Sugar Brick Production:

Recipe: Please read entirely before starting.

Items Needed:

5-gallon bucket

Measuring cup

Tablespoon for mixing vitamins, etc. if used 

Heavy duty large spoon for mixing sugar

13 X 9 cake pan(s)

Something to pre-cut the sugar block before drying

Small rolling pin or another device to flatten & compress sugar

Ingredients:

24 lbs granulated sugar

24-30 oz total of liquid (*1/2 apple cider vinegar & 1/2 water mix) (1 to 1.25oz per lb of sugar)——no more than this. Start with 1 oz & add a tiny bit more only if necessary.

 1 pinch (maximum) poultry vitamin/electrolyte if you have it. You can also add a small amount of pollen substitute if you wish. I don’t usually add any pollen substitute until I make more sugar bricks in January or February as the queen is usually beginning to lay again by then and could use the extra protein. 

Procedure:

1. Put 8 lbs of sugar into a clean 5-gallon bucket. It won’t be possible to mix uniformly if you try to mix the whole batch at once.

2. Mix the water and vinegar.

3. Add the pinch of vitamins to the water/vinegar mix & stir until dissolved.

4. Add 1/3+ of the liquid mixture to the sugar & mix thoroughly.

5. Add another 8 lbs of sugar, 1/3+ of the liquid, & mix. Be sure to combine the bottom mix with the second AFTER mixing the liquid & sugar on top first.

6. Repeat with the last 4 lbs of sugar & the last of the liquid.

7. After everything is mixed well, add to the cake pans, level & compress hard to flatten. I use a small rolling pin, flat metal spatula, or block of wood.

8. Cut the sugar brick into sections with a knife or thin stainless scraper. It will very difficult to cut the bricks after they have been hardened, so do be sure to it now. Make sure to cut along the sloped sides of the cake pan.

9. Pre-heat your oven to the lowest temperature. My oven minimum was 170º. 140º is fine if your’s can go that low.

10. I had mine in the oven for 4-6 hours, turned it off & let them sit in the oven overnight to cool & harden. They will be soft while warm & can crack if you move them too early. Remember your oven will not be on and heating most of the time but only enough to maintain the low temperature.

*You can also use all water or all apple cider vinegar as the liquid. I used half & half as shown. The vinegar will smell up the house for a while. Important---Do not allow the sugar to sit either in the bucket or in the pans for long after mixing. Get the cake pans into the preheated oven ASAP or the moisture will migrate down & not solidify properly. The bottom will get too soggy as the moisture slowly flows down. This is also why you must be careful not to over moisten the sugar and mix it well.

  After the Bricks are cool, place a cookie sheet or some other suitable surface on top of the cake pan & invert. Set it down on a table or other solid surface & lift off the cake pan. The pre-cut sections should be hard & separate easily if you cut to the bottom of the sugar brick before heating.

I store mine in s1-gallon zip-lock bags until needed. Each of my sections weighs around 3-4 lbs.

  The sugar bricks (1 per hive) are placed directly on top of the frames within the 1-1/2 inch spacer. The inner cover, insulation, and telescoping cover are placed above the spacer.

  I check to see if the bricks need to be replaced as weather permits in January, February, and March. I’ll also make sure the bees have enough to get through to the April Dandelion bloom & add as necessary.