I just finished my last extraction for the year and have about 1 1/2 gallons of cappings and scrap comb. I usually toss it in my solar wax melter but the weather has already cooled off and the melter just isn't heating up enough to process all the caps. What's an alternative method to melt down the cappings, I'm banned from the kitchen so anything that involves a stove is out. I have a heat gun and some stainless mixing pans, would carefull heating of the caps in the pans with the heat gun work? I just picked up a yard sale crock pot, would that work? Any other ideas are welcome.
Thanks
Ed
' take some metal container and make outside a fire.
Put into the container some water and then wax.
When wax has melted, sieve it into a plastic boucket. First put water on bottom.
Let it cool then.
How's about putting all the cappings and wax in a stainless steel bucket with a little water and hanging it over the heat gun till everything melts. Then strain it through a window screen while dumping it into a plastic bucket. Let cool and seperate the wax from the honey water and sludge.
Bag them and throw them in the freezer until next spring?
Steve
Take the crock pot out of the kitchen and melt the wax outside or in the garage. :-D
I've used a crock-pot or slow cooker to melt wax down for several years, no chance of a fire erupting that way.
I've also used a hurricane stove, but its harder to control and the fire potential is very real (ask me).
The Hurricane has since been relegated to brewing beer and Maple Syrup ONLY :)
I also use a slow cooker and am allowed to use it in the garage. I kind of planed it out and offered to buy my wife a new crock pot if I could have her old one (it has a metal pot and is lighter then most) and I do not have to super clean it each time I use it. :lau:
Sorry Finski, I can not support the fire idea even outside. I am sure if I use fire I will set the world on fire when the wax goes up. -Mike
Quote from: mikecva on November 06, 2012, 12:50:13 PM
I also use a slow cooker and am allowed to use it in the garage. I kind of planed it out and offered to buy my wife a new crock pot if I could have her old one (it has a metal pot and is lighter then most) and I do not have to super clean it each time I use it. :lau:
Sorry Finski, I can not support the fire idea even outside. I am sure if I use fire I will set the world on fire when the wax goes up. -Mike
hah hah ha ha
are you adult?
if you love the smell of old wax, kitchen is your place,
keep windows closed.
heh he
last I boiled 200 frames in a lye solution. Then I washed them with pressure washer. - But not in carage, In virgin nature, birds were singing and clouds went over sky, hah hah,
I use The Fat Bee Man's method
Wax Part 2 - Melting Beeswax Comb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VbXcmh46vc#ws)
I go one step further: Taking the advice from another beek on this forum, I use a grease filter for the last phase of the process. Leaves you with very clean wax.
I have a camp stove and small propane tank and do it outdoors.
.
capping are very different from combs.
You put cappings in a proper container, some water and heat the stuff melted.
It has about half volume honey and the wax rises up to surface. Let it cool, and you have a solid block of wax,
I just picked up a 3 gallon aluminum pot with lid at a thrift store for melting the cappings. I'm going to try Finski's method with some water in the bottom of the pot. I have a propane heater which will give plenty of heat to melt the wax and cappings down then I'll strain it through some window screen into a plastic pail to get the big chunks out. I'll probably feed the burnt honey back to the bees for winter stores. Once everything cools off I'll process it a second time and dump the wax through some cheese cloth. Just need to get most of the crud out of the wax before the moths move in.
I'm saving the crock pot for clean wax, not cappings and old comb which I'm dealing with right now.
My bees are basically raised on foundationless frames. I don't have cappings since I don't extract. For crush and strain, I let the bees clean up the leftover wax. Put it on plastic plates right on top of the top bars. Empty box on top, inner cover, then outer cover. (I also do this with the honey I remove from my cut-outs.) Bees clean it up and then I melt it. I use a wine press also and I take that wax and throw it into the melt pot too.
Instructional/Informational Videos
Other Than Bees
4. Processing your Beeswax
Nov 17, 2009 - 1 hr 15 mins
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Resources/Videos.asp (http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Resources/Videos.asp)
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
I really miss my solar wax melter in situations like this. All I usually do is pile all the wax on a paper towel that sits on a metal try and close it up in the melter. the wax melts in the sun during the day and gets filtered through the paper towel. I have a metal pan under the tray that catches the wax and any honey that was left in the caps. In the evening after everything has cooled I pull off the wax and set the honey up for the bees to rob out. Quick and easy. I've used a wine press for combs but it won't help with the caps.
Looks like I'll be out in the shop cooking down the cappings the next few nights, there's a lot of wax to be had and I don't want to waste it. ;)
Quote from: Beeboy01 on November 07, 2012, 02:24:28 PM
. I'll probably feed the burnt honey back to the bees for winter stores. .
don't do that. Taste is awfull. Give sugar.