2.14 Recovering Saleable Beeswax from comb and cappings Flashcards
Describe how to treat the cappings after extracting honey to recover as much honey
and wax as possible.
I use a cold uncapping tray. The wax cappings drop onto a mesh floor that sits above a
tray. When uncapping is complete, a cover is placed over the top and the honey left
overnight to drain through. This process is helped by placing the tray on a rack above
the AGA. The next day the honey can be run off from the tap in the bottom tray,
through a filter into a bucket.
• The wax cappings can be placed small quantities at a time in a large tin with the
bottom removed. Fix a piece of soft cloth to the bottom with a jubilee clip.
• Suspend in the oven with a container underneath and set the temperature to just under
90℃ and keep feeding the top tin with cappings. This could take many hours so just
keep warm at night and check regularly when you are up and about.
• Periodically remove the collection bowl and pour the contents into a plastic container
having first wiped the bottom and edges of that container with a soapy cloth. Allow the
wax to cool completely. On cooling it should shrink away from the sides of the
container. If not the soapy nature should ensure it is easy to release.
• Scrape the dross off the bottom. This block is now ready to be exchanged.
• Continue the process until all the wax has been processed.
The necessary components of a well designed solar wax extractor
1 A double box with an insulating material sandwiched between two wooden skins.
2 Double glazed lid and internally a metal tray emptying in to a removable metal container.
3 A grid to prevent dead bees and other debris dropping into the container is desirable.
4 It should be big enough to take at least two brood frames.
5 The box should be angled at 40º to the horizontal in a position where it receives the maximum time in the sun.
The main advantage of a solar extractor:
Economical. Easy to use. Kills Nosema spores and wax moth eggs and sterilises the frames.
