We have some honeycomb from which we had already removed the honey. I read up all I could about clarifying and extracting the wax and almost gave up trying. It all seemed too difficult, but was very easy after all. I tied the combs up in the top of a pair of pantyhose, put it in a pot of water placed over another pot of water to create a double boiler. I boiled the wax until the wax had melted and leaked out of the pantyhose leaving the crud and rubbish behind, easy to lift out and put in the bin. After cooling overnight I had this beautiful yellow disk of beeswax floating on the water in the pot, ready for various projects from moisturiser cream, furniture polish to coating my cheeses. It smells so good, too.
I’ve been clarifying tallow (lamb fat). I bet your house smells nicer than mine! The process with tallow is simmering/boiling until the fat globs melt but with some water in the pot. When it cools the crud is in the water and the fat above. Pick up the white tallow, dispose of stinky crud, clean pot/crock pot, add water and tallow and repeat. Several times! I think I much prefer your pleasant smelling and much faster process.
What do you do with clarified lamb fat?
I intend on making soap with it and trialling a candle or 2 as well. 🙂 Mainly soap though. Maybe not for us in the shower but I’ve heard it makes great laundry soap. 🙂
Sounds all interesting – let us know how the soap is going please. You should not smell too much of the ram after you made soap, so it may be good in the shower !
Handy to know for the future, ta 🙂