Creampal Pinnacle

01 · THE METHOD

Two passes with seed honey; three to prepare it

Creamed honey is honey crystallised fine and on purpose: it is seeded with honey that has already been creamed, and those micro-crystals act as a template for the whole batch.

With prepared seed honey: add 250 g of seed honey and 2.25 kg of liquid honey. Mix for 1–1.5 minutes per pass. On the first batch, draw off about 500 ml through the valve and return it to the hopper. After the first pass, refrigerate for at least 24 hours at 4 °C; after the second, fill the jars and refrigerate for another 24 hours. Some honeys need longer: check the consistency.

To prepare the first seed batch: start with 2.5 kg of liquid honey and complete three passes, resting at 4 °C for at least 24 hours after the first, 24 after the second and 48 after the third, following the written procedure in the manual. If it still flows easily, consult the instructions for repeating the final stage before using it as seed honey.

FROM THE APIARY

Check that the fridge is at 3–4 °C and do not overfill it. Before the next pass, press a clean spoon into the centre: the dent should take more than 20 seconds to fill back in. If it closes sooner, allow more chilling time. A large container can be cold around the outside while its centre is still too warm.

02 · THE STARTING HONEY

The honey that goes in decides the texture that comes out

The base honey must have less than 17% moisture, contain no crystals and have no excess feeding syrup. For the first pass, the manual specifies 15.5 °C (±2 °C); subsequent rests are at 4 °C. “Crystal-free” refers to the base honey, not the seed honey. If it needs liquefying, let it cool and wait at least 72 hours before processing.

03 · FLAVOURS

Cocoa, cinnamon or freeze-dried fruit, blended in the same pass

The flavouring goes in with the honey, on the first or second pass. Start below 5% of the weight and taste after 24 hours of chilling: the flavour gets stronger. As a starting point, the manufacturer suggests 3 g of cinnamon or 18 g of cocoa per 450 g of honey. Cocoa gives a milk-chocolate colour on the first pass and a darker one on the second. Use freeze-dried, powdered fruit, as fresh fruit contains too much water. The manual allows honey at 17–18% moisture for recipes with powders; check the texture and storage stability of each formulation before selling it. Honey with cocoa is no longer simply “honey” on the label: check the product name and allergens before sale.

04 · MAINTENANCE

Lubricated by the honey itself, cleaned with hot water

Lubricate the rear bushing from inside: pour 250 g of honey towards the back of the hopper at the start of production, after each clean and every 3 hours of production. To clean, unplug before removing the hopper and safety guard and washing them by hand. Refit both and secure the guard before reconnecting for the internal hot-water rinse, following the manual. Afterwards, switch off, unplug and leave to dry with the valve open.

⚠ PRECAUTIONS

Never run it without the safety guard secured with its pin. Use spatulas only above the guard: they must be larger than its 3.8 cm openings and have a handle no longer than 10 cm, so that a dropped spatula cannot reach the auger, about 18 cm below. Keep scarves and necklaces away from the hopper. Unplug before dismantling, cleaning the outside or carrying out maintenance. Use an earthed socket.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

Designed for small batches and flavour trials. Allow enough fridge space for every resting stage, including seed preparation. If you work with very slow-crystallising honeys, ask for advice first and test a small batch. For hundreds of kilos per batch, consider a tank creamer.

Assembled, it measures 69 × 54 × 46 cm and weighs 36 kg: it needs a sturdy table and sits at the edge, as the valve sticks out about 7.5 cm so you can fill underneath. It runs on 230 V single-phase at 3.5 A. Spare parts, warranty and support are handled by La Tienda del Apicultor, official CreamPAL distributor in Spain.

▶ SEE IT IN ACTION

The manufacturer’s process videos.