Step One: Remove the frames from the hives

Step Two: Uncap the honey

Caps are the white coverings that seal the honey into the combs. In order to harvest the honey, they must be carefully removed from both sides of each frame. A tool resembling a comb is used to slide under the caps and gently pry them off.

After a few passes with the tool, the caps are scraped off the tool and placed into a container. These caps contain some of the purest wax and are used to create lip balms and more.

Step Three: Extract the honey

We place two uncapped frames into a centrifuge for honey extraction. While one person holds the centrifuge steady, the other cranks the handle to spin the frames for a few minutes. 

The honey flies out of the comb and onto the sides of the extractor, where it drips down the sides and pools at the bottom. The frames are then flipped and placed back into the extractor facing the opposite way to ensure that the honey from both sides of the frame is released. After another good spinning, the frames are flipped and spun one last time to ensure that all of the honey has been removed.

The honey is released through a valve at the bottom of the extractor into a food-grade container that is lined with a series of mesh strainers. This will filter out not only the wax that may have fallen from the comb, but also any bug parts that may have naturally ended up in the honey.

Step Four: Bottle the Honey

Once the honey settles in the jars, we add AGCS Honey labels to each bottle. All that's left is to enjoy this amazing, sweet treat that was created by our very own AGCS honeybees!