O my hell, I have been silent trying to let this thing play out.
The cappings is the best part. For some reason when honey is jetted through the air it takes on a different flavour of sorts...
There is a women near by who does a mead with cappings/honey. IT is to KILL for. The rest of her meads really suck. So there is something to that honey.
What most beekeepers do is either heat the wax/honey=cappings real hot and seperate it that way. The honey is junk at that point. The wax on the other hand is great, mostly clean.
Some spin out the honey much like they spin out the frames.
Very simple put your cappings in your water, mix, mix, mix, mix. The honey will be dissolved into the water in short order. Take your reading untill you get where you want to be... Leave the wax there it does no harm (at least what I have seen). Prep your yeast (like all good mead makers do), and brew like any other traditional.....
If you want the cappings timing is everything. First build a relationship with a couple beekeepers(most of them like to drink
) Find out when they plan on extracting there honey. Maybe they have a certain kind your after. Leave or bring them a bucket (5-4 gallon bucket) and ask if the will fill it from the cappings. Then be willing to pay at
least $1.50 per pound for what is in that bucket.
Extracting is mad time of year for beekeepers, the honey has to get stored, the bees need set up for winter all at the same time. Work work work.... It can be one of the more stressfull times of year for a beekeeper. We are working(looking out) months ahead. Like myself I am prepping for winter in Aug... If I didn't no bees come spring :sad11: ;D
For most areas it to late this time of year, but build your relationships starting now.