Honey Extraction

Honey Filter

Strains wax, bee parts and debris out of the honey.

Before you open a hive

Sealed veil Smoker lit Allergy check 15 °C or warmer

Specification
Mesh sizes	Coarse ~600 µm, medium ~400 µm, fine ~200 µm
Types	Double sieve, conical strainer, bucket-top filter
Material	Food-grade nylon mesh, stainless frame
Flow rate	Slower with finer mesh and cooler honey
Warm honey	Above 30 °C flows noticeably better
Pollen retention	Coarse keeps more; fine removes most
Cleaning	Rinse in warm water immediately after use
Stacking	Coarse on top, finer below

Extraction Honey Extraction

Freshly extracted honey carries fragments of wax capping, occasional bee parts and specks of propolis. A filter removes them before the honey settles and is jarred.

Mesh size is a trade-off. Coarse filters (around 600 microns) remove the big debris and let the fine pollen through, which keeps the honey aromatic and helps it crystallise into a smooth, creamy set. Fine filters (200 microns and below) give a very clear, slow-to-crystallise honey but strip much of the pollen. For most small-scale beekeepers, a two-stage coarse-then-medium strain is the right answer.

At a glance

Coarse mesh~600 µm

Fine mesh~200 µm

Settling time24–48 hours

Best strain temp30–35 °C

Safety

Never filter honey through a mesh that has been used for anything else, and never use a filter that has held cleaning chemicals. Honey is acidic and absorbs odours and residues readily. Food-grade, honey-only equipment.

Using it well

Filter into a settling tank and leave it 24–48 hours so air bubbles rise before bottling.
Warm honey strains far faster than cold. A warming cabinet at 35 °C is gentler than a hot room.
Keep the coarse sieve clean during a run — a clogged top sieve floods the one below.
Do not squeeze the cappings through the filter. Let gravity do it, or you push wax into the honey.

Compatibility

Hive types

Langstroth
Flow

Bees

European honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Educational reference only. Hive & Honey sells no equipment and takes no sponsorship. Specifications here describe typical products in this category; check the actual figures for the item you own or intend to buy. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and your local regulations.