Rendering Beeswax... Worth The Hassle? Let's Find Out! 

I don't know how RU-vid algorithms work, but thanks for bringing me here. I don't keep bees. I know nothing about beekeeping. I don't have a need for wax, but this was really interesting. Have a great time doing what you do.

Was really hoping to see the final massive block of wax, such a cliffhanger at the end!

The dirty remains make good fire starters. I pour the dirt wax into toilet paper rolls filled with wood chips

Make the “junk” into fire starters! Pour into an egg carton and break them apart.

The wax moths will have reduced the amount of wax you recovered from the frame wax too. Since they eat it, and then leave behind their waste.

The waste water and gunk can be added to compost

Don't mind me, just a woodworker sneaking around, learning how to melt old wax and make a wood finish..... Thanks!

I use a Solar wax melter box I made, It depends on the weather how fast it renders the wax, but it only takes one step and the wax is clean, no need of scrapping the bottom. The box has a stainless steel sheet and over that is a frame whit small chicken wire + paper towel that filters the junk. The papes do absorb some wax but I use it + the junk to start campfires so it is not lost.

Hey Jim. Take the frame scrapings (which a lot appeared to be brood comb), melt it down and role on the inside of your swarm trap(s). I also take a ball of propolis and rub that all around the entrance of the traps... works great for bait!

WhooHoo the first person I have seen using paint socks. Definitely the PRO tip

Jim, your wax clippings is definitely so much cleaner than the old comb. I normally just use my rendered wax to recover my plastic foundations. Once I filter it a couple of times I use an old crock pot to melt it and a small paint roller and recover the foundations while still in the frames. Thanks for the video!

Another idea of how to use your wax: food wraps! You coat fabric with beeswax and use it instead of plastic wrap for leftovers and stuff.

Fun video with fun music as a new beekeeper I appreciated watching all of this

You’re so good at educating in your videos.

I don't know anything about bee-keeping or bee's wax, but I love your videos. They are so informative. That said, could you possibly melt the "junk" wax down and mix it with wild bird seed to make a kind of suet cake for the birds through the winter?

Love this! Been watching a lot of beeswax rendering videos recently and it's just really hard to find ones with a well shot and edited video. I've been waiting for you to come out with one!

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for.....Thank You! 💛💛💛🐝🐝🐝

I loved this video. I've been watching your videos and planning to get my first hives next year. I probably would have wasted all the time saving and scraping the rubbish wax so thank you for doing this experiment for us all!

I can see keeping the cappings separate. The rest I would mix together and use a mini paint roller and roll wax onto frames. The bees will draw that out extremely fast. Also try pouring pot if melted wax into a 5 gal bucket with water in it. With a few buckets you can keep moving. Love your videos. Thanks

Very nice video! My family and I make homemade candles at home and even with paraffin wax you definitely need to strain. Never thought about the paint filter trick! We'll definitely test that out sometime when we need to melt down old wax. And I have to agree that remelts and plenty of filtering will aid you in cleaning everything up. Depending on how "natural" you want to go, there's a few additives you can add to help stabilize the wax if you're aiming to make candles. Vybar aids with binding the wax, so it doesn't form cracks as it's cooling. UV stabilizer is only really needed if you're planning on adding any dyes. If so, I recommend using a liquid dye rather than solid as it's easier to get the color you want. If not, all you need is the Vybar really unless you foresee having the candles in storage for a long length of time, or sitting in the sun a lot. Also, for beeswax, it's hard enough once cool that you can use molds rather than just jar candles. Do your research on wick diameters versus wax melting temperature, as too large a wick can burn too hotly, and flash burn the wax in a too small candle, posing a significant fire hazard. If you're looking for quantity, votive candles will yield the highest amount of candles per amount of wax without being too ridiculous. And there are some fun molds aimed towards beekeeping you might find interesting. Uh...sorry for the super long comment. Figured I'd share what knowledge I have. Again, great video, and thanks so much for sharing!

Jim, great way to show where your time and efforts are worth investing! I see so many Beeks just toss all the wax, regardless of source, into the same vat and strain/clean their wax so many times to get to the final clean yellow wax. What i see here is that cappings wax are the way to go and the other wax just isn't worth chasing unless you are at a commercial volume level. Well done!

Very good presentation, logical approach. As all your video’s this was very engaging. We will copy your technique tonight. Once again thanks from East Tennessee!

You are a gifted video maker. Informer of bee things. Thank you for the inspiration and information

I watch a lot of these types of videos. I have never seen people use the paint strainer like that. Epic pro tip.

Thank you for showing the results of the different wax that you collected.

I use a solar wax melter and do small batches throughout the summer. Just drop some wax in, go do inspections, and come back to clean melted wax. No mess in the kitchen either.

I enjoy everything you post

To render my wax I use a solar oven, with a screen bowel over a glass cake pan with water and the screen bowel is lined with a good paper towel to filter the wax. My wax comes out bright yellow and clean.

Thank you for the great video! I just got done scrapping about 20 frames myself, and had a FULL paint bucket strainer I placed into my solar wax melter I just build. After several hours in the sun on a very hot day, I ended up with about 3 tablespoons of wax. I was frustrated and threw all of it in the trash bin. Then I wondered if I had made a mistake and started looking things up on youtube. You helped me confirm I made the right choice. I'll continue melting down my cappings, but won't ever bother with the old frame scrappings ad they don't render enough wax to make it worth my time.

Wow! Thanks! I just picked up 16 pounds of beeswax blocks from a local beekeeper for my candles , lip balms and body butters. I knew it was liquid gold but watching the process is proof! That paint bag is genius! Thanks for the very informative and entertaining video!

him: “dead bodies..” me, a non-beekeeper, forgetting this is about bees: oh?

I bet that smells wonderful!

I've had good success using an old slow cooker (low setting) with cheese cloth (grade 90). Add enough water to pop it out easy after it cools.

I just learned this summer about the paint strainer used when melting wax down. Very smart idea. Helps a lot. I figured with my dirty wax that doesn't want to clean up well, I'd use it to rub onto new frames. Hope it works anyway. Good video.

I use the paint strainers too, but I have a big crockpot that I use. Basically the same method, strainer over the crockpot, pour in water and fill with the wax, cover and keep an eye on it till melted.

This was a PERFECT video. I’m starting my 3rd season as a beek and you have just saved me a TON of work. I’m not even going to bother melting any wax when I scrape my frames now. Maybe I’ll just toss that stuff on our bonfires! THANK YOU!

Thank you. Love all your content.

You should try a Solar wax melter, much easier and less mess. You simply put the wax renderings in the melter and set it in the sun, the melter filters the wax as it melts and puts it in a nice tray. If it isn't clean enough you can put it back in the melter and let it go through it again. In the end it's clean neat and all from the power of the sun. We use a store bought solar melter but many folks we know have made their own. Thanks for you videos, we love watching them. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Bee Year.

That thin disk would be helpful for me in some leather working... Id clean it up a bit and just melt it into a small soap size bar to use for threading even though its dirty itd still work really well for it. Even still though hard to believe its been 3 years since you dropped that one hive comb when you started :P

Hi Vino, This year I tried home solar wax melter and I was able to render the most filthy wax very clean on the first try. I used a large stainless steal salad bowl, silicon cake mould a strainer, another silicon strainer, kitchen paper towels and put that in a plastic bag under a glass sheet. One sunny day is all I needed and the wax was rendered and clean. Worth a trial if you wanting to experiment and also does not take as much time and effort.

Looking forward to the wax series. Main goal aside from honey was wax candles eventually!

I still don't know jack about bees, but I know it's NOT ABOUT THE HONEY but todaaay... it's about the wax. Loved it!

Great video on rendering bee wax❗ Thanks for all the information ❗ From Orangeville, Wyoming County NY

Amazing ! Thanks for making this video. The paint strainer bags are a fantastic idea. Great time saver and mess reducer . Hello from Australia. I will be doing this tomorrow using stuff that I got from friends who keep bees.

Thank you so much for sharing this video, I learned a lot.

Time is definitely a factor, but I'd imagine that all wax is useful, tbh. Use the cruddy wax from the scraped frames and bircomb to line new frames that will be installed later (giving the bees a hand up in building their hives), while keeping the good wax for your own use (candles, dips for the tops of honey hard, etc). It's all worth something in the end

Vino farms. One of my favorite beekeeping sites. We have learned so much from you! Thank you!

Great video I like the paint strainer I use old pillow cases

This was so good and helpful in understanding about different kinds of beeswax rendering.

SAVE THAT SLUM GUM! Filter the wax by placing the comb (the darker the better) on a sheet of burlap in a solar wax melter. The slum gum saturated burlap can later be cut into "slum gum mats" and placed on top of the frames in your bait hives as a super swarm attractant.

I set my waste outside in a plastic paint pan roller. The sun seperated it some more but the amazing thing was bees constant picking through it. It was about double fist sized gunk that is now golf ball sized. I also had a chunk of new comb in a frame set out in an open box. I have seen that bees don't recycle wax but they chew this wax to almost nothing. I now have an area for waste products so the bees and wasps can utilize what they want.

I use an old crockpot with about 1/2 filled with water, paint strainer lined with a Viva paper towel. Usually don't have to strain twice. Is slower as I have to keep"feeding" the pot as the wax melts. Crockpot is set on low.

Watching this with interest, as if it’s something I could use. All I need now is some bees

The chaff left in the bag can be melted and mixed with wood chips to make fire pit candles for camping. You can scoop the mix into muffin tray liners and just put a shower wick in each one. The use of the mesh bag is so smart- saving this vid to rewatch later in the year.

Soap, chap stick, candles, nice stuff

I like how you think. Very orderly and organized!

I found that if I put the bucket with the melted wax in a large cooler and let it cool a few days the wax had no cracks in it. I melt then pour the wax and water through cheese cloth and get great results. Then I use the cheese cloth as fire starters when I'm camping.

I don’t know anything about bees nor do I know anything about how to keep them but I just watched a video on how to render the wax and enjoyed it

Awesome lesson! Happy holidays!

Frame wax can be sorted to brood/bad wax and the honey wax that is the best quality iirc.(only second hand knowledge)

Great tip on the paint strainers! Friends give me wax but it isn't strained.

Beautiful...watching in 2024...still great content

Yes, It's a lot of work, but if you're only doing it once a year.......?? You might try the 'junk' through cheesecloth on the 2nd rendering (or anything with a finer mesh than the paint strainers....which are a great idea!). I've got to tell you, Jim: Initially, your videos were a bit 'frenzied' (do something, anything, until you find something that kinda works). Now, though, I look forward to every video (more so than before) because i know that you've accumulated experience and anything you do is going to be very well thought out and very likely to succeed....even when you're doubtful! I find that educational, entertaining, *and* very relaxing! Thanks so much for all of your hard work and persistence! :-)

I use a crock pot and a steel fine screen, it works. First lesson i learned is separate your wax before melting it. That way wax capping is the cleanest wax

I saw Dirtrooster render his wax through a ladies pantyhose. It seemed to work. I really enjoy your videos!

I do like the aroma of beeswax. It's quite appetizing.

Very nice thank you lots to learn.

Sorry I haven't been actively watching your channel but eggplants is back! I remember discovering this channel when you first started :') keep going and I'm turning on notifications lol.

interesting method. But from what I've found, wax always rises to the top so you really don't need to strain it in the melting process with the paint strainer. Maybe 99% of the dirt will sit below the wax (if left undisturbed) and the waste will either be in the water when cooled or attached to the underside of the wax block, so you simply scrape it off. Re-rendering wax will refine the process even more. And there are easier methods than this but thanks for sharing your process.

I don't have bees but I make beeswax candles and other body products with beeswax. I get my beeswax from local beekeepers, some of it barely processed. I filled thru paper towels and melt the beeswax over cool water with a heart gun. As it melts it drips they the paper towels and since I layer them it does multiple filterings at the same time. With the paper towels layered into a metal sieve the wax drips straight thru and the metal sieve is reusable because it's not coated with wax. Since you aren't using the stove you have less concern if burning your wax. You can use any size plastic bucket since you are melting into cold water and you get smaller pieces that do take a little more room to store, but are much easier to use. And the paper towels my mom uses as firestarters for her fireplace.

Definitely makes me have even more respect for it all. I would love to keep bees and I wanted to start making bees wax candles. I definitely have a whole new appreciation for it all

Thank you! Great video

You can also make your own foundation sheets.

So much work! Now I really understand the price of one pound of beeswax!

I just cane across your video's and I'm happy I did. Thank you so much for sharing. I would love to get into bee keeping but I live in the city and unfortunately I don't have a yard. So I'll just keep dreaming.

I have just recently acquired my actual first hive. But Wax is something beekeeper's will get no matter what. That dirty wax just let it build up and melt and filter it some more at a later date. It will begin to look very nice. And wax is nice to rub on the insides of your swarm traps. Swarm traps equal free bees and free bees are good.😀😀😀

Hey Jim. Dont you use your old wax and a paint brush to coat your foundation that you just scrapped? I do a couple of coats on my foundation, the bees will use this to build out new comb faster. It is bees wax recycling. Give some wax back to the Bees!

Very interesting! Great methodology.

I found way too much wax is lost when using a paint strainer or cheese cloth. You'll net more wax by pouring through a stainless steel mesh sieve (at least, that has been my experience). Love your videos! I enjoyed watching this one. Wishing your bees the best of success!! 🐝🐝🐝☮️☯️

Thanks for the tip on paint strainers!!!

Steam extraction will yield much more and cleaner wax. Your "waste" contains twice the amount of wax you get from the boiling process. Steam extraction leaves the waste as a dry, soft granulate with next to no wax in it, and I was very surprised the first time I tried steaming the "waste" in a nylon stocking. You should try it.

...another wonderful, entertaining and VERY informative video! I was looking forward to this one since the last video was posted -and it was worth the wait! Thank you for such an in depth and instructive video. Please keep this excellent content coming! ...and how do I get a hold of some Vino Farm honey...?! ;-)

Very cool. I can't wait to keep my own eventually

Thanks for the wax rendering! Let us know how the honey sales get set up. I'm buying!

Thanks for the video. Nice job. There are other ways to process wax for the small beekeeper. Now that you have the pot (nice size for just picking up on the side of the road), you're almost there. Find a long cylinder type of colander, the kind used for spaghetti. Melt down the wax and then submerge the colander in the wax. The wax pulls through the screening leaving the junk (slum gum) behind. Take a cheap dollar store ladal and scoop the wax out and into a small plastic bucket with water on the bottom. You can take out the colander and melt more wax without wasting time pulling the slum gum (which still has wax in it). Add the colander again and just keep doing that. One clean out and your pretty much done. Now you can melt the wax and filter it through a which sweat shirt. The left over slum gum goes into a home made solar wax melter for a future melt down. Easy peasy.

I use an old clean pillow case to filter the wax, all done in one shot, gives nice clean wax.

I use a large crock pot purchased from Value Village. Cost me $9. No open flames and so much safer.

I found that a 75 micron nylon mesh worked the best for the final render. It is very fine but the wax still goes through fast enough, coffee filters didnt work and they are 20 micron. First render use a more coarse nylon mesh.

A beekeper I know lets her wax solidify in empty juiceboxes. If you have a relatively narrow column of wax rather than a thin big disk, there is a lot less layer to scrape off at the end.

The best filter material that I have found for dirty rendered wax is a cheap paper towel.

I will have more appreciation for the wax candle I will purchase in the future. Very interesting, merci

I'm a fourth year beekeeper and I now run a plastic-free apiary; which means my bees, honey or wax never comes in contact with any plastic at all; wax foundation, stainless steel and glass jars. I use dish rags from IKEA as a strainer and they work very well also. Just boil the rags en-mass afterward to separate the gunk and rouge wax from the towels. Works well.

Hi Jim, being a noobie I usually melt it in a crock pot. The last small batch I just melted it in a small non-stick pot that I got cheap at the second hand store. I think the few frames I extracted I got 1lb of nice clean wax. I melted it down and poured it in a paper towel roll. I have one big wax crayon now to coat some plastic foundation. I have some on order so the wax will come in handy. I think the extra wax helps encourage the bees to build out faster but more importantly straight and flush. I hate crazy comb..... I used a crock pot as well and it works great.

I appreciate your video so much. I went though probably about 10 looking for exactly what you provided in a straightforward way. I’m going to embrace your pro tip paint things. I got cheese cloth but that was hard to find in person but there’s a Home Depot very near me. I was given remnants of a hive when I was looking for clean, golden wax. I make candles and lotion/body butter with beeswax so I’m familiar with its properties but I’ve never worked with this stuff. I’ve got my first batch cooling for about 20 more minutes. Very curious to see how much wax it will yield. Using the water was such a shocker for me at first but of course…I think beeswax is pretty waterproof. I just thoroughly enjoyed the way you presented this. It was fun! Love all of your commentary. Thanks, again.

My uncle brought me some honey comb, after "juicing" the honey from it, he used the rest of the comb could be used to make beeswax...so now I'm here!

when I done bees with my father we use to render all the wax yes boil and filter many times but it worked

I've never heard of boiling water discoloring the wax. Maybe I've been lucky but I've never had any discoloration. I put a few inches of water in a big pot then throw all my wax in it and bring it to a boil until everything is melted. I pour the wax through a colander over a bucket to get the majority of the stuff out. I usually let it sit for a day or 2 them dump the bucket and scrape the fine sand and crud from the bottom of the block. I will render that block down again and put a flour cloth towel in the colander to catch anything else. After doing that the wax is perfectly clean. I will do my cappings as after I extract the honey and leave that wax separate. I will do another block of burr comb and old frames. I put the burr/brood comb block in an old crock pot to melt down and I paint it on new plastic foundations. I pour my cappings wax into 1oz and 1lbs pound blocks.

You can al always use the old frame wax to recoat your frames. The burr comb and capping you can make either jar candles or candle sticks. Especially if you have a way to make the wax look like honeycomb and roll it around a wick

Watched your video - a good presentation - a small suggestion - find a much larger vessel, place a layer of small pebbles or rocks in bottom of vessel, place all your wax for rendering in the paint bag as you showed, place in the vessel and weigh it down with bricks or large rocks, fill the vessel with water 5-6 inches (or more) above the bricks or rocks - render soft and low as you described - after wax has set and cooled, remove and pour out the water outside - lift out your bag of debris and you will find it soft and crumbly - feed it to the chickens, spread it out far from the perimeter of your home for the birds or late night scavengers, or compost it - you will have recovered every last bit of wax and not deal with hard messes to clean up - you can also add in to the filter bag any saved sludge or used paper or cloth filters - you can recover any remnant or residual wax from those as well - you will only need to rinse or wash the filter bag to use repeatedly

Hi there I use a solo wax melter. Then I render wax in hot water, to make it ultra clean works pretty good. really old dirty wax looking like new wax.