Subject: Re: How can I process cappings with ease?

From: Irma Robson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 22:10:46 -0600

Joel Govostes wrote:
> I have tried warming cappings to get the honey to separate out but this
> really doesn't work in my experience. You end up with cooked waxy honey
> and much of it stays mixed in with the cappings.

I am surprised that you had difficulty in getting the wax & honey to 
separate. My Dad used to melt 5 gal pails of cappings till they were 
thoroughly warmed through. He had an insulator he put arround the pails to 
ensure even heating, and just let the pail of cappings warm over very low 
heat. I remember him stirring the contents to ensure **EVEN HEATING** 
toward the end of the melting.

He poured the slurry through a cheesecloth filter, into the mould, which 
was also **insulated**. 
*** The secret here, may be to have the wax **COOL VERY VERY SLOWLY**. The 
separation of wax (on top) with honey on the bottom was excellent. 
A secondary result of slow cooling is a very smooth (show-quality) piece of 
wax. When the wax cools quickly, it buckles and cracks, & the honey gets 
into the cracks, & it is a mess to get cleaned up.

I have very good memories of the smell of rendering cappings, and the 
pungent taste of cappings rendered honey. My favorite honey of all was the 
redish honey that you get under the wax in the mould.

[email-masked]
Saskatoon, SK, CAN.