BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > CRAFTING CORNER
Acebird?s mead.
BeeMaster2:
I would use the honey with the strongest flavor. I would also first pick the one with the highest water content. Here, sometimes my honey is up around 18.5%. If I was pulling honey and it was higher, instead of drying it I would just use it for mead.
Jim Altmiller
JurassicApiary:
--- Quote from: sawdstmakr on January 18, 2021, 06:40:55 pm ---I would use the honey with the strongest flavor. I would also first pick the one with the highest water content. Here, sometimes my honey is up around 18.5%. If I was pulling honey and it was higher, instead of drying it I would just use it for mead.
Jim Altmiller
--- End quote ---
Thank you for the tips, Jim. Makes sense about using honey with higher moisture to save on the work of dehydrating it.
Acebird:
--- Quote from: JurassicApiary on January 18, 2021, 12:47:48 pm ---
Any suggestions as to the honey variety? I plan to use one of my own, but they vary from white down to amber. Do the character and complexities of the darker honey carry through into the Meade and add to it (or hinder it) at all? O,r is it best to stick with a more traditional white honey that's perhaps extra floral?
--- End quote ---
I only harvested honey once a year in late fall so it was a blend. Unless you are trying to attain a specific flavor I would use a blend. Specific flavors come about by additives, fruit for instance. The hardest part about making mead is patience. You just have to wait. The longer you wait the better it gets.
I am totally out of honey, my bees are not producing they are just existing, and I have but one bottle of NY mead left. I hate to crack it open until I can make another batch.
JurassicApiary:
--- Quote from: Acebird on January 19, 2021, 09:15:08 am ---
--- Quote from: JurassicApiary on January 18, 2021, 12:47:48 pm ---
Any suggestions as to the honey variety? I plan to use one of my own, but they vary from white down to amber. Do the character and complexities of the darker honey carry through into the Meade and add to it (or hinder it) at all? O,r is it best to stick with a more traditional white honey that's perhaps extra floral?
--- End quote ---
I only harvested honey once a year in late fall so it was a blend. Unless you are trying to attain a specific flavor I would use a blend. Specific flavors come about by additives, fruit for instance. The hardest part about making mead is patience. You just have to wait. The longer you wait the better it gets.
I am totally out of honey, my bees are not producing they are just existing, and I have but one bottle of NY mead left. I hate to crack it open until I can make another batch.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for jumping in Acebird. All of my harvests are wildflower, so it's just seasonal varieties for me. As I do lots of removals now, I do run across other hives if different areas around the island with different wildflower sources than my apiary. So I end up with a variety throughout the year from white to amber. I just want sure if lighter vs. darker honey yielded different tasting Meade depending on the honey used as the darker honey's tend to have more intense flavor profiles.
But now I'm going to need to buy all the gear and supplies, oh darn...lol. Would you suggest it probably best to go to a local home-brewery supply? I figure they should have everything I need.
Acebird:
You would need bottles, at least two glass carboys, a hydrometer, large pot, funnel, air lock, a wine thief and tubing. Local brewery suppliers kept going out of business for me so I resorted to buying online. Oh I forgot a strong back to lift full carboys. I made a hoist out of a boat winch to help with that.
oops, forgot a thermometer..
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