Transcript Honey Straw Filling System Owner’s Manual

Figure 1
To Order, call 913-206-2188, or by mail:
Anthony’s Beehive
1804 N1100 Road
Lawrence, KS 66046
$600 Total, includes shipping
($300 deposit &
$300 due before shipment)
Honey Straw Filling System
Owner’s Manual w/Video
(rev. 12/07)
Welcome……..
Congratulations on your purchase of our unique
“Goldrush” Honey Straw Filling System. Filling
straws at home should prove to be a simple and
rewarding ($) process. If you have any questions or
problems, please call Tony @ 913-206-2188 or 785842-9268. Evenings and weekends work best. You
can also visit us @ AnthonysKansasHoney.com.
As with any new skill, your success will improve rapidly
over time. Most people start out making about
200 straws per hour and improve to around 500
straws per hour. With the NEW “Goldrush 1000”,
you should be able to work your way up to 1,000
Honey Straws per hour!
Don’t Forget the Video!

There is a short video
clip included on your
CD-ROM. It will
greatly help you
understand the strawmaking process. We
suggest that you
watch the video and
read the entire
manual before
starting to make
straws.
Click HERE to
View the Video
What You Should Have……

When you unpack your system, you should have:
– System Shelf, Electric Sealer, Electric Hot Plate,
Circuit Protected Power Strip, 2-Part Stainless Steel
Honey Reservoir, 3 Hooks, Drill for Pilot Holes for
the Hooks, CD-ROM with Instruction Manual,
Recipes, and Short Video of the Straw Filling
Process, Spare Parts (3 each of Heating Element
and Teflon Strips and one extra Silicone Bar),
Thermometer, 1,000 Empty Straws, Magnetic
Phillips Screwdriver, Magnetic Standard Screwdriver,
Circuit Protected Power Strip, and a Thermometer.
Setting Up Your System
Your Honey Straw Filling System requires very
little assembly. Refer to Figure 1 on page one
as a guide. Some important things to make
sure you do NOT OVERLOOK are:
 Install the 3 hooks (provided) as follows:
– Use the included drill bit for pilot holes as
needed
– One hook goes in the ceiling above your
work area. This is for draining your
manifold and tubing after each use. See
Figure 2.
– The other two hooks screw into the front
of your work table directly under your
sealing mechanism. These hooks provide a
place for the manifold to rest when not in
use or when loading straws. See Figure 3.
 Set the dial on the electric straw sealer to “6”.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Preparing to Make Straws
Your system will ONLY work is the HONEY is HEATED. It works very well
at 130 degrees Fahrenheit, but we recommend that you start out 20 to 30
degrees warmer until you develop more skill. That way, the honey in the
manifold and tubing does not get too cold. Cool honey doesn’t flow well!
 The system uses a double boiler type set-up to heat honey without
scorching it.
– Start by filling the larger, bottom container just past the first line with
water.
– Set the hot plate setting to “LOW”.
– Make Certain that the Valve from the Honey Pail is TURNED OFF,
then add Honey to the large bowl. It takes about 1 ½ hours for the
honey to reach the desired temperature.
– Use the thermometer to make certain that the honey is at least 130
degrees. Remember that it is best for beginners to work 20 to 30
degrees warmer.
– Add desired flavoring and coloring at this time. Some recipes are
included. You can call for others or just experiment.
– Make certain that the dial on the straw sealer is set to “6”
– Prepare a bowl with about ¼ cup of warm water and a couple of paper
towels. Spilled honey should be wiped up frequently in order to keep
everything working well.

Prime the System
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OK, the honey is now Warm!
Attach the tubing from the manifold to
the barbed fitting on the honey valve as
shown in Figure 4.
Once the tubing is attached, slide a straw
past the first ridge and stop when it
reaches the second ridge of each barbed
fitting on the manifold as shown in
Figure 5. Repeat for ALL EIGHT
FITTINGS
Open all eight valves on the manifold
Next, open the valve on the Honey
bucket and begin to squeeze the hand
pump. Honey should start to flow
through the clear tubing. Continue
pumping until the manifold is full and
honey begins to show up in the straws.
This might take a couple of minutes the
first time.
Figure 4
Figure 5
Filling Straws
Figure 6
 This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Honey has
begun to appear in the straws. Slowly apply pressure to the
pump and watch as the honey moves up the straws as in
Figure 6. They will fill at slightly different rates.
 As the honey in each straw reaches a point 3/4” below the
top of the straw, quickly shut off the valve for that straw.
Repeat until all eight valves are shut off. Work the hand
pump as needed during this process. You will become very
fast at this with a little practice.
 You should now have 8 straws, filled with honey to 3/4”
from the top, still attached to the manifold, and all eight
valves should be SHUT OFF. Overfilled straws will still seal,
but they tend to get a little messy.
Sealing the Tops of the Straws
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Now that the eight straws are full, the
tops must be sealed. Move the
manifold with the straws into a
horizontal position where the tops of
the straws are positioned approximately
½” past the sealer element as shown in
Figure 7.
Figure 7
Next, make certain that the dial on the sealer is set to 6. You might
need to adjust this from time to time depending on how well the
straws are sealing.
Press down firmly on the sealer handle. Maintain a constant
pressure. Releasing too soon will cause the straws to seal incorrectly.
You should hear a slight “sizzling” noise followed by a faint “click”.
Hold the handle down firmly for at least 4 seconds after you hear
the “sizzle and click”. ====== THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE
CAUSE OF STRAWS NOT SEALING PROPERLY. Without this 4
second cooling period, the seals will often re-open when you lift the
handle.
Sealing the Bottoms
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OK – this is the trickiest part of the
process. Position the Bottoms of the
straws in the sealer just past the end of
the barbed fittings as shown in Figure
8. Again, lower the sealer handle and
hold it firmly in place.
IMMEDIATELY pull the manifold
STRAIGHT backwards, removing it
from the straws in one quick, smooth
motion as shown in Figure 9
(remember: this IS the trickiest part
of the process, you might want to
review the video again before
attempting this step.
Just like you did with the tops,
hold the handle down for at
least FOUR SECONDS AFTER
the “sizzle and click” sound.
Figure 8
Figure 9
Congratulations!!!
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You have just completed your first eight straws!
DON’T STOP NOW!
– REPEAT THE PROCESS FOR THE NEXT EIGHT.
– THE FASTER YOU WORK, THE WARMER THE HONEY WILL
REMAIN AND THE BETTER RESULTS YOU WILL HAVE.
The key is to find a consistent pace and the right
temperature for your skill level.
 Don’t forget to hold the sealer handle down FIRMLY for
FOUR seconds after the seal is made!
 Keep a bowl of clean warm water and a few paper towels
nearby.

– Keep the machine clean – especially the Teflon Strip!

You will probably want to have a large container nearby
to place the completed straws in. They’ll often be a little
sticky, but we’ll fix that later.
Preparing System for Next Use

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Cold honey is the enemy of this entire process.
As soon as you are done making straws, hang the
manifold as shown in Figure 2
– Use the plastic elbow in the middle of the supply tube to hang
the manifold unit from a hook in the ceiling.
– This allows all of the honey to drain back into the reservoir
– Make certain that all the valves are open and that neither end is
submerged – otherwise, the honey will not drain

Before using the system again, clean the manifold by
pumping hot water through it – especially if you are
changing flavors (you could do this by submerging it in
your kitchen sink).
Trim and Wash Straws
You will want to wash your
straws before selling them, and
you will probably want to snip at
least one end (the bottom) with
a scissors.
 The cut ends are GREAT to put
outside and feed back to your
bees (if you are a beekeeper)!
 The dishwasher works OK to
clean straws, but drying takes a
long time. See Figure 10.
 Warm plain water always does a
good job on honey clean-up.
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Figure 10
Package as Desired
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You can use your straw sealer to package straws however
you would like. It increases sales to offer things like 10
packs and 50 packs. We often make 6-packs with a
printed cardstock insert. These look great and sell even
better. Also, some markets do not allow “open air”
straws. For these situations, just seal 5 straws in a pack
and sell it for $1. Make certain that when you are sealing
bags, the sealer is set on 2 or 3. Then turn it back to 6
for straws. A second sealer helps with this process. You
will need to purchase a roll of poly bag tubing.
www.Uline.com has good pricing and selection of these.
One of the best ways to sell straws in a larger store is to
make a “bundle”. This involves 5 straws wrapped
together with a 2” x 3” label. Only the top 2” x 2” of the
label needs to be printed. A UPC bar code can be
included.
Troubleshooting
Due to the volume of straws being made, your system will require some
troubleshooting and maintenance
 The most important thing is to keep the sealing area clean.

– Use a paper towel with warm water to wipe up spilled honey as it occurs.
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Here are the most common problems and how to correct them
– Straws Not sealing
• Make certain that you hold the handle down FIRMLY for 4+ seconds after the
“sizzle and click”
• Make certain that the dial is set on 6. Sometimes you have to increase this towards the end
of the element’s life.
• The elements seems to be good for 1,000 to 4,000 straws and then they have to be
replaced.
– Your system shipped with 3 extra elements
– Use a Magnetic Phillips screwdriver (included) to change out the element
» Be careful not to drop the screws inside of the sealer!
– Cut a new piece of Teflon tape and replace it at the same time!
– Replace the silicon bar about every fourth time that you change elements
» It CAN be turned over after a couple of elements to present a clean side
• While your sealer is apart, thoroughly clean as many surfaces as possible
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Leakers
– You will have some leaky straws. Either reseal these, cut these in thirds and feed
them to your bees or…..JUST EAT THEM!
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PLEASE feel free to call with questions or problems. Any trouble that you are
having, we have probably dealt with in the past and should have a suggested
solution at hand.
Ordering Spare Parts and Supplies –
www.AnthonysBeehive.com
Free Shipping via USPS Priority Mail

Heating Elements, Teflon Strips, and Silicon
Bars - $2.00 each
 Straws – one cent each in quantities of 250
– Should be available LOCALLY for much less
• Restaurant suppliers sell cases of 12,000 “Jumbo Clear
Translucent”. We have used Dixie and Solo.
– Take a sample the first time you go in

Food-Grade Nylon Valves - $10.00 each
 Handheld Honey Pump - $15.00
 New Sealer - $60 (includes shipping)
 Extra Manifold/Tubing Set-up - $150.00
Other Straw Options and Ideas

You can purchase long (10”) straws and do some creative things
with them.
– Make long straws that no one else has!
– Seal three times to make a standard straw and a “snippette”.
•
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•
•
•
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fill the straw to within ¾” of the end
Make your FIRST SEAL 3” from the end
Make your SECOND SEAL at the end like always
Make your THIRD and final seal at the bottom just like always
Cut the straw between the FIRST and SECOND seal
Also, you can seal things in straws like Maple Syrup, Chocolate
Syrup, Agave, or even Mouthwash (don’t heat these).
Offer to fill straws with local honey for other beekeepers. We
charge $60 gallon for this process. It should about two hours total
time.
This is a labor intensive process“Bribe” kids to make and snip straws
for you. We usually pay one cent to cut and 3 to 4 cents to fill and
seal. It’s a good wage for the kids and you’ll get lots of straws at a
very good price!
Recipes
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Nothing beats a honey straw filled with pure, local honey – but it’s still great fun to experiment
with different flavors (and increase sales). Here are some guideines. It’s a lot of fun to
experiment and create your own flavors, colors, and names.
EXPERIMENT to get the flavors and colors you like best!
–
Strawberry, Blue Coconut, Mango, Almond, Vanilla, Cherry, etc….
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Citrus Flavors – use OIL (it’s all natural). About 5 ml per quart.
Cinnamon
–
Mint
•
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Add one ounce pure extract and 20 drops of food coloring per QUART of honey
A QUART makes about 200 straws
•
Add 3 ml cinnamon oil per quart of honey
•
Add 8 ml of mint extract per quart of honey
CITRIC ACID can be added in small amounts to create a sour flavor and also to lengthen the shelf
life of your product. Experiment starting at about ½ teaspoon per quart.
Extracts and oils can usually be purchased at your local grocery store
Coloring
–
–
FDA food colorings work well and last great. Experiment to get the shades you like best
NATURAL COLORINGS – these are a great selling point, but are a little trickier, especially as far as shelf life
and heating are concerned.
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When making flavored and colored sticks, follow these steps
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Heat the Honey FIRST
Add ½ of your ingredients, then stir with an empty straw
Dip the straw in the honey, place your thumb over the open end, and remove to sample. This will show
you the resulting color IN the straw.
•
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RED – use BEET JUICE. Does a nice job, but tends to dissipate with heat. Start at about 1 tablespoon per quart. Work at
as low of a temperature as possible and don’t add until the last possible moment. Never reheat.
YELLOW - use TURMERIC. Boil in water first and then strain out the extra powder. Try ¼ cup ground turmeric and ¼
cup water. Add about ½ of the strained liquid and experiment from there.
Add more flavoring from this point as needed
Store the flavored honey left in the system for your next batch
Feel free to call or e-mail with other questions or to discuss your ideas.
HAVE FUN!
The New “GOLDRUSH 1000”
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For more advanced users
Can be purchased as an upgrade to the original
“Goldrush 500”.
We recommend purchase of the “500” first, then
upgrading if appropriate. The cost of the “1000” is
the SAME as the cost of the “500” plus and upgrade
kit, so there is no financial incentive to jump right into
the “1000”.

FEATURES:

– Makes 1,000 straws per hour instead of 500
– The manifold has ten valves instead of eight
– Seals the tops and bottoms at the same time using two
15” sealers
– Uses a foot pump instead of a handheld so that your
hands are free to quickly operate the ten valves
GOLDRUSH 1000
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What you will receive:
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Two 15 ½” electric impulse sealers
Base and sealer connection hardware
Hot Plate
Foot Operated Pump
10-valve manifold and tubing
1,000 empty straws
Tools and accessories
Power strip
GOLDRUSH 1000
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OPERATNG INSTRUCTIONS:
– First, review the instructions and video for the “Goldrush
500”. The “Goldrush 1000” is more complicated and
requires more skill to operate. However, once the “learning
curve” is complete, you will find it to be reliable and easy to
operate.
– It is recommended that the operator of the “Goldrush 1000”
STAND UP – ESPECIALLY WHEN SEALING THE
STRAWS! This allows adequate consistent pressure to
consistently seal all ten straws.
– Another tip for learning to use the Goldrush 1000 for the first
time: Close off the two outermost valves (so you are only
making 8 straws) and use the pump in your hand instead of
with the foot pedal. This will allow you to begin learning the
process without the honey cooling off.
– Start learning with honey heated to 160 or 170 degrees.
Later, you will be able to work with honey heated only to
130 degrees.
GOLDRUSH 1000
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OPERATNG INSTRUCTIONS, cont.
– 1. Heat the honey as mentioned on the
prior slide
– 2. Operate the pump by hand in order to
prime it. Once honey is flowing to the
manifold, then place the pump in the foot
bracket as shown below:
GOLDRUSH 1000
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OPERATNG INSTRUCTIONS, cont.
– 3. Use the foot pump to keep the honey flowing
into the manifold.
– 4. Turn off the individual valves as the honey
reaches a point about ¾ of an inch below the top
of the straw.
– 5. Position the manifold and the straws in the
sealers as shown below:
GOLDRUSH 1000

OPERATNG
INSTRUCTIONS,
cont.
– 6. While STANDING
UP, press down on
the sealer handle as
shown below. As
soon as the straws
are secure, pull
STRAIGHT back on
the manifold to
remove it from the
straws in one
smooth, swift motion.