't sure if pumping honey through those type of materials was considered "food-safe", though I did find a polypropylene one.

If using an electric pump, it would have to be low horsepower with high torque, like an impeller pump, but I'm sure cleaning it afterwards would drive someone crazy.

Thanks!
Cory

For a long time I was looking for one too and finnally here's what I found

http://www.maxantindustries.com/pumps.html

Right now I'm noy buying it, so ... if you do, please write a review.

Saludos

 

[Smarrikåka]

Don't have much experience with 55 g drums, I find getting honey in 5g buckets much more practical.

Are you looking to pump it out after you liquified it, or is it crystallized honey?

I use this kind of pump http://www.brouwland.com/setframes/...uct.asp?cfid=4&id=2026&cat=407&dt=24&shwlnk=0

for almost all my pumping. It's really good and works for almost anything, but managed to overpower it once so that it broke down. Still I have to say it's great. Especially for forcing water into honey, as it can go quite fast, and also has great priming capabilities, making sucking out of a bucket unproblematic. You could probably do 55g with a pump like this without problem, if you equip it with a "just short enough"(and extra wide) vacuum hose for the purpose specifically.


For pumping honey alone though, I also have another pump (a lobe pump) more suited for the purpose (if you can get the hone into it, that is!) that's slightly more powerful/gentle. The problem is it doesn't have as good self-priming capabilities, which makes pumping out of a bucket tricky making it kind of worthless, to be honest. I only use it when slow and gentle pumping is essential.

But honestly, try and get smaller buckets instead.