# Separating honey from wax, best method?



## MattDavey

When trying to separate honey from cappings or crush and strain, I've found that at least a 1/3 or more of the honey remains in the wax after straining has stopped dripping.

I then put the remaining wax and honey in a pot in the oven set on its lowest setting and stir regularly until it has just melted. Then let it cool until the wax has fully set.

The result is a wax "froth" on top which is also fairly grainy. What is the best way to get this off? I think a butter knife works alright, but lot of work for big batches.

I then soak the wax 'froth' in a good amount of water overnight. Rinse and then melt the wax in a pot with a couple of inches of hot water.

Is there another or easier way?

Thanks,


----------



## My-smokepole

First I don't do crush. But I would add a press into the mix to work more honey out. It sounds like you are leaving a lot of honey behind.


----------



## Cabin

Or give it back to the bees.


----------



## Tenbears

I do not crush and strain, it just seems counter productive to me. However, It depends on your motivation, if it is a matter of not wasting it then a good way to make good use of it is to spread it out on a inverted hive cover and let the bees clean it up, trust me they will do so quite effectively. 
I give some back to the bees in this manner, and I also take enough to fill a 6 gallon bucket 1/2 way then fill with cold water. let sit for several hours stirring occasionally. Then I strain through a fine screen. I then check the specific gravity, adjust to my needs and make mead from it. no waste, and I have a nice brew to drink on cold winter nights.


----------



## FlowerPlanter

I too use a clean water rince to make mead. Extractor, buckets, knife, cappings...

>have a nice brew to drink on cold winter nights.
or warm sping nights or hot summer nights or cool fall nights.

Or any nights.:banana:


----------



## flhultra

when I done my first cutout we had a small amount that looked like the freshest comb---- my wifes salad spinner the press was a old sausage stuffer.


----------



## max2

FlowerPlanter said:


> I too use a clean water rince to make mead. Extractor, buckets, knife, cappings...
> 
> >have a nice brew to drink on cold winter nights.
> or warm sping nights or hot summer nights or cool fall nights.
> 
> Or any nights.:banana:


Could we have your method - it sounds terrific 
m


----------



## Acebird

MattDavey said:


> When trying to separate honey from cappings or crush and strain,


I don't know what volume you are speaking off but I would try to increase the efficiency of the crush and strain process. If you could use something like a wax mill with flat rollers to squeeze out the honey you would have less to deal with. Maybe you would do your normal process and do this roller process next. The trick would be what to make the rollers out of so the wax doesn't stick so well to them.


----------



## TSWisla

Tenbears said:


> I do not crush and strain, it just seems counter productive to me. However, It depends on your motivation, if it is a matter of not wasting it then a good way to make good use of it is to spread it out on a inverted hive cover and let the bees clean it up, trust me they will do so quite effectively.
> I give some back to the bees in this manner, and I also take enough to fill a 6 gallon bucket 1/2 way then fill with cold water. let sit for several hours stirring occasionally. Then I strain through a fine screen. I then check the specific gravity, adjust to my needs and make mead from it. no waste, and I have a nice brew to drink on cold winter nights.


Can you elaborate on this method? I am just setting up my first hives this year and I am clueless. The water removes the residual honey, but then is it not too dilute to make anything with? I plan on not using foundation, so I will be using a process like this as well. Please enlighten me!


----------



## Acebird

If you wash the honey out you have two choices, make mead or feed it back to the bees.


----------



## Tenbears

TSWisla said:


> Can you elaborate on this method? I am just setting up my first hives this year and I am clueless. The water removes the residual honey, but then is it not too dilute to make anything with? I plan on not using foundation, so I will be using a process like this as well. Please enlighten me!


 So as not to hijack the OP's post or clutter it up I have posted the requested information in home brewing forum under my favorite mead recipe.....


----------



## Michael Bush

Assuming you don't want to make mead, put the wax in a turkey roaster in the oven at about 180 to 200 F. When the wax has all melted, let it cool and harden. The honey underneath will be dark and not as good for table honey but works fine for cooking or candy. The wax, of course, will be on top.


----------



## Acebird

Hard to know what volume he is talking about. A crock pot is another vessel he could use.


----------



## Rader Sidetrack

Well, I believe the volume is suitable for a "pot in the oven" ... :lpf:

From post #1 ...


MattDavey said:


> I then put the remaining wax and honey[HIGHLIGHT] in a pot in the oven [/HIGHLIGHT] set on its lowest setting and stir regularly until it has just melted.


.




... reading is _FUNdamental _...


----------



## MattDavey

Thanks everyone. Have been mainly feeding back to the bees on the past, but with fighting and many casualties decided to heat it. Was surprised how much honey was in the pot after heating it.


----------



## Acebird

I put my cappings in a big plastic jug. If they sit a long while much more of the honey will drain to the bottom. Then I can scoop out the wax on top, give it a quick rinse and melt it down. As you can see this years honey crystallized. Other years it stayed as liquid honey. Usually I feed this honey to the bees on top of the inner cover.

http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv333/acebird1/DSCF7263_zps73a4d52f.jpg
http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv333/acebird1/DSCF7264_zps439892da.jpg


----------



## BeeCurious

Acebird said:


> I put my cappings in a big plastic jug. If they sit a long while much more of the honey will drain to the bottom. Then I can scoop out the wax on top, give it a quick rinse and melt



The bottom of the jar seems to be the least convenient place to have the honey...


----------



## Acebird

If the honey was in the top part of the jar it would be very difficult to get the wax out unless you stored the jars upside down and then it would be a mess when you opened it. As it is you take out the wax and then you can add water or just spoon the honey out.


----------



## BeeCurious

Acebird said:


> If the honey was in the top part of the jar it would be very difficult to get the wax out unless you stored the jars upside down and then it would be a mess when you opened it. As it is you take out the wax and then you can add water or just spoon the honey out.





> unless you stored the jars upside down


Yippee! You have stumbled upon half of the answer. 

How about never using a jar at all, just use a strainer like most people who are interested in separating honey from wax.

Or if you absolutely must use your "big jar", rubber band some cheesecloth over the opening and allow the jar to drain over another container. 


Good grief...


----------



## Acebird

BeeCurious said:


> Or if you absolutely must use your "big jar", rubber band some cheesecloth over the opening and allow the jar to drain over another container.
> 
> 
> Good grief...


For three or four months?:scratch:

My cappings have already gone through the straining process as I suspect Matt's did. This is three or four months of continual separation in a closed container so it doesn't get contaminated and it doesn't get thick from drying out and I don't have to baby sit it making sure none of the animals knock it over.


----------



## Michael Bush

I think you'll have better luck if you DON'T stir it. Stirring it sometimes gets the honey too mixed up with the wax and they don't separate sufficiently.


----------



## BeeCurious

Acebird said:


> For three or four months?:scratch:


:scratch:


:update:
The original poster doesn't seem to be interested in a four month plan.


----------



## Acebird

BeeCurious said:


> The original poster doesn't seem to be interested in a four month plan.


Did you PM him? NO indication from his posts.


----------



## BeeCurious

MattDavey said:


> I then put the remaining wax and honey in a pot in the oven





MattDavey said:


> I then soak the wax 'froth' in a good amount of water overnight.





BeeCurious said:


> :update:
> The original poster doesn't seem to be interested in a four month plan.






Acebird said:


> Did you PM him? NO indication from his posts.


No, I understood from his first post that he was interested in a more timely solution. 

The obvious indications are quoted above... 

"Oven" and "overnight" are the clues.


----------



## Acebird

MattDavey said:


> Is there another or easier way?


This led me to believe he wanted an easier way. Maybe he was just fooling.


----------



## BeeCurious

Acebird said:


> This led me to believe he wanted an easier way. Maybe he was just fooling.


You should send a private message to eliminate any confusion...


----------



## Acebird

Why does it need to be private?


----------



## Rader Sidetrack

Acebird said:


> This led me to believe he wanted an easier way. Maybe he was just fooling.


So Ace, in your opinion, "an easier way" is to use a roller style "wax mill"? :scratch:



Acebird said:


> I don't know what volume you are speaking off but I would try to increase the efficiency of the crush and strain process. If you could use something like [HIGHLIGHT]a wax mill with flat rollers[/HIGHLIGHT] to squeeze out the honey you would have less to deal with. Maybe you would do your normal process and do this roller process next. The trick would be what to make the rollers out of so the wax doesn't stick so well to them.


Do you have any idea what such a device costs? Kelley sells a smooth roller wax machine at around the neighborhood of $1500!




... much easier ... :lpf: 

... and remember _your _earlier thread - _beekeeping is such a cheap hobby_ ...


----------



## Acebird

> So Ace, in your opinion, "an easier way" is to use a roller style "wax mill"?


Might be.
Here again no volume was ever disclosed on how much he wanted to process.
If he was resourceful he might be able to find a scrap paper shredder, ringer washer, pasta roller or something of the sort. Just brain storming...


----------



## Rader Sidetrack

Acebird said:


> Here again no volume was ever disclosed on how much he wanted to process.


Really? :s :scratch: 

I'm surprised that you don't remember we covered this ground around post #14 *AND *post #1 ... :lpf:



MattDavey said:


> I then put the remaining wax and honey[HIGHLIGHT] in a pot in the oven [/HIGHLIGHT]set on its lowest setting and stir regularly until it has just melted. Then let it cool until the wax has fully set.


"a pot in the oven" - surely even you can understand that kind of 'volume'? :kn:


:gh:

... reading is FUNdamental ...


----------



## MattDavey

To make sure there is no doubt. I'm taking about enough wax/honey to fit into a pot that can fit into a standard oven.

I usually only harvest from 1 hive at a time, as I have (single) hives at several different locations.

So want to strain the honey off within a few days so I can use my strainer again for the next batch.


----------



## Tenbears

Matt, You kinda had to be there....:lpf:


----------



## Acebird

MattDavey said:


> So want to strain the honey off within a few days so I can use my strainer again for the next batch.


What I described in post #16 is strained for about 6 hours first. Then put the strained cappings in a clear container until the next season and do nothing. When you first see pollen coming in spread these cappings on the inner cover or open feed your apiary. If this is done before nectar starts they will clean the cappings in a flash and you will have nice dry wax to melt down. If you wait until there is a flow they won't touch it.

If you don't need to feed, or you don't want to feed in the early season the cappings are safe for years in the containers you put them in. There is no hurry or bother to do this. It is at your discretion.:thumbsup:


----------



## DCORK

Acebird said:


> What I described in post #16 is strained for about 6 hours first. Then put the strained cappings in a clear container until the next season and do nothing. When you first see pollen coming in spread these cappings on the inner cover or open feed your apiary. If this is done before nectar starts they will clean the cappings in a flash and you will have nice dry wax to melt down. If you wait until there is a flow they won't touch it.
> 
> If you don't need to feed, or you don't want to feed in the early season the cappings are safe for years in the containers you put them in. There is no hurry or bother to do this. It is at your discretion.👍


Nice solution to a perennial problem.


----------

