After drying, pollen contains bee parts, wax fragments and debris. These are removed before the product is saleable.

The methods

• Blower: An air stream carries away light material while the heavier granules stay. Fast and effective
• Sieving: Separates by size; removes coarse pieces and fine dust
• Hand sorting: Slow but precise, suitable for small quantities

In practice sieving and blowing are combined: separate by size first, then blow off the light material.

The order

Dry first, then clean. Damp pollen sticks to everything and cannot be separated.

Cleaning before drying leaves more behind and the blower does not work.

Setting the blower

This determines the result. Too strong and the lighter pollen granules go with the waste; too weak and the bee parts remain.

Test the setting on a small quantity before putting the whole batch through.

Materials and hygiene

• Food-grade parts on everything touching the product
• Clean after use and dry completely
• Leave no detergent residue
• Store dry and closed

What cleaning cannot fix

Mould. Mouldy pollen cannot be sorted and cannot be salvaged; the spores are through the whole batch.

Inadequate drying is the cause, and no machine repairs that afterwards. When in doubt, do not use it.

The question of scale

For small quantities a sieve and patience suffice. A machine becomes worthwhile with batches too large to handle by hand.