# Honey questions, pure, raw, filtering...



## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

I did my first honey harvest this year and am gearing up for more next year. This year I just ran it through a standard kitchen strainer to filter out the cappings. After bottling I noticed little bits of dark "debris". I'd rather not have such flaws in my honey. Though its not obvious, I'd still rather not have it there. So I can't call it "pure honey" because its not "pure". However if I filter out the debris than it can't be called raw correct? I don't plan on heating it. The FL heat in the summer thins the honey enough to make extracting, straining, bottling easy. So whats my options for getting out noticable debris without filtering out the good stuff. I know that they sell different sized stainers, but the ones I recall seening start at 6microns and get smaller from there, which filters out the pollen. So whats my options? Filter one batch for "pure" honey and don't another for raw honey, with a disclaimer that it may contain cappings, wings or legs of bees.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Filtering out the bee parts, you can still call it raw honey. We use the filters to filter ours, but don`t remember the sizes. We have a neighbor that was using nylons to filter his, he said he had to hurry and get it done and the nylons washed quick before his wife got back home. Hehe > Marc


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

I have a stainless steel strainer that is designed to fit over a 5 gallon bucket. You just put a knee-high pantyhose over the top and it is a GREAT filter. 

So, I have my extractor up on a table...putting the 5 gallon bucket with honeygate underneath on the floor. I put the strainer on the bucket, open the honeygate on the extractor, and away we go. After the honey is strained, I cover the bucket and let the air bubbles rise. Then, I put the bucket on the table and use the honeygate to fill the jars. 

When I've finished straining the honey, I can use a small electric skillet to warm the pantyhose full of cappings. It comes out pretty nice, and then I wipe out the (teflon) skillet with a paper towel while warm. Cleans up easy.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We start our with a milk strainer useing cheese cloth to get the big chunks of wax from the extractor. Thru the cheese cloth into holding tanks where it sits for about 3 days to allow more debre and air to float to the top. That is skimed off and fed back to the bees.
From the holding tank it is strained thru a double sieve into five gallon pails.









this one is probably made in China as it is close to $30.00 cheaper than ones from other suppliers. It works well though to remove finer particals.
http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/Shop_ProductDetail.cfm?PC=3&PSC=92&P=21857&Product_Name=sieve, metal double honey&Token=12.75.26.99:{ts_2011-07-30_05:52:39}-718954

Kare will restrain it for bottleing thru a tower strainer,with a strainer cloth.








sold thru W.T. Kelley co. This tends to remove those stubborn mini air bubbles that cause cloudy honey.


Any for whole sale is sold from the double sieve only. 
It is considered RAW honey if it isn't heated.

 Al


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

We have two different size strainers that fit together one on top of the other and then onto a 5gallon bucket. Filters everything.


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Yep, that's what I use--a tower strainer. Mine's about 28-29 years old, so I don't know if it's from China or not....

It does a great job, though!


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