vinegar and iron question?

[D. Bowman]

 I've had my solution of vinegar and iron (old barbwire) sitting in my shop about 8 months and i am ready to do some test staining.

The question is there is  sediment on the bottom and a crust on top. Do i shake this and mix it or do i attempt to pour the solution out into another container without the sediments???

[stubshaft]

I usually skim off the top and strain or filter into a seperate container.