In the UK many small scale and hobby beekeepers keep honey in bulk
containers and re-melt it before putting it in jars to sell.  Often they
use 28lb containers.  (I use 5 litre second hand food containers which
hold 16lb.)
 
The usual method of re-melting is to use a warming cabinet, which is an
insulated box with a door, a lightbulb at the bottom and a grill above
for the container to stand on.  Normally the honey is left in for about
24 hours.  A certain amount of experimenting is needed to get the right
power level to raise the honey to the correct temperature but no higher.
You don't really need a thermostat since, ignoring changes in ambient
temperature, the loss of heat through the walls of the cabinet is
constant once equilibrium has been reached.  Typically 60 to 100W is
about right.  A particularly economical method of making a cabinet is to
use an old refrigerator with the pipework and compressor removed
although American refrigerators in particular may be a bit large for
many people.
 
--
Malcolm Roe                                Phone  :  +44 1442 345104
Crosfield Electronics Ltd                  Fax    :  +44 1442 343000
Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK        E-mail :  [log in to unmask]
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