Wax recovery

[Steve H]

You got me confused now,I was thinking of the Cheese platter on the Christmas dinner table. and now i have just had to raid the fridge for some cheddar. its ok though I'll blame the kids lol. seriously though. i was thinking of the cheese.

 

[Steve H]

Getting back to the thread title Honest. I think I am slowly converting the missus to my way of thinking she Collected the kids from school today, when she got home she told me of a "nice bit of ply in a skip just down the road!, that would be good to make some bits for the ever growing Apiary" ( Ok So it only has 1 TBH and I've made 1 national size stand), I quite fancy making a solar Extractor too

 

[Steve H]

Opps just noticed i for got the .

 

[Tom Bick]

.
I am glad your wax extractor worked Phil.....mine was far too slow. I think it was too deep and not having a pane of glass didn't help....I only had a sheet of clear plastic. It did start to melt the wax a bit. I will need to use something else. The cool box wasn't ideal. The slow cooker worked fine and will be very useful when melting wax for making foundation.

If you want to improve the efficiency of your extractor you can do something similar to the one in the photo. It does not have to be insulation but needs to be reflective and kitchen foil stuck to a board will work just fine.

 

[Tremyfro]

I don't think I will be making many candles! Ha Ha

Go for tea-lights. At least you can make a few for yourself for Christmas.
If you do then polycarbonate cups look nicer and you need the thickest bees-waxed pre-tabbed wicks you can get.
Oh....and I just found a new use for my wax. I made two small truckles of cheese from raw milk given to me and I've just waxed them. They look lovely

What fab ideas....I could use the wax as topping for jellied chicken and I like the idea of tea lights....well tea light ...in my case! I got just over a pound of wax....I don't think I pose any competition for Xmas candles!

 

[Tremyfro]

Definitely going to have another go with a solar wax extractor. Celotex is easy to get hold of.....not that I have anymore wax to reclaim ATM!
First job is to melt some of the wax to paint some plastic foundation.....

 

[Erichalfbee]

pictures? we want pictures. please

Not a really good effort but my very first cheeses waxed by my own bees.
Very pleased.
Now have to wait five weeks before I try them

 

[pargyle]

Not a really good effort but my very first cheeses waxed by my own bees.
Very pleased.
Now have to wait five weeks before I try them

Oh my ... So impressed .. making my own hard cheese is one of the things on my bucket list ...

 

[Steve H]

Not a really good effort but my very first cheeses waxed by my own bees.
Very pleased.
Now have to wait five weeks before I try them

Wow,Wow...Wow !!!
now I feel hungry & humble in your presence.brilliant simply brilliant thank you.

 

[Steve H]

If you want to improve the efficiency of your extractor you can do something similar to the one in the photo. It does not have to be insulation but needs to be reflective and kitchen foil stuck to a board will work just fine.

so at last my wax extractor is finished.

 

[Tremyfro]

Not a really good effort but my very first cheeses waxed by my own bees.
Very pleased.
Now have to wait five weeks before I try them

That is totally Wowsome......so impressed.....they are beautiful! When is the Cheese Tasting? We will all reserve the day!
Can you post the recipe and method?
I might have enough wax to coat a yogurt pot size cheese!

 

[abm]

How about bob a container with water and filter in the car whilst at work.. surely in this heat it will occur....

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If your car hits 64C inside you may have other issues...

 

[Ely]

Not a really good effort but my very first cheeses waxed by my own bees.
Very pleased.
Now have to wait five weeks before I try them

Very nice. I have often thought about making my own cheese. Is it a complicated process?

 

[dn170221]

Aluminium tape from Screwfix:

Thanks will definitely give that a go, was just given a load of kspan/celotex didn't even have to skip dive

 

[Tremyfro]

Lucky you!!!.....I just bought some celotex.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cheese

You are all so sweet.
Right:
Cheese take practically half a day and overnight to make but only because there are different stages and you can go do other stuff in between.
It is fairly easy but needs some kit.........sound familiar?
For the deft of hand..... kit can be made/cobbled
You do need a culture which is easily sourced online but you don't need farm milk.
Rennet is supposed to not set homogenised milk( supermarket stuff) but it does. The best thing is to get skimmed and add cream......I've made one of those, a Jersey straight from the cow, a Goat from Sainsbury and a Welsh milk from the farm across the road. So that's two unpasteurised and two pasteurised.

 

[Steve H]

You are all so sweet.
Right:
Cheese take practically half a day and overnight to make but only because there are different stages and you can go do other stuff in between.
It is fairly easy but needs some kit.........sound familiar?
For the deft of hand..... kit can be made/cobbled
You do need a culture which is easily sourced online but you don't need farm milk.
Rennet is supposed to not set homogenised milk( supermarket stuff) but it does. The best thing is to get skimmed and add cream......I've made one of those, a Jersey straight from the cow, a Goat from Sainsbury and a Welsh milk from the farm across the road. So that's two unpasteurised and two pasteurised.

your making me crave cheese. now i have to send her indoors back down the shop

 

[Tremyfro]

Got that....fresh full cream milk...extra cream and rennet....what next?

 

[Erichalfbee]

6 Litres of milk
If you can't get non-homogenised then use skimmed and cream at 11:1 proportions.
Heat slowly to 90˚F ....I just put a large saucepan on a low gas with a diffuser over the flames, then add a pinch of cheese culture (google ?)
Incubate for 45 minutes at this temperature (I simply turn off the heat and wrap the saucepan in a towel).
Then add rennet..... animal or vegetable and leave to set for an hour.
Then....cut up the set curd into bits in the pan and put back on the heat, taking about 30 minutes to get to 100˚F, stirring occasionally so that the curd doesn't clump into large bits.

Now.....you need to sieve the curds through some muslin or a jelly bag and leave it hanging over a jug for an hour. I had a lot of whey left over and, not having any pigs, I gave it to the dogs. They loved it...............but the next morning they really had the *****!!!!!!

The next bit is the complicated bit.
You need to mash the drained curds with your hands and add some salt then press them.
This is where you need some kit....a cheese press.
Wrap in cheesecloth ...........
5Kg pressure for 10 minutes, flip your cheese in the press and press at 10Kg for another ten minutes. Flip again and press at 20Kg overnight.

Let the cheese dry for a week or so somewhere cool...top of fridge will...turning a few times daily so that one side doesn't become waterlogged.

Then wax and leave to mature for at least four weeks.
Once you have mastered "cheddar" ......blue is your oyster!!!!!!!


PS , sterilise eveything!!!! you are keeping milk at bacteria culture temperature so don't poison yourself....good luck