The recipe mentioned does work quite well.  Actually the less water the
better.  To avoid carmelization at the bottom it requires continous
stirring.  I prefer a flat utensil (long handled ice scraper) to stir as
it turns the mix on the bottom over the best.  Start with most of the
water heating to boiling and slowly add the sugar stirring constantly.
Add sugar at rate that you can continue to stir the mixture.  If it gets
stiff or hard to stir add a very small amount of water (a dash in cooking
equivelant).

This process defies everything about heating and cooking with sugar.  The
small amount of water and continous stirring are what make it work.  It
does not dissolve or melt all of the sugar granule but heats the liquid
part to a point where the granules are bonded.  It does work for emergency
feed including winter time.  I have seen this mixed in batches of hundreds
of pounds over burners burning hot directly under the pot.  It also can be
mixed in small batched (on the kitchen stove) for 1 or 2 colonies.  About
15-20 pounds per board makes them thick enough the bees won't eat through
the part they are clustered under and starve.

Bob Nelson
Norfolk, NE

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