Getting clean, beautiful beeswax starts long before the final pour.

In this video, I’m sharing the tips I’ve learned over the years that help me get cleaner, clearer wax from my renderings. I’ll take you through my full process—from rinsing fresh cappings and removing as much honey as possible, to using paint strainers, controlling the temperature, cooling the wax slowly, and doing a second and final rendering.

I’ll also show you a few tricks that have made the process easier for me, including why I like using rainwater, how I deal with slum gum, why I freeze my wax before breaking it up, and how I portion finished beeswax into smaller amounts that are ready for candles, lip balm, cutting board conditioner, and whatever else I decide to make.

There are plenty of ways to render beeswax, but these are the techniques that have consistently given me the best results.
If you have your own wax-rendering tips, leave them in the comments—I’d love to hear what works for you.

Thanks for watching, and as always, happy beekeeping!

Items used in this video:

Paint Strainer Bags - https://amzn.to/4hfwH9t
Two Burner Hot Plate - https://amzn.to/3SOIfbC
Wax Thermometer - https://amzn.to/4Ac7Wn4
Infrared Thermometer - https://amzn.to/471vZrw
Silicone Ice Cub Trays - https://amzn.to/4yKkoJg
Digital Scale - https://amzn.to/4gVOELe

Helpful Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Why Pure Wax Matters
01:08 - Rinsing Cappings & Catching Loose Wax
03:56 - Draining & Fluffing Cappings (Hive Beetle Tip)
07:18 - Using Paint Strainers & Pre-Soaking Tips
09:30 - Setting Up the Melting Pot
11:45 - Temperature Control & Monitoring the Melt
14:34 - Why Rainwater Works Best
16:36 - Melting Down Cappings & Removing Propolis
18:38 - Stirring & Ideal Melting Temperatures
22:15 - Removing the Mesh Bag & Squeezing the Slumgum
24:18 - Slow Cooling & The Secret to Freezing Wax Discs
25:38 - Second Rendering in the Double Boiler
26:45 - Final Filtering & Pouring the Pure Wax
29:45 - Bonus Tip: Easy Portions & Silicone Tray Hacks
31:01 - Wrap Up & Closing Thoughts

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Jingle Credits:
"Key of Bee" by Scott Nadeau
@scottnadeau