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Rescued Honey
I am about to inherit some rescued honey from an old tree that was cut down. Actually, it was about to be cut down when the owners (non-mazers) discovered it was full of honey. They harvested the honey the best they knew how and it is just sitting around now crystalizing. They are thinking about just tossing it out at this point. However, a friend of theirs contacted me and a connection was made to barter. I would love to get all 4-5 gallons of it, but it needs to be filtered and strained and there in lies the problem. I have never done it before. I have read up online for the basic instructions and it seems pretty straight forward. Pretty much like making jelly, which I can do in my sleep.
Does anyone have any tips or words of wisdom concerning the bartering power of mead versus honey or stratagies on the best ways to filter the honey? Paint filters and nylon stockings have already been looked into. As far as bartering power, I am think a 30 - 70 split, as I will be providing the labor, bottles and other neccessities for the mead.
Any comments, words of wisdom or other wise?
as far as filtering you might try using a fine mesh screen suspended over a catch tray. then set the whole deal in the oven set at 150 or so. It will warm the honey, un crystallizing it and filtering out the big chunks at the same time. Is the honey still in the comb? if so this plan might not work as well, don't wanna melt the wax. as far as the trade I would go with the 30-70 they did do the rescuing while you will be slaving over a hot stove for days 
making the mead.
anyway just my thoughts
ID
Maybe mix it with very warm to hot water and stir it up good and then filter it through a fine mesh strainer. it might seperate in the fridge from the water. not sure though. just an idea.
DC
I would just use your boil kettle, if it has a bazooka tube filter on it, and slip a hop sack over the tube, and tie it on the end. Just heat the honey slightly in your oven on warm right in the bucket,probably no more than 100F, then pour it out into your kettle. use your march pump to pump that stuff right into another bucket.
If you don't have a march pump, it would still work, just let it drain, but this might be the excuse you need to finally get that pump.
I would not add water to it, as that is what makes honey such an indestructable staple. They stuff will literally keep for 100 years, as it has a very low water content, like 2%. Adding water to it would ruin it unless your making mead with it right away.
Another way would to be not filter it at all. Just make your mead, and filter it later. if your bringing the mead to 140f- 170F that will kill any bug you can think of, 170 being pasturization temp, and 140 and over would kill anything food borne. Then a hop bag on the end of a 3/8 siphon hose would do a great job filtering out debris.
Thanks to all for the suggestions. Filtering after making the meade sounds like the easiest, that way I could leave the honey in its original container until I need it. It all sounds very messy and sticky, even more so than the actual making of meade. Also, since I am very short and do most of my mixing, pouring, etc. with everything on the floor so this after filtering works perfectly for me.
I didn't find out yet if the comb is still intact. I do have a girlfriend who knows how to make beewax candles, so I guess I could barter the wax out also. Not sure where all of the bees went or why but the tree was mysteriously absent of insects, but I have noticed the absence of them over the past few years.
You have a gold mine here, people would give their left arm to make mead from wild raw honey. You have at least 100 dollars of honey there, and I bet the flavors in the natural honey would make an awe inspiring mead.
I would not worry about heating the debris with the Honey, as the honey came from the tree, and is going to have alot of that flavor anyway, just take out any big pieces as it is heating. keep it in the bucket it's in, and take what you need. put the lid back on it, and put it in a place where the temp is constant, and this stuff will keep forever. Then you can take it out and make another batch.
Do you think the Greeks filtered out their debris before they made mead? Hell no, they probably filtered afterwards, or not at all. Good Luck, I hope this works out for you. I wouldn't sweat it to much, just make sure it tastes good before it goes in, and you'll be fine.
bees disappearing is a big problem. Colony Collapse Syndrome. From what I've heard why it happens is a mystery. But that could be why the tree had no bees around/in it.
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