r/Beekeeping • u/Ok_Lime3895 • 2d ago
Beeswax bar/pieces not melting I’m not a beekeeper, but I have a question
If this question isn't allowed in here, I'm sorry!
I bought a beeswax bar in a farmer's market in Texas. The person that sold it to me said it was pure beeswax and that it came from his bees.
I broke down the bar into smaller pieces and tried melting 1 oz in a double boiler. I used a Mason jar to hold the pieces of beeswax. After 2 hours, the wax barely melted. I saw a little bit of liquid but the pieces essentially became a paste. Everything I've read and seen online seems like the beeswax becomes a liquid and that it shouldn't take that long. Did I do something wrong? Could there be something wrong with the beeswax? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Valuable-Self8564 United Kingdom - 10 colonies 2d ago
That looks like soap 🤔 beeswax isn’t translucent. Have you tried running it under some water to see if it is?
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u/Ok_Lime3895 2d ago
It does look like a bar of soap haha, but I ran it under water and it did not foam up or anything like that
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u/Valuable-Self8564 United Kingdom - 10 colonies 2d ago
hmm. Yeah wax isn't normally "see through" like this. it's normally very opaque. I imagine that what you have here isn't fully wax.... no idea what it's cut with tho
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u/Quirky-Plantain-2080 2d ago edited 2d ago
This, kids, is why you don’t buy drugs off the street. Unless you have a lab and know what you’re doing, you don’t know what it’s cut with. :)
But in this case, probably some kind of paraffin or petroleum-based thing.
What does it smell like? Beeswax has a distinctive smell that is a bit hard to describe other than beeswax.
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u/MikeStavish 2d ago
I would say it smells kind of like honey.
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u/Quirky-Plantain-2080 1d ago
Well yes, but also mostly no.
I am sorry I cannot be more helpful than that.
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u/Devilswings5 2d ago
maybe paraffin wax? I've mixed both before as a way to make waxed canvas and that could explain why it looks semi clear in some areas.
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u/beekeeper1981 2d ago
It doesn't look translucent to me.. it does appear to have some sun fading though.
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u/Quirky-Plantain-2080 2d ago
When you say double boiler I’m assuming you mean that you’re using something like a Bain Marie. Check the temperature of the internal container. If it is 100 C then this isn’t pure wax and you should take it back.
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u/Long_shot_999 1d ago
Try hitting the edge of it with a lighter flame. If it's a temp issue you'll know for sure as the lighter will melt it pretty much instantly.
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u/OGsavemybees 1d ago
Looks like beeswax to me. As others have mentioned, the temperature is probably too low, 180F is what you're aiming for.
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u/walrusk 2d ago
Bees wax melts at 64C. You could try measuring the temperature and if you get it above that and it doesn’t melt then it’s not bees wax.