# Need Better Idea for Filtering Honey



## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

This year in a drought in Kentucky, I harvested 9.5 gallons of honey from 5 hives. My other hives, I split as I seen the drought coming and they were not making honey (just some comb in the supers - I am feeding them right now). 

I always look for the things that didn't go well during my harvest. One problem I am having is straining / filtering honey. I presently use a stainless steel double strainer. However, I have to strain all my honey twice and I have to clean the strainer too many times from wax capping, etc. I am looking for suggestions of how other successful bee keepers strain / filter their honey. 

My thought (and I am new - 4th year) is I would like to find a strainer that had a disposable filter like my coffee maker. Then when it got too full, I would just remove on and place another filter in a go. However, I need to understand what more people are doing. 

Thank you for your insight, 
Phil


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Phil, tell us a little more on what you are doing. How do you uncap? What size screens are you using? How are you cleaning them? Are you trying to do successive screening in one pass? Do you use a settling tank? What type of extractor are you using?


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

We have been using a nylon mesh bag for "filtering" honey -- I don't care if it's a bit hazy. A paint filter works well, or a "hop bag" from the home-brew supply store.

If you use one of these on top of the stainless steel screens, likely you will trap much of the wax and bee parts in the nylon, so the screens will not plug so much.

If you are heating your honey (we don't, we filter it cold directly into the jars from the extractor, at least so far), you will have to heat your screens while rinsing them to well above wax melting point since the wax will stick to them as the honey goes through. If they cool off a bit, the wax can plug them, and it won't come off easily once stuck unless you use near boiling water.

Peter


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

I have explained this in an earlier thread, but here is the short version. I let the large stuff float to the top in the bucket before filtering. It doesn't take long, but depends on temperature. Usually in an hour I have a good layer of large wax on the surface. So I have one bucket on a sturdy table that has a gate. Below that gate I have a bucket with the stainless filter on it. When the bucket with the gate has set for 30 minutes to an hour I start running the honey out of the gate and through the strainer.

You will be surprised how fast it goes through and how much honey you can filter without cleaning the filter. When the layer of wax/foam gets to the gate I stop the filtering and pour in another bucket of honey from the extractor. Again I wait for a few minutes for the wax/foam to float and start the process again.


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## Rick55 (Aug 1, 2010)

I uncap into a basket and put frames right into extractor. Strain with double stainless steel screen right out of extractor. Honey was nice and warm between 80- 90 deg and had about 120 lbs go right through with out any backups.


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## Michael Pawelek (Jun 4, 2012)

Pre-Strain out all the big stuff first with a kitchen strainer/collander like those used to rinse/clean vegetables in the kitchen sink. Cheap and easy to clean out with a large slotted spoon.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

beedeetree that is the settling take method. The light stuff floats to the top and the heavy stuff sinks to the bottom. If you wait long enough you don't even need to screen but the screening give you a feel good about your product. Filtering with pressure and elevated temperatures are used by the big boys to hurry things up.

Ice or freeze the screens and then flex them to break out the wax. Use luke warm water to rinse off the sticky honey first. Don't melt the wax.


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## RedDave (Apr 5, 2010)

I just bought the set of 3 filters from Brushy Mountain and they work great! As for cleaning them, my dear wife took them to the laundry tray and cleaned them so now they are like new. Didn't even realize that she was gone from watching me fill jars it was so quick.
BTW, I had not tried the filters before. Just used a nylon filter.
Dave


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## Michael Pawelek (Jun 4, 2012)

If you nest all 3 filters/strainers together and use them at the same time they work great. The 600 micron size catches all the larger stuff, then the 400 and finally the 200 takes out the rest of any small particles but leaves the pollen in the honey. Pollen is between 2.5-200 microns in diameter though it comes in all shapes. Even using the 200 micron strainer you can see particles in the honey with a 35 power hand lens, especially tiny flecks of wax. If I am extracting a lot of honey, and to speed up the process, I only strain with the 600 micron unit at the extractor and use the finer mesh indoors at a later time when I am not in a hurry. When extracting honey I like to get the empty built out foundation back into the hives as soon as possible.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

beedeetee said:


> . I let the large stuff float to the top in the bucket before filtering.


That is the trick, don't let the big stuff hit the filter till the end. I sometimes skim it off the top.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

Filter bags or material from Brushy Mtn or Mann lake. Warm the honey to 115-120 and pour through filter bags. Done.


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## Tom B (May 11, 2011)

I just use a 5 gallon plastic bucket with 1/2" holes drilled in the bottom. Captures all of the waxy bits and doesn't seem to blind off.


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## cowdoc (May 15, 2011)

https://kelleybees.com/Products/Detail/?id=3336333433353334&grouped=1

I use this stainless steel filter from Kelly with a nylon strainer bag. I have had it for 20 years and love it. The nylon strainers are disposable. When done extracting, I put a plastic cover over the bucket with the filter and let it sit and drain overnight. I can extract all my honey (10 buckets or so) and not have the nylon bag clogged so as to have to replace it. The filter does sit down into a bucket a little, so gets hard to fill a 60 pound pail without pulling it up, letting honey drain more and then moving fast to a new bucket. You also have to have your extractor up on a table to have enough clearance to pour from the extractor to the filter. It has 3 legs that support it on the rim of the bucket. It is built well and simply works. 

The filter is listed for $78, so perhaps is too much for a small operation, but is a good deal if you have to fool with those $40 stainless strainers a lot. I have no connection to the company other than as a customer.

Chris
Greenwich, NY


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## timgoodin (Mar 10, 2007)

I bought a big stainless steel screen strainer at the Kitchen Collection $14 in our local mall and a small package of cheese cloth $4. The strainer is big enough to set on top of my 5 gallon bucket. Double the cheese cloth in the strainer and it did great, I've had raves on our honey this year. Can also use it for canning making jams/jellies. Wash the cheese cloth after using and its good as new.

A local beekeeper advised me to go buy a "new" pair of panty hose that they work well for straining but I have not tried this. I could not get coffee filters to work at all.

Tim


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

Acebird said:


> Phil, tell us a little more on what you are doing. How do you uncap? What size screens are you using? How are you cleaning them? Are you trying to do successive screening in one pass? Do you use a settling tank? What type of extractor are you using?


Sorry - I should have given more info. I uncap using a "scratching comb." I am using a 20 frame motorized extractor from Mann Lake. I am allowing the honey to exit the extractor into a 5 gallon bucket that has a double, stainless steel strainer from Walter T. Kelley. I am not, but will begin to use a settling tank. That one suggestion, I believe, will be a large step in the right direction.


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

beedeetee said:


> I have explained this in an earlier thread, but here is the short version. I let the large stuff float to the top in the bucket before filtering. It doesn't take long, but depends on temperature. Usually in an hour I have a good layer of large wax on the surface.


I believe allowing the honey to settle is the key step that will help me with my filtering problem. - Thank you.


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

Thank you ALL for your insight and information! i will begin to set up for my operation next year. 

Regards, 
Phil


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

NewKYBee.. I like to use a 4 bucket system. Here is how it works. Onepair of buckets uses a 5 gallon paint strainer that you can purchase from Lowe's or any paint store. That pair of buckets has a drawoff valve on the bottom. This pair of buckets catches the large wax particles, and only needs to be changed after 75-100 supers has been run through it. Your honey will run through it very rapidly.

The second pair of buckets has the micro fine filter from Kellys. (Nylon Cloth sewed like a bag in a "V" shape). Since all the large wax particles are gone the honey will go through it quickly. This one will last a long, long, time before it needs changing. 

Rinse both filters with a garden hose and reuse, or, wash in washing machine.

What you need for this system is:
4 5 gallon buckets Total cost approx $24.00 
1 5 gallon paint strainer Cost $1.75
1 Kelly Cloth strainer Cost About $8.00
2 Valves Cost about $22.00

Total cost is approx $55.00. It is a great system. Use a three gallon bucket to transfer honey from extractor to filter buckets and they will hold themselves in the 5 gallon buckets draining and filtering while you are uncapping and extracting.

You are only 48 miles from me, come down sometime, and I will show you the system. Works really well.

cchoganjr


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## cerezha (Oct 11, 2011)

I am a hobbyist, I am filtering through nylon mesh cloth. My friends love really raw honey my bees produced. I do not see any point to use fine filter for the honey - more natural is better (and more expensive in Whole Foods). I am just curios - is any regulation on filtering matter? Sergey


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

If you buy a settling tank, get the stainless steel screen for it too. Then take a 1x4 or 1x6, measure and cut it to make an X divider, to insert into the strainer, dividing the strainer into 4 compartments. Then use strainer cloth. As one section clogs, use another. When a cloth gets too plugged up, move it to a compartment to receive the clogged cloths from the previous three, and put new cloth in. When done, wring out, then rinse with garden hose or in sink, and reuse.
Regards,
Steven


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Florida is the only state that currently has standards for honey so far as I know, and it is illegal to filter out the pollen unless you label the honey as "processed food" or something like that. "Pure honey" has to be traceable to origin, hence the requirement for pollen. Otherwise it's fairly easy to mix a small aount of honey with HFCS and sell is as "honey".

Peter


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## lissa (May 3, 2012)

I am a new beek but helped a much experienced beek recently extract honey from 4.5 supers. This is a small business for her and she sells her honey in local stores and it is delicious. The way she does it is this: after decapping frames she uses a 20 frame radial extractor (don't know what brand) she places a 5 gallon bucket with a paint strainer in it and the stainless steel honey strainer on top of that under the gate of the extractor. As the honey gets extracted it filters through the ss strainer and when the bucket is as full as she wants it she closes the gate and removes the ss strainer. Then she takes the paint strainer and gathers it up and as she pulls it up the honey strains out into the bucket and she takes her hand and squeezes the strainer through her hand as she pulls up so when she is done she has a bucket full of strained and delicious honey ready to be bottled. Before she puts a lid on she will skim the top if there is any white foamy stuff but from what I saw it was very little. Then labels with date, etc. on top.
In this way she is done extracting fairly quickly and only handled the honey once. (what I mean is she did not have to pour from bucket to bucket but rather is done once the honey is out of the extractor) She stores the bulk of her honey in these 5 gallon buckets and only bottles when needed.
The cappings are draining honey in another container with a smaller bucket under it catching all the drippings. 
I figure she knows what she is doing since she is experienced, makes money doing it, and often enters honey contests and does well in them. 
I would guess the straining method that works best for you would depend on what method you use to extract honey. The paint strainers (cloth) can be found in any paint or hardware store and are only a couple dollars each and food grade 5 gallon buckets can be found at some Lowes or hardware stores also. Or you could get the ones that already have the gate on it for a little more at a bee supply.


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> NewKYBee..
> 
> You are only 48 miles from me, come down sometime, and I will show you the system. Works really well.
> 
> cchoganjr


Mr. Hogan, I am going to take you up on your offer either this fall or early, early next spring! 
Thank you , 
Phil


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

StevenG said:


> If you buy a settling tank, get the stainless steel screen for it too. Then take a 1x4 or 1x6, measure and cut it to make an X divider, to insert into the strainer, dividing the strainer into 4 compartments. Then use strainer cloth. As one section clogs, use another. When a cloth gets too plugged up, move it to a compartment to receive the clogged cloths from the previous three, and put new cloth in. When done, wring out, then rinse with garden hose or in sink, and reuse.
> Regards,
> Steven


How big is your settling tank? Pictures of the x divider?


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## HoneyChild (Jul 19, 2012)

Acebird asked the best question. How do you uncap? If you scratch you will throw a lot of wax in your filters. If you plane or cut, it will be much less if any. If you scratch you are going to have to settle. Wax will fill your filters up completely, not just clog the holes.


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## nunarr (Aug 7, 2010)

New Ky Beekeeper said:


> Sorry - I should have given more info. I uncap using a "scratching comb." I am using a 20 frame motorized extractor from Mann Lake. I am allowing the honey to exit the extractor into a 5 gallon bucket that has a double, stainless steel strainer from Walter T. Kelley. I am not, but will begin to use a settling tank. That one suggestion, I believe, will be a large step in the right direction.


Hi i would throw away the capping's scratcher as with this method you will get alot of wax that needs to be filtered out, all i do is uncap in to a whit bin with mutton cloth lining it, then when i extract i line my bucket under the extractor and when full just hang up and let drain, seal bucket up and leave till ready to use, the bin with the cappings in i do the same, just hang up and strain/drain, no tanks needed


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## julysun (Apr 25, 2012)

Look these filter bags over, many, many options. Having owned carwashes for years I became VERY familiar with filter bags. They come is many materials, and mesh sizes, most are rugged and washable.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=WJUlUJKTFaf02wWg0YHIAg

or, Google filter bags.


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

a tip for reusing the filter bags and washing strainers with wax in them...Wash in cold water. The wax comes off easy and the straining cloth lasts a very long time. After the wax is out, can wash in warm water.
As for straining, look at the maxant honey clarifier. Add in a strainer like the one mentioned for washing vegetables to get the big stuff out.


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

New Ky Beekeeper said:


> Sorry - I should have given more info. I uncap using a "scratching comb."


before you invest in a settling tank, move to a heated knife to cut capings off. MUCH less capping mess to deal with in the extracted honey.


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## KDM (Jul 12, 2007)

When your screen or filter clogs put them outside in the shade bottom up and the bees will clean the wax out. this works when thier is no honey flow. I agree with the hot knife.


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## doggonegardener (Dec 8, 2011)

Little tiny crush and strain operation here but I use the paint straining bags available at the hardware store. They are durable, washable, large enough and tough as nails. I stretch the bag over a colander resting in a larger bowl, drop in the comb, crush with a potato masher and then set it in a warm location. The honey is nicely filtered. Then I can just take the bag up around the edges to the sink and wash the wax and put it in a ball and store till I am ready to use it. The paint bags are pretty fine. My honey comes out nice and clear and really pretty. They are tough and can take some squeezing and tugging without tearing like cheesecloth would. I used them for jelly making as well.


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## TokerM (Jul 31, 2012)

A "settling tank" can be nothing more than a (or multiple) 5-gal bucket(s) with a gate valve placed a few inches up the side. Pour into bucket, cover, come back later.


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