The uncapping tray catches the cappings wax and lets the honey drain out. Without one, uncapping is messy and the most valuable by-product is lost.

Construction

• A tray with a grid or strainer separating wax from honey
• A tap at the bottom to draw off the drained honey
• A crossbar to rest the frame on while uncapping

Why cappings wax must be kept separate

Cappings wax is the cleanest source of wax there is. It has never been brood and carries the fewest residues.

Keeping it separate and having your own foundation made from it breaks the residue cycle — the route by which fat-soluble substances otherwise keep returning to the hive.

Mixing it with old comb degrades the best product you can get.

Recovering the honey

Cappings wax holds a considerable amount of honey. Draining takes time; the usual ways to speed it up are gentle warming or centrifuging.

Warm gently: too hot breaks down enzymes, and that honey joins the rest.

Working over the tray

Uncap over the tray, not beside it. Wax and honey that land on the bench are mixed with everything else there and no longer usable as cappings wax.

Materials

Stainless steel or food-grade plastic. Everything touching honey falls under the same requirement.

The hive beetle warning

Where the small hive beetle occurs, the extraction room is where it multiplies most. A tray of wax and honey standing for days is an ideal environment.

Process the contents quickly and leave nothing over the weekend.

Cleaning

Warm water, dry completely, no detergent residue. The grid and the tap are where most remains.