Sugar Calculator?

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Mummzie

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I moved this from the other question topic, which had been answered.

Sugar syrup proportions change depending on the intended use. To stimulate a hive, 1 part sugar to 1 part water. To feed a hive- 2 parts sugar to 1 part water as a general guide. There will be a variety of recipes, and as many reasons why they are different.
 
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I only feed 2:1 (sugar:water). I add a heaped teaspoon of either oxalic or citric acid for every 25kg bag of sugar I use. I then heat it to 85-90 degrees Celsius, stirring occasionally to make sure all the sugar dissolves.
The little bit of acid does a partial (chemical) invert on the sugar. This means it breaks a small percentage of the sucrose down into glucose and fructose. Invert or partly inverted sugar is much more palatable for the bees.
I then put the sugar solution into 10L Jerry cans while hot. This makes it practically sterile and I have no trouble storing it for many months should I not need it.
For smaller amounts a 3kg bag of sugar, 1.5L of water and maybe 1/2 a teaspoon of the acid would work well. Just heat it to close to boiling point in a large saucepan.
 

NickWallingford

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@Mummzie this is what I was looking for

Here is another calculator, compliments of the Wayback Machine. It was created about 25 years ago - so realise that some calcs (such as for PDB use) are no longer applicable. More important, this is more than just a calculator - it allows a neophyte beekeeper to make use of the 'rules of thumb' that get developed over longer times with bees...

 

southbee

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Here is another calculator, compliments of the Wayback Machine. It was created about 25 years ago - so realise that some calcs (such as for PDB use) are no longer applicable. More important, this is more than just a calculator - it allows a neophyte beekeeper to make use of the 'rules of thumb' that get developed over longer times with bees...

That's very useful, thank you!
 

Grant

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In testing the site, the apiary book gives different answers for the same calculation depending on the order of the steps you do.
so I've just got 90.91 sugar and 45.45 water or 126.98 and 63.49 for the same calc, so I can confirm its broken. I think its showing the US measures even though you select metric.

That said the NZ converter is going via a web archiver, so no promises the calculations are correct there either, depending on the scripting in use - because the site no longer exists.

You basically want 66% sugar and 33% water by weight not volume
water is 1kg per litre
so 66.6kg sugar to 33.3 litres of water? will give you 100kgs of sugar syrup at 2:1
 
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Grant

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I know that but based on the fact your calculator is poked the no maths way is to do it by weight to get your 2:1
If you wanted you could then determine the combined volume from there so you have the maths for next time
 
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NickWallingford

BOP Club
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That said the NZ converter is going via a web archiver, so no promises the calculations are correct there either, depending on the scripting in use - because the site no longer exists.
It isn't so critical whether the site exists or not. This calculator/ready reckoner is a Javascript script - so without too much trouble, you can see the values/assumptions that will be used in the calculations. As it all happens 'client-side', you can see all the code in plain text. Just get on the page, right click and choose View Page Source. But even easier is the suggestion to put a 1 in the first box and calculate to see what it is doing...

This was really my first foray into scripting (well, copy/paste and changing, mostly!). Several years ago, a guy got in touch with me about him wanting to develop an Apple app with the various calcs in it. I told him, too, there was no 'magic' in the calculations - all just 'visible' for people to see. I've never done Apple stuff, so don't know if he ever got around to doing it, but he seemed keen.

@John B - that 60 frames/hr was always my target, but I couldn't sustain it. I'd need 10 min off after doing an hour. Mostly 3 wire. I hated it, but did it.

But it was those ones - ones that weren't just inches to metres sort of 'automatic' things - that I enjoyed collecting. Like asking a bunch of beekeepers at a field day "How much paraffin wax do you use for each FD box you dip?" and seeing what sort of range of answers you'd get.

But again, 'back then' (don't move this to Historical Beekeeping!!!) beekeepers tended to make a lot more things, and do a lot of jobs that now are relatively easy to contract out.

I gotta say I don't want to wire any more frames...
 


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