Processing Beeswax Comb

As part of making washed comb mead I of course now have much washed wax as well. Following is what I did to clean the wax so I could then use it to make something else (in this case, leather conditioning saddle soap!).

 The cappings from the uncapped honey comb, all washed and filtered out of the honey must.
 

 

I then gather a big handful and squeeze all the remnant liquid out, and form balls of the solid parts.

I also added the empty wax comb I scraped off my frames. As you can see there is an bovious difference in color between the (high quality) yellow wax cappings and the (low quality) brown empty brood comb.

Next the comb is heated to melt double boiler style. I have two pots which fit into each other, and fill the outside one with water which in turn heats and melts the wax in the inside pot. It is easy to scorch wax as it has a high melting point, and the double boiler method helps prevent this from happening (especially when easily distracted).

Most of the wax is now melted, apart from some yellow little bits. While slowly heating and melting I stirred the wax to make sure all parts get heated equally.

When all is melted - and there will be bits in there which are not wax and will not melt, like dead bees and slumgum - very slowly pour the hot wax through a coarse filter into a container. I like using  mason jars as they are heat resistant and can later also safely be used as a double boiler to melt again (and double as a useful storage jar). I found a coffee filter to be too fine to filter wax and know others use (salvation army) cotton sheets or cheese cloth to do so. As I have milking goats I have access to milk filters and found those to work well (cost about $8 for 100 at Tractor Supply). I used about 3 separate filters to fill this quart jar, and they will double as firestarters come winter. As I do not enjoy scrubbing solidified wax off my funnels I did not use a funnel to support the filter. As long as I am careful not to pour too fast, once it is filled it will stay up on it's own and not need support.

I also make sure to pour slowly so the slumgum in the back of the pot does not slide forward into the small filter. Slumgum is the residue of rendering beeswax as brood comb beeswax contains not only wax but also the pupal lining, pollen and other residual debris. Rendering cappings or honey comb wax creates less slumgum, and more wax, making it more valuable. Of course, this slumgum is not a waste product in my household either! Add some sawdust (about half and half), mix well and fill emtpy cardboard egg containers: and voila! more firestarters (use one 'egg' at a time).

The finished product, worth it's weight in gold: buttery looking beeswax!
It is already mostly used up to make saddle soap, and man, does it make nice leather conditioner...