Crush and Strain Harvest Question

[Pond Creek Farm]

I am about to pull some honey frames and crush them for liquid honey.  I have some filters that I bought from one of the bee catalogs ( I cannot recall which).  They are a two piece system with a bowl-like filter and a flat, round screen.  The last time I harvested, it was only a few frames, and I was able to put it all in the basket.  That will not work this time as I have more frames.  I read the crush and strain information on Michael Bush's website, and I like the idea.  I saw some sort of cloth inside the bucket.  What is this, and where do I get it?  Is it reusable or disposable?  It appeared to be a filter of its own and then the filtered honey flowed through the top bucket into the lower one.  I could filter it again with he stainless steel filters and have very clear honey.  Any advice on this is appreciated.

[bakerboy]

Go get a nylon paint straining bag at the hardware/paint store. They come in two or five gallon sizes, are highly washable and reusable.

[trapperbob]

 Yep you heard it right paint strainer bags and they work great they are nylon and can be used over and over if you want a little more filtering use some cheese cloth in the bottom of the bucket this will help strain a little more pollen out if you get any in the honey The two bucket system works just fine and is real easy and cheap to make. 

[annette]

I believe you have the same strainer that I have.  Is yours stainless steel??? Well, guess what I did and it worked. I removed the flat round top screen and only used the bottom deep strainer. The honey came out wonderful with just that one strainer and I was able to fit everything into that one strainer because it sat down deep inside the bucket.

[Pond Creek Farm]

Yes, Annette, my filter is stainless steel.  The bowl is about 4 inches deep at it deepest point.  I do not think I can get all of the wax and honey into that at one time.  I could do it frame by frame, but I am impatient.  That said, if I did that, I might be able to observe differences in the honey that each frame yields.  Perhaps patience would be a virtue in this situation?

[danno]

I dont use any filter.  I have about 3/16 holes drilled in the bottom of my top bucket.  The little bit of wax that makes it through will float.  

[annette]

OK now I understand.  Yeah, I only would do 2-3 frames at the most in my strainer.

[beee farmer]

I used the 5 gal strainer bags from Lowes. put in full combs and squeezed between 2x12 boards with several large c clamps when I first started.. worked really well that drained into a 5 gal bucket with another strainer on it...was all the straining that was needed.  just in case you want to try

[danno]

you cant call it pure UNFILTERED if you run it through a filter

[Pond Creek Farm]

Perhaps strainer is a better word.  Even running it through holes in the bottom of the pail is a filter of sorts in that it is a device to remove material from the liquid.  A stainless strainer simply does the same thing but removes smaller particles.  For my purposes, however, the distinction between filtered and non-filtered has no effect in that I do not sell the honey but merely use it at home and give it to friends and family.  I am going to use the holes drilled in the bottom of the pail as Danno suggests in that I think I can catch a lot of the material there.  Thanks for all the advice. 

[danno]

you'll be suprised at how little wax makes it through the holes in the bucket

[Pond Creek Farm]

Do you find that the paint strainer or similar bag inside the buckets are not necessary?  I am not one to want to make another thing to clean up (i.e. the bag) if it is not necessary. 

[David LaFerney]

Does the fact that paint strainers are not food grade at all important?  Should they be washed first?  And, yes I realize that "food grade" is probably usually only a way to charge more for the same thing - just like "organic".

[MacfromNS]

I  didn't like the paint strainer, it took
 too much time. I couldn't find a fine metal
strainer so I went to the dollar store and
bought a splatter screen then cut that
screen out and lined the metal strainer,
works real well.

[sc-bee]

>you want a little more filtering use some cheese cloth in the bottom of the bucket this will help strain a little more pollen out

Cheese cloth will sometimes leave lint in honey ---- use nylon ;)