[Kevin M]

I extracted half a 5 gallon bucket of honey today.I filterd it once through a 600 micron filter, air bubbles and bits of wax are rising to the top.
My question, after i skim the junk off the top of the honey, can i bottle it, or should i filter it again..How long should the honey sit to let all the junk rise to the surface...? thanks

 

[power napper]

Hi Kevin--If you let it set for several days it will make all the floaters go to the top. I always get in a hurry, sometimes only eight hours, just like a kid when extracting, I alway eat way too much honey (if that is possible) ooooohing and ahhhing the whole time. We just lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of the floaters and press gently down on the wrap to make good contact--when you lift it up make sure that you have a clean plate or something to shove under the dripping plastic wrap (I learned the hard way) because it will run off the wrap. You may want to wait a day and get the last bit of floaters off the next time.

 

[Konrad]

>>My question, after i skim the junk off the top of the honey, can i bottle it, or should i filter it again..How long should the honey sit to let all the junk rise to the surface...? thanks

Sure, after filling, I would just check the top again after a day or so, you might have to skim a little again.

This is my second year bee keeping.....have made up a stainless steel tub with a cover and bottom drain.
I let the honey stay in there, [from the wire strainer] for a day before filling from the bottom.
Filling from the bottom makes a world of difference.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/fruitnut_/Honeybee/IMG_5207_1_1.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/fruitnut_/Honeybee/IMG_6823_1_1.jpg

 

[Kevin M]

Thanks Power Napper and Konrad....thats a nice tank you built there Konrad, i like that bee box stand...

I have one of those 5 gal buckets with a bottom gate, so i'll be filling jars from the bottom as well...i hope my honey looks as nice and clean as yours...i don't think i have to filter again, the honey looked to be pretty clean coming through the 600 micron bucket top filter...i'll let it rest a couple days then fill jars...

 

[tecumseh]

nice tank konrad. so is the top round portion a filter or screen?

and what are those swirls on the square stainless steen bottom box?

I use one of those old large (2 gallon maybe) coffee maker acquired at goodwill to which I have added a honey gate at the bottom. takes about a day for the air bubbles to rise after filtering. and yes allowing the air bubble to rise and filling bottles from the bottom makes a world of difference in how the final product looks in a glass jar.

 

[Konrad]

Thanks Kevin & tecumseh!
Sorry for this late answer...was down due to computer crash, still don't have spell check...hope you can read!

>>so is the top round portion a filter or screen?

Yes, on the bottom of the round part sits two flat screens for filtering a second time when dumping honey from the wire strainer.

>>and what are those swirls on the square stainless steen bottom box?

Actually, this tank was made up to be a smoker, [long time ago, using on top of the barbeque] but never really used it, so this year, my neighbour [sheet metal guy] built me a top cover and I put in a bottom drain. The swirls, it didn't come out good! Wanted to make the tank look better, so have tried with a rotary wire brush, but it burned it dark!
Konrad