🍯 Honey Extraction and Moisture Control

About this simulation

A radial extractor spins uncapped frames so centrifugal force flings honey out of the cells and against the drum wall, where it drips down into a sump ready for straining and jarring. This model links the three decisions that most determine whether a batch extracts cleanly and stores well: how thoroughly the wax cappings are removed, how fast the basket spins, and how much water the honey still holds when it comes off the frame.

How it works

• Uncapping — wax cappings must be sliced or scratched off before honey can be thrown clear; at 0% the comb face stays sealed and nothing flies, at 100% the whole face is open.
• Extractor speed — higher RPM gives the honey more centrifugal force, so more droplets are ejected per second and they travel faster to the drum wall.
• Honey moisture — thinner, wetter honey flows more freely off the frame and down the drum wall; thicker, drier honey clings and drips more slowly. UK/EU honey regulations cap moisture at 20%, and most beekeepers target under 18% for safe long-term storage.
• The moisture beacon above the drum turns green under 18%, amber between 18–20%, and red above 20% — where dissolved yeasts can multiply and ferment the jar.

Controls

• Uncapping — percentage of the frame face with wax cappings removed.
• Extractor speed — basket rotation speed in RPM (0–250).
• Honey moisture — simulated refractometer reading, 14.0–23.0%.
• Frames in basket — how many frames spin in the extractor at once.
• ↺ Reset extraction — empties the sump and restarts the count. Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom.

Did you know?

A honey refractometer actually measures how light bends passing through a honey sample, not water content directly — the reading is converted to a moisture percentage using a calibration table, because sugar concentration and water content trade off almost exactly.