Straining honey with muslin

[BeeBo]

What is the received wisdom? Should it be wet or dry?

 

[Tom Bick]

Either way they would not be to happy

 

[BeeNice]

Will get wet with honey anyway, I use dry and then hang the muslin over a skewer, surprising how much honey drips out. Fatwa on Tom Bick I think!

 

[drstitson]

"Fatwa on Tom Bick I think!"

No. i'm shia they'll see the sunni side!!!!

 

[BeeBo]

"I use dry and then hang the muslin over a skewer"

I'm struggling with the idea? How do hang muslin over a skewer?

 

[drstitson]

"How do hang muslin over a skewer?"

by knotting the corners together

 

[davnig]

What is the received wisdom? Should it be wet or dry?

you'll have a hard job keeping it dry with honey in - so why go through the bother of wetting it first??

 

[BeeJayBee]

Moistening the fabric will mean it absorbs less honey.

But, unless you've already bought the muslin, get a nylon jam or jelly straining bag.

 

[itma]

... unless you've already bought the muslin, get a nylon jam or jelly straining bag.

Check Lakeland. They do a nice one complete with a stand.

An upturned bar stool (if you should have one handy) makes a good jellybag stand...

/// "Kitchen Craft" produce jellybags alone & with a bowl-stand (not ideal imho). Bag alone is about £2.50

 

[Essexgary]

Either way they would not be to happy

 

[BeeNice]

"I use dry and then hang the muslin over a skewer"

I'm struggling with the idea? How do hang muslin over a skewer?

Sorry, over a bucket, skewer across the top, muslin hanging over the skewer. Skewer! could be any long thin rod. (this is to get the last of the honey out of the muslin cloth after use) There ya go. Happy honey filtering.

 

[Essexgary]

Sorry, over a bucket, skewer across the top, muslin hanging over the skewer. Skewer! could be any long thin rod. There ya go. Happy honey filtering.

 

[Chris58]

I just put the extractor on a higher surface then have a large metal strainer and put a sheet of muslin in that - double strainer and rest it across the bucket below and in front of the tap from the extractor! If the muslin was wet wouldn't it add water content to the honey as well?

 

[BeeBo]

Thanks for all the advice. Skewer and muslin strainer about to be put to the test.

Another thing. I'm just scraping the honey off the frame. I have a metal sieve full of the cappings and wax with lots of honey mixed in. If I keep chopping it up and squishing it, will I just end up with cloudy honey due to v small bits of wax going through the filters or will the final muslin strain get rid of all that?

Messy process! Think I will be getting an extractor next year.

 

[Swarm]

I wouldn't go mushing it up too much, there's no need.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wouldn't go mushing it up too much, there's no need.

Just leave it to gravity and a bit of time

 

[itma]

Then extract the last of the honey from the wax with booze, stirring and 48 hours or so of soaking. Strain off the booze - do not discard it!
Then carefully wash the wax to clean it - with soft (could be rain) water. Then keep the clean wax for particular projects.