Skimming Honey
Lexikon
After extraction the honey runs through a sieve into the bucket and is left to stand there, covered, for a few hours.
After extraction the honey runs through a sieve into the bucket and is left to stand there, covered, for a few hours. During this time wax particles, air bubbles and fine debris rise to the top and form a layer of foam, which is removed with a spoon or spatula. This is called skimming or clarifying.
Anyone who fills jars directly from the extractor skips this step and incurs two drawbacks: the honey crystallizes in an uncontrolled way and draws water faster in small containers. It is therefore usual to clarify in a large container, stir it there to the desired consistency, and only then bottle it.
Skimming is usually done several times: once after extraction, a second time after warming before stirring, and a last time immediately before bottling. If the bottling tank is left to stand for at least ten and at most twenty-four hours after stirring, the air bubbles stirred in rise and can likewise be removed.
The skimmed foam is not waste. It consists mainly of honey and wax and goes into the feed-honey bucket or into the wax cycle.