1.
Warm water is added to cappings.
2.
Cappings wax after washing.
|
|
|
1.
Warm water is added to cappings.
|
2.
Cappings wax after washing.
|
|
WASHING THE WAX The first step in rendering the raw cappings wax is washing it several times in warm water. After the water is added, the mixture is agitated followed by draining off the water through a screen. This removes most of the honey clinging to the wax. Washing the wax can have a down side if it isn't rendered immediately. The small amount of honey on the wax has had no effect on it over the month or so it has been accumulating in the barrel from the uncapper. But, once water is added, it creates a mixture that will rapidly ferment leaving a sour smell on the wax. The next step in the process happens on the same day to avoid this. |
|
RENDERING After washing, the cappings go in a kettle along with a gallon or so of water and are placed on a stove top for melting. The mixture is then heated to melt the wax. An electric stove works best because it avoids an open flame around the flammable bees wax. Unlike paraffin which is a petroleum based wax that melts at 120° F, bees wax melts at a temperature of 153° F. As the wax melts it floats to the top leaving the water and impurities on the bottom. |
 |
|
3.
Preparing a kettle for melting.
|
 |
REMOVING THE "SLUM" The wax itself is lighter than anything else in the kettle and comes to the top when melted. The impurities sink to the bottom and collect in the water below the wax. They are removed (see photo Fig. 4) with the aid of a strainer dipped through the wax and into the water. The "slum" or impurities that collect below the wax is comprised of anything that isn't pure wax. This includes a great amount of fiber material that is found in raw wax. The older the wax the more fiber it contains. The dark wax found in older brood combs contain the greatest amount of slum. |
| 4. Removing the slum. |
|
LADLING OFF THE WAX After most of the slum is removed, the kettle is allowed to sit for a short time to let the wax and remaining water stratify. The pure wax is taken off the top and poured through a paper towel filter and into a pan. Once the wax level gets down near the water below, the kettle is reloaded with another batch of raw cappings and the whole process repeats again. |
 |
|
5.
Filtering the wax.
|
 |
 |
THE FINISHED PRODUCT Liquid wax is poured into a plastic mold and allowed to cool over night after which the solid block of bees wax is popped out of the mold. Any remaining impurities in the wax will show up on the bottom of the finished block. As can be see in the photo (Fig. 7), this block is what we like to see - clean and shinny! |
|
6.
Pouring into a mold.
|
7.
Finished block of wax.
|