Hi all - last year I gave some unfiltered beeswax from my crush and strain honey harvest to a friend who makes soap. It was in a ziploc baggie. She did not put it in the refrigerator, instead kept it in a hot garage, where naturally it started to ferment. I caught the mistake after a couple of weeks - the beeswax had an unmistakable mead odor to it, but not a rotten odor. It's been in the frig since.
My question is - can this be filtered and used for anything? Or just toss it?
Thanks!
Did you wash the wax and put it up wet?
Yep, Allen - I sure did. First time having the wax, didn't know any better...
Go ahead and render it. If it stinks after that don't use it. A batch of soap needs 2oz of wax (my recipe anyway) and I doubt there is that much in a ziploc.
Scott
Heck. I had the same result...I washed my wax, stored it in a Ziplock baggie, and now it smells like a brewery. I'm throwing it away because it makes me gag to open the bag.
Can those of you with workable systems for handling beeswax from comb to rendered wax please tell me your process?
I know one thing: Processing honey and beeswax in the kitchen isn't going over so great at my house.
-Liz
i never gave it much thought, but i don't do anything with mine but dump it in a bucket. sometimes i forget and leave it out and the bucket fills with rain water. guess that's how it gets washed :-D
never had it ferment just leaving it open. just melts in the sun a bit and gets messy, but it's going to get melted anyway....
Bees do a good job cleaning it if you leave it out for them to rob clean.
Remelt it and let it drip into a container of water. Remove it from the water and let it air dry. It will be like new most times
So it's not doomed to be stinky wax forever?! Thanks, iddee!
-Liz
i freeze all mine. then when I get a big batch, Ill boil it all down.