# Liquid remaining after melting wax



## Turbo9 (Oct 21, 2016)

First year beekeeping. Had a local person extract our honey and they sent us home with an ice cream pail of wax cappings. We melted and filtered the cappings (they looked to be fairly dry with a little honey on them). This morning I pulled the wax off the top after it cooled and there was bout 75% of the pan left as watery liquid on the bottom. It looks like watered down honey. We didn't add any water when melting the wax. What is this and is it of any use?


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Turbo9 said:


> What is this and is it of any use?


Buttermilk. 

Actually, water with a little honey mixed in. No value to me.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Depending on how you did it. Traditionally It has been called bakers honey. Good for use in sauces and baking thinks.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

My daughter uses it to glaze ham. Wash the cappings first next time. Place in a screen and soak in warm water for a few minutes. then remove and rinse. The water can now be used to make a mead. It will need a little more honey or sugar. see the home brew forum here for tips.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

My-smokepole said:


> Depending on how you did it. Traditionally It has been called bakers honey. Good for use in sauces and baking thinks.


But the following sounds to me like the folks that extracted the honey may have already rinsed the cappings:


Turbo9 said:


> watery liquid on the bottom. It looks like watered down honey.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

It's not uncommon at all to have a little honey or honey-like fluid left over after you melt the cappings. I rinse and dry my cappings as best I can before I put them in my solar wax melter and I often get the same result. As mentioned, it's just leftover honey and maybe some water. Use it or toss it, no matter.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

We put our cappings in the attic of each hive for the bees to clean off first. When the cappings are cleaned off, we will then process that beeswax. We have also put the honey cappings in the freezer for the next year to give the bees a boost. Thaw the cappings first.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Bee Bliss what are you calling attic? On the other hand I could use my sugar board shims to do this. But with 75 lb of process wax what a pain. And handling.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Giving the cappings to the bees is a way to glean the honey off for the benefit of the bees or the beekeeper to reharvest. 
It would be more difficult for those who are dealing with many hives or a lot of cappings. 

An attic is simply an empty box above the inner cover. Best way to avoid open feeding which can cause robbing.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Bee bliss I know what you was doing. I just Hadnt heard of a empty box called a attic before.


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## beesRus (Nov 15, 2018)

Tenbears said:


> My daughter uses it to glaze ham. Wash the cappings first next time. Place in a screen and soak in warm water for a few minutes. then remove and rinse. The water can now be used to make a mead. It will need a little more honey or sugar. see the home brew forum here for tips.


Learn something everyday! Great ideas.


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