Before storage, pollen must be thoroughly dried. To do this, each beekeeper can make a special dryer with his own hands using materials and tools at hand. After drying in such a device, the pollen will be dry, so it will not become damp due to excessive moisture and will not become moldy, remaining usable for a long time.
Benefits and methods of drying
Every beekeeper knows that pollen should never become damp and saturated with moisture, otherwise it will become covered with mold containing toxic substances and acquire the properties of a poisonous product. Its use can harm human health and cause serious poisoning. To prevent this, pollen must be thoroughly dried before storing it. To do this, amateur beekeepers often resort to two methods:
- Dry pollen in a suitable room without special tools... To do this, take clean white paper, on which a bee product is spread with a thin and even layer. At the same time, carefully monitor that this layer is not higher than 2 cm. The pollen is regularly mixed, otherwise it may deteriorate. Such drying is carried out only in a room that meets a number of requirements:
- it is darkened, since there is an opinion that the sun's rays have a bad effect on the quality of pollen, destroying useful enzymes and vitamins in it;
- it is clean and dust-free, as dust mixes with pollen, leading to its pollution and deterioration;
- it can maintain the necessary temperature conditions (20-40 ° C) so that the bee product does not become moldy and does not deteriorate.
Many beekeepers dry their pollen in an attic under a roof. The duration of such drying depends on the type of product and can range from 24 to 48-72 hours.
- Use a special dryer... This method is more preferable because it compares favorably with the previous one in that it makes it easy to create and maintain the microclimate necessary for drying, and also makes it possible to process more pollen. The corresponding device can not only be purchased, but also made by hand in order to significantly save money and get a dryer with the required operational characteristics at the exit. The fact is that mainly professional household appliances for pollen drying on an industrial scale are on sale.
A homemade dryer can be made from scrap materials, for example, from a regular cabinet, kitchen shelf or drawer, in which you only need to drill a few holes for air exchange. If possible, a fan can be adapted to ensure that only a warm air stream enters the drying chamber. In general, experienced craftsmen can experiment and use the most unexpected options.
How to make a drying cabinet?
In case of daily collection of large quantities of pollen, free drying is not possible, therefore it is better to use a drying oven. To make it yourself, initially you should understand the principle of drying itself, which looks like this:
- Warm air contains more water vapor than cold air.
- It is estimated that 1 kg of fresh pollen contains approximately 300 g of water. If 1 cubic meter m of air is heated to 38-40 ° C, then the maximum can remove 54.3 g of moisture.
- Thus, to dry 1 kg of product, 5.5 cubic meters are needed. m of air heated to 38-40 ° C.
It is difficult to maintain reliable air circulation in a homemade cabinet that provides such drying of pollen, so you need to use a fan with a capacity of at least 22 cubic meters. m of air per hour. In general, to collect it, you will need the following materials:
- wood slabs or mrekolit (pressed fibreboard);
- sheet metal;
- electric fan;
- electric heating elements with a power of 100 W - 2 pcs .;
- wooden frames - 10 pcs.;
- fine mesh mesh.
Having prepared everything you need, you can start assembling the cabinet:
- Assemble the structure of a wooden cabinet from slabs.
- Install an electric fan at the top of the cabinet.
- The part of the cabinet, where the fan will bring air, should be sheathed with sheet metal.
- Sliding wooden frames are covered with fine mesh on the bottom side. Place the resulting lattices on both sides of the cabinet at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
- Install electric heating elements in the center of the drying chamber in order to maintain a constant temperature in it by heating the air. This prevents the pollen on the lower grates from moistening due to condensed moisture that will be released from the rapidly cooled air.
Flower pollen should be scattered on the sliding racks of the finished cabinet, in which the temperature is maintained at 40 ° C. In it, you can dry up to 15 kg of product per day, the moisture content of which, depending on the original type, will be up to 6%. The pollen passed through this treatment retains its original color.
It is better to keep the assembled drying cabinet not indoors, but outdoors.
How to convert an old cabinet into a dryer?
If you have an old wooden cabinet on hand, it can be used as the basis for a future dryer. It will only be necessary to sheathe it with sheet steel, make shelves from thermal cassettes, make several holes for air circulation or install a fan. The finished device can be used to dry not only pollen, but also vegetables, mushrooms and fruits.
To assemble the structure, you need to prepare the following tools:
- small wooden old cabinet;
- heater (heater);
- fan.
You can make a dryer in a couple of steps:
- Equip the cabinet with a fan and heater.
- Drill some small holes to improve ventilation.
- Install shelves.
The principle of such a device without automation is that a fan drives air from the room, which passes through the heater and dries the pollen. The disadvantage of such a simple design is that in wet weather it dries out the polish poorly.
Budget dryer with retractable frames can be made according to the instructions from the video below:
Homemade beehive dryer
If the farm has a multi-hive hive, one of its buildings can be used to make a dryer according to the following instructions:
- In the finished building from under the hive, install a fan heater.
- Connect the two housings with a 145 frame, and then equip them with tin corners so that they do not fall apart. Thus, a drying chamber can be created. It will be one large chamber with 10 Dadan frames.
- Make several boxes no more than 20 cm high. Pull the nylon mesh instead of the bottom.
- Nail special slats in the chamber so that the boxes move freely.
- Set the finished crates one above the other in a chamber like a whatnot.
- Make a blank cover and sheathe the top with foil for additional insulation.
In general, the dryer is assembled like a beehive according to this principle: at the bottom - a fan heater, in the middle - a drying chamber, and above - a lid. Such a device works according to the convection method, lying on its side.
To prevent the formation of mold, pollen in such a dryer must be laid in boxes in one thin layer.
Electric pollen dryer from the refrigerator
An oven can be easily made from an old refrigerator, following these instructions:
- Remove all parts from the refrigerator body except for insulation.
- Drill 6 rows of holes on the inside of the walls.
- Insert rods 5 mm high in the holes.
- On the rods place a porch with pollen. They are best made from stainless steel, bending its edges by 3-4 cm.
- Install a 250 W heater at the very bottom of the case.
- Place a fan next to the heater that can be removed from old appliances. For example, you can use an electric motor from an old tape recorder with homemade blades.
The principle of operation of such a dryer is similar to a heater, since all the air flows from the bottom up, ensuring high-quality drying of the product. The temperature in it is maintained at 37-40 ° C thanks to the mounted thermostat. It is advisable to make two such devices, in one - to dry pollen, and in the other - to dry.
An electric dryer has several advantages. It allows you to get the highest quality beekeeping product in a short time, and can be used both in the country and in the apartment, since it is safe and easy to use.
How to assemble a dryer from a chest?
You can construct a dryer from an ordinary chest - a large wooden box with a hinged lid, which stores household items. Chest length - 150 cm, height - 75 cm, and width - for a standard frame. You can make a dryer out of it in this way:
- Make a chest of the specified dimensions from three-layer plywood and blocks.
- Place in a frame box the size of either 435x300 mm in two rows, or 435x145 mm in four rows.
- Place two pots filled with sand on the bottom of the chest.
- Bury a 100 W light bulb in the sand. They will be used as heating elements.
- Stick X-shaped wires into the sand above the light bulbs. Set small tin circles on them for better heat distribution.
- Instead of frames, put racks on the shelves of the chest. Install 6 troughs with pollen on them so that there are gaps between the walls for warm air circulation. The troughs themselves should be made of stainless steel, the edges of which must be bent by 3-4 cm.
- Install the thermometer in the center of the long wall, at the level of the lower trough. In this case, you need to retreat from the wall by 4 cm.
By operating such a device, beekeepers came to the conclusion that it is better to place troughs with fresh pollen only on top. The fact is that the lower troughs moisturize the higher ones and slow down the drying. Meanwhile, in 6 troughs, you can put 6-7 kg of pollen, which will dry for 3 days. A pair of 100W bulbs will keep the temperature between 36-39 ° C.
If drying is carried out in a hot season, the lid of the chest should be raised by 1-2 cm so that the temperature in the chamber does not rise above 40 ° C.
How to make a dryer with infrared lamps?
There is a separate method for drying pollen, which involves irradiating it with infrared rays. They not only warm the surface of the product, but also penetrate into the interior, which ensures quick drying.
To make a device with a similar principle of operation, you need to prepare the following materials:
- small wooden box;
- infrared lamps with a power of 250 W;
- thermostat;
- fine mesh lattice.
The dryer is assembled according to the following instructions:
- Drill several ventilation holes on the sides of the drawer and the lid.
- In the upper part of the chamber, place radiation lamps at a distance of 200 mm from each other, as well as from the pollen layer.
- Place a fine mesh grill on the bottom of the drawer.
- Install a thermostat in the chamber to prevent pollen overheating. For this, the temperature inside the box should not rise above 40 ° C.
The pollen is poured onto the grid in a layer 15-20 mm thick. It is believed that one 250 W infrared source in 8 hours of operation can dry 200 g of pollen.
An alternative to homemade construction
If it is not possible to make a dryer yourself, you can purchase its factory version. Among beekeepers, Sadochok electrical appliances are popular. They are lightweight so you can easily carry them with you. Their selection is carried out depending on the size of the infield.
Here are the popular models:
- Sadochok 0.5... A 450 W device that can be loaded with pollen up to 9 kg. For a month, it can be used to process 50 kg of product. Pallets 5 pieces.
- Sadochok-1m... Its power is slightly higher - 650 watts, so it can dry 15 kg of pollen in one cycle of operation. In a month this indicator can reach 100 kg. The appliance consists of 5 pallets.
- Sadochok-2m... The most productive device with a power of about 950 watts. It can be loaded with pollen up to 30 kg. Productivity –160 kg per month. Has 9 pallets.
Regardless of the power, the device will allow for high-quality pollen processing, which will retain all its useful qualities and will meet standard standards. At the same time, the operation of the dryer itself is very simple:
- Warm up the chamber before loading raw materials.
- Load trays of pollen.
- After drying, wait up to 20 minutes for the product to cool and prepare for storage.
The advantage of this device also lies in the fact that it allows you to control the temperature, since the beekeeper can set it from 20 to 60 ° C at his discretion. In addition, it is completely safe and reliable, since it involves double protection.
Difficulty storing pollen
Once the pollen is removed from the bee hive, it cannot be stored immediately, as it contains about 30% moisture, which will quickly become moldy, become a breeding ground for bacteria and rot. A damp product becomes toxic and hazardous to health.
So that the pollen does not deteriorate, it must be dried before storing it so that the moisture level is less than 10%. Such a product retains its useful qualities and is subject to storage for 2 years.
To ensure that the cuticle is sufficiently dry, it should be lightly squeezed with your fingers. If it does not crumble and remains solid, then it can be stored. If the pollen can be crushed between your fingers, it means that it is still damp, so you need to continue drying.
There is another indicator of the readiness of raw materials. The removal of excess moisture will be indicated by hard lumps that form after the drying cycle. To finally make sure that the pollen is properly moist, these lumps need to be thrown onto a wooden surface. If at the same time there is a thud, then the drying was successful.
The processed pollen should be sieved or treated with an air stream before laying out on banks to remove excess impurities.
Pollen is a useful beekeeping product with medicinal properties, so it is useful to harvest it for storage. To do this, the product must be dried so that there is no moisture and mold in it. For this purpose, even professional beekeepers use homemade dryers that can be made in a couple of hours using only available tools.