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Separating honey from wax, best method?

98K views 41 replies 18 participants last post by  Curiousone 
#1 ·
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,
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
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!
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#12 ·
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.
 
#16 ·
#18 ·
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.
 
#19 ·
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...
 
#24 ·
I then put the remaining wax and honey in a pot in the oven
I then soak the wax 'froth' in a good amount of water overnight.

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


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.
 
#29 ·
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...
 
#30 ·
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:

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 ...
 
#33 ·
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:
 
#36 ·
Just dump the mess into your kitchen strainer over some stainless pot and let it all strain apart.
Give it a day or two (I can forget the thing for a week even).
Stir a couple of times.
You should have near pure honey and the waxy residue separated.
This is my regular routine.
 
#39 ·
I guess size dictates what one needs to do and how much one can spend. I have a solar wax melter and use it year round to melt wax, separate wax & honey and clean up both.

When the sun makes the heat good enough to melt the wax, it stands outside to the south on my shop. In fall, winter & spring, it is inside and I have a 100 watt incandescent light bulb on a PID controller underneath the drip tray to make around 80°C (176°F). The sloped floor has stainless fly screen on it and I add several layers of paper kitchen towel to it and run several pounds mix at a time. It drains into a alu foil tray and wax & honey separate nicely. The process can be repeated several times to clean each component up as needed and to mix different honey or wax colors & qualities.

I label the honey 'kitchen' and we use it for cooking & backing since it has been heated.

This works for 2-10 hives, but one probably needs a more costly method for more or a larger solar wax melter, walk-in or forklift loadable ;)
 
#40 ·
Wow. It's strange to read a back and forth with Ace. Seems like he was answering in good faith here until he got pounced on. I also understand that my reading of op is different than his. But his two ideas, rollers or jug, could solve the problem and did for him, respectively. Maybe that's not what Matt was looking for but maybe someone else has found value from them.... I am sure Matt has solved his wax issue from 8 years ago. And I like the idea of the solar melter with bulb in winter! Must try that and see if bulb is enough for bigger melter. How big is the glass on yours? I always thought of the solar melter as passive energy but it is just sitting there all winter....
As for wax in honey jar: most honey producers who sell honey in comb use fresh thin comb for it. Most honey used to be consumed with the comb it was in. What you bought sounds like "chunk honey" which is extracted honey put in a jar with a chunk of comb honey. If all of these are true I would just eat the honey as normal on toast etc. I would not put it in my tea as I then get a layer of wax around the top of the mug....
 
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