Melting Beeswax - A "How I Do" Production

[@ThatBeeMan]

Thanks for the shout, Mike!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Yessir Brad. Also didn’t put my cardboard cover on the molds and got cracking. Another lesson I learned from you.

[@ThatBeeMan]

@@MikeBarryBees I learned both those tricks from Ian.

[@gallowaylights]

@MikeBarryBees awesome thank for the cardboard trick!

[@COOPERSCICHILDS]

Thanks for sharing

[@MikeBarryBees]

You are welcome and thanks for watching!!

[@rtxhoneybees]

Thats a nice setup. My rendered wax comes out like that piece left in the melter. I usually melt it down in a double boiler and pour it thru panty hose. This year i tried something different. I melted it thru paper towels in my homemade solar wax melter. It came out very clean. Enjoyed listening to Mr Ed and you on Lees live this morning.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Paper towels do a great job for sure. I need to use the cheesecloth for this wax so it will flow a bit better. I actually tried paper towels when I got it, but it drained to slow for the amount of wax. But no doubt, it does a cleaner work. Glad you enjoyed the stream. We had a great time visiting Lee.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Happy Saturday Mike! Great video today. I have been working on my equipment all day today trying to get ready for next season and bottling honey for the Ace Hardware. It will be a wonderful day when I can produce as much wax as you. I usually have to buy a few pounds to supplement my over winter frame waxing. Anyway, great video as always.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Takes a few years to get a good stash. I did a lot of hive removals in my first 4 years to where I always had some to at least wax frames and such, and honestly, that's one of the main reasons I continued doing one removal a year...for the wax. I give the bees away and keep all the excess wax.

[@tarameier6575]

Wax looks great.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks!!

[@tarheelbeekeeper3971]

Interesting video thanks for sharing

[@MikeBarryBees]

You're welcome and thanks!!

[@sonofthunder.]

bee blessed mike n family,i use paint filter or t shirt,,love the pans that don't stick i need a few of those

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks so much!!

[@redfish440]

Thanks Mike great video, I really enjoyed the live stream yesterday with you, Mr. Ed and Lee. God bless !

[@MikeBarryBees]

Glad you enjoyed it. We had a great time visiting!!

[@mlfarm]

Thanks for sharing Mike. Love your practical down to earth videos.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks so much!!

[@kenjordan5164]

Thanks for the video Mike. You make it look easy. Great looking wax blocks.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Ken!

[@stevebeck57]

Great job as always! Really informative and was easy to follow.♥️👍🏼

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Steve!!

[@windyridgeapiaries]

Diane was watching this and getting ideas on how to render our humble amount of cappings. Thank you Mike! -Jeff and Diane

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks for the support Jeff. Pot of water and a strainer and you'll be pleased with the product I am sure.

[@bigarm439]

Very interesting on your how to. I would like to see a video on your room. Is that a concrete floor, size. I'm getting ready to build me a honey work room

[@MikeBarryBees]

It’s 3/4” plywood for the floor. I built it 30’ X 12’. My recommendation would be to go wider than 12’. At least 14’. It was going to be a climate controlled storage shed, but things changed. Built the trusses myself to allow for a 6’ attic.

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Glad you are on the last leg of your season chores that has to be done. I think I am going to wait till next month before I start on my wax melting . I am covered up on the sale of my honey . I am having the best season I think with comb, chunk an creamed honey . People are loving it an purchasing very large amounts per person. It is blowing my mind an very very thankful. I did not get a chance to catch your Saturday video but people on here sounds like it was a hit . Thanks

[@MikeBarryBees]

Good deal on the sales!! Always exciting when people love the products we're able to provide from the bees.

[@timothyodonnell8591]

Im glad you are d-u-n for the season . Nice looking wax!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Me too! Thanks!

[@olddave4833]

darn good job, thank ya Jesus. Walmart sells what they call Flour Sack Towels that work great for straining, don't have to fold them like cheese cloth.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks old Dave. I’m going to check that out. I just wrote that down in my notes so I’ll remember. Thanks for the support!!

[@russellaymond312]

Mike thank you for the video

[@MikeBarryBees]

You are welcome and thanks for watching Russell!!

[@tommychew6544]

Great method of how to do it, thanks for sharing! I'll never be far enough along, I hope, to have to use it. But if I were I think I would prefer yours on this one. I hope this one gets out to more people; your site should be way higher them 9.5K people! Thanks for sharing!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Tommy, always appreciate your comments.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Tommy, always appreciate your comments!!

[@jimhughes6794]

Another informative lesson in “how you do.” I have always used buckets for the wax. Are those red pans special for wax? Where did you find them? Your wax looked good. Still hot in Georgia but did not get to 90, only 87 on my thermometer.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Jim those are just silicone baking pans. Got them on Amazon. They don’t stick at all.

[@richardpraeger6357]

Good stuff Mike.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Richard!

[@donbearden1953]

Mike, you have enough wax hoarded on the shelf to lot and lots of candles.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Saving it all for a rainy day Don.....LOL

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

Nice demo. I don't have that much wax yet but, maybe next year. Thanks.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks!

[@dianeglassmankish4186]

ThankYou!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Your are welcome and thanks for watching!!!

[@KodiakFarmBeesLee]

I need to get me one of the melters. Looks like it makes things a lot easier.

[@MikeBarryBees]

They are really nice and make it all a one time deal as far as rendering. Saves so much time.

[@jerrydegroot1573]

I use it for decrystallizing buckets

[@MikeBarryBees]

I've yet to try that Gerrie. I know a couple of others that use it for that as well.

[@brucesbees]

Where do you get those little red molds Mike?

[@MikeBarryBees]

Amazon. Reasonably priced and great for wax.

[@brucesbees]

Great video Mike. One of these days maybe I will het one of those melters.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Bruce! Wax is that one by-product we forget about sometimes.

[@gallowaylights]

Always wandered if you can bleach yellow wax to white?

[@MikeBarryBees]

Not so sure about that. I’m thinking you wouldn’t want to add anything to the wax.

[@sarashappyhives1828]

You can get white wax if you use hydrogen peroxide. I remember seeing the video on Cody’s Bee Lab. I’m partial to the bright yellow colors of the wax myself.

[@gallowaylights]

@@sarashappyhives1828 Thanks for the lead!

[@sarashappyhives1828]

@@gallowaylights 😊 I hope it helps!

[@russellkoopman3004]

Mike, that is a nice wax melter. What will you use the wax for -candles or ?? I have a hard time selling candles so I'm making beeswax hand lotion and it is selling quite well. 7 oz of wax makes $120 worth of lotion so it makes sense.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Russell, we do both candles and lip balms. Also just blocks of wax and some lotion bars. Candles are hot and miss. Some times we'll go week after week where I can't make enough, then we'll go 3 months and sell none. But thing is, when they sell, we get good money for them, so each sale is a good one.

[@BohemiaBees]

I need to add one of those units from Maxant to my lineup

[@MikeBarryBees]

It was a nice addition to my honey house for sure.

[@alphaxanon]

How do you get your wax melter so clean? Lots of hot water and detergent?

[@MikeBarryBees]

Once it’s done, it really only leaves a couple small rings of wax and a thin film where the wax line was. So I put just a little water in it enough to cover the element by a couple inches and the I get it boiling and let it steam up really good. Then I turn it off and take a couple shop towels and wipe it out.

[@beebob1279]

A few things. Why Cheese Cloth? It lets too much through. Get an old with sweat shirt from the Salvation Army or something like that. Cheaper than Cheese cloth. Run the hot wax through a piece of the sweatshirt with the inside (fuzzy side) up. It'll take care of the specks you're getting on the bottom. Your wax is nice. When you put the hot wax in water, make sure the water is hot too. It will stop the issue you had 18:58. Cold water will cause that issue. I would take good care of that capping wax. Nice stuff

[@MikeBarryBees]

I might try that. I used cotton once and it just held too much wax. but I'm willing to try your idea with a sweat shirt. For the issue at 18:58, that was 140F water that it was added too. Just happens and really not a big deal. I don't sell bulk wax, so when I melt it down for candles and balms, it all works out. But hot water does not prevent that unless it's boiling and that's not practical nor safe. Thanks for the insight and for watching.

[@mikejohnson3375]

I hope to expand my beekeeping, can you do a video on your building and what company built it.?

[@MikeBarryBees]

The building is just a 30’X12’ shed that I built. 3/4” plywood floor and I build the trusses myself so I could put in a 6’ attic space. That’s all it is. I did insulate it and used 1/4 paneling.

[@KajunHomestead]

Awesome, hope I can build up to have a nice stash of wax like you, I been using all mine on frames, I need to stop expanding lol. Great video👍

[@MikeBarryBees]

You need to do a bunch of removals Brad. That's how I built my stash for waxing frames. That's why I do one a year...LOL....No really.

[@chrisr7746]

Is there another flow going to happen.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Not down here. If there’s anything, it has never been enough to make honey for harvesting. They usually make a little bit that helps them bulk up for winter, but as far as making surplus, it’s finished in my area and pretty much the I-12 corridor and north to Mississippi.

[@chrisr7746]

@@MikeBarryBees thanks Mike I’m in Denham springs. And I have a double brood box with 1 honey super but I have a Queen excluder above 2 brood box. Should I remove excluder if I don’t plan on taking anymore honey.

[@MikeBarryBees]

@@chrisr7746 if the super has honey in it and you’re planning to leave it on for winter so they have food, then probably in November I’d take out the excluder so if we have a cold winter and they cluster, the queen can go with them to the food and cluster. If your second deep has plenty of honey, then you could leave the super and excluder on until the first of November and then remove both and maybe there’ll be some extra honey for you.

[@jamesmcnally2519]

Mike where did you get the silicone bread pans?

[@MikeBarryBees]

James, we got them on Amazon. Silicone bread and loaf pans. About $10USD.

[@framcesmoore]

Nice Mike where did you get the pans and the wax melter from. Hope your bees are doing good winter is right around the corner. Have a Blessed week.

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks! I got the melter from Rossman Apiaries in Georgia. They're a Maxant dealer. The pans I got off of Amazon.

[@greenwattle]

Hi Mike, Can I ask what the distance is between the heating element and the first outlet and second outlet? To get one of those heating tanks here is expensive so I'm looking to get one made. Thank you

[@MikeBarryBees]

The total tank measurements are as follows: 24 inches tall by a diameter of 15 inches. The heating element is 2 inches off the bottom. The lower ball valve fitting is 9 inches from the bottom and the upper is 10-1/8 inches from the bottom. So the lower is 7 inches above the element and the upper and lower are an inch and an eighth apart. The upper outlet is a 1 inch NPT fitting and the lower is a 1/2 inch NPT fitting. There is also a drain plug at the bottom that is a 1/4 inch NPT fitting. Hope that helps.

[@greenwattle]

@@MikeBarryBees Thank you very much! I really appreciate this.

[@StanGore-mk8ow]

awesome....been waiting for this one. I gotta get me a good melter.....thanks!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Stan. It really helps me make good use of my time.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

Awesome job Mike!!!!

[@MikeBarryBees]

Thanks Rodney!