Mead....what honey to use

[mead1ntyneside]

Many recipes call for a particular type of honey for mead but to purchase something like "clover" honey from supermarkets is almost impossible because most supermarket honey is a blend of raw honeys from different geographical areas. I would recommend avoiding the budget "value" brands as they tend to lack and real body or consistency which won't do your mead any favors.

I recently bottled up a batch of mead which I used ASDA Extra Special Chilean Rainforest Honey, It had a darker, richer colour and a slight aniseed taste. Slightly more expensive but the end product was amazing :-)

Good supermarket honeys to use.... Rowes and Gales are good to get started on but for a mead with a twist stick to the slightly higher priced foreign honeys :

 

[ish1349]

I would look in a local Turkish shop. They have different types of honey. Quite nice too. Some come with the honeycomb inside. Don't know the reason why tho.

 

[mead1ntyneside]

The honey comb will leave a wax film on to of the mead once it cools so it's best avoided, there are two reasons they put it in, One is to show that it is pure unfiltered honey (which is great stuff) and another is to bulk up the weight, you'll get a lot less honey for your hard earned cash if you buy with the comb. The gallon I have going now I used "pure Durham" honey direct from the bee keeper. I spotted a little sign out side of a farm on my way home from work and bought in bulk, around 20lbs raw unfiltered but not with comb. they warm the comb slowly so not to melt the wax but just enough to get the honey nice and runny then let it drip into buckets...It's a great little process
The 20lbs cost me a small fortune though but I believe in supporting my local producers besides, pure honey doesn't have a shelf life as it's a natural antiseptic (It'll crystalize but that can be made good by gently heating it) Plus I got some free farm cottage jams thrown in for the kids as a bonus :clap:

 

[ish1349]

How much was that small fortune for 20lbs of honey? I take it that is not for just 1 batch of mead? Or am I wrong?

 

[motomaniac]

well, i agree with most, but i went for the cheapest supermarket stuff, not cos im tight ( well i am yorkshire though) but because id never made it before, i just wanted to get a batch on as cheap as poss incase i screwed it up.... but after 5 weeks nearly its still fermenting, so i must have done something right....

i will however use some much better quality honey for my next batch.... where did you get yours from?.. im the other side of durham, so fairly close to you.... so would be nice to use a local supplier this time...

 

[Jonny69]

What's your recipe Mead1ntyneside, old chap? You sound like you know what you're doing and I'd like to give it a go :thumb:

 

[ish1349]

What's your recipe Mead1ntyneside, old chap? You sound like you know what you're doing and I'd like to give it a go :thumb:

One day I would like to try mead. Would only make a gallon to start though. If I get it rite the first time, then I would try a bigger batch the following time I come to do it, using better quality honey etc. so a recipe would be much appreciated. :)

 

[motomaniac]

well mine was 3 jars of honey, melt in some water, add more till a cool enough temp to go in demi john, place in demi, fill with water, add yeast and nutrient around 20 degrees, give it a bloody good shake and stick an airlock on it.... its been fermenting for 5 weeks ( on sunday) and theres still loads of bubbles coming up, its cleared beautifully, and has a nice sediment on the bottom, with a little bit of yeast on the top, around the rim? ... was going to rack it, but ill leave it till it stops.....

then im gonna do as ive read and freeze some of it, remove the iced stuff and hopefully be left with a nice liquor kinda thing, i might then put it back in, or keep for special occasions..lol... :drink:

 

[ish1349]

I never knew that mead ferments for so long. Learn something new every day.

 

[mead1ntyneside]

The Honey I bought Cost £90 for 20lbs from a lovely little farmers wife in Satley, However, It's not all for Mead some will go into the missus's baking etc.

I follow a very similar recipe to motomaniac, 3lb honey for dry, 4lb medium, 5lb sweet I use raisins as the nutrient (around 25 per gallon) and either 1 whole orange sliced or half the juice of 1 lemon for citric acid, and Mineral/ spring water... ferments for around 4 months before I bottle but well worth the wait for that first taste :party:

 

[alanywiseman.]

then im gonna do as ive read and freeze some of it, remove the iced stuff and hopefully be left with a nice liquor kinda thing, i might then put it back in, or keep for special occasions..lol... :drink:

:nono: :nono: :nono:

 

[mead1ntyneside]

What's your recipe Mead1ntyneside, old chap? You sound like you know what you're doing and I'd like to give it a go :thumb:

I posted it before I got the knack of the forum lol this link should work :
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=27936

 

[motomaniac]

then im gonna do as ive read and freeze some of it, remove the iced stuff and hopefully be left with a nice liquor kinda thing, i might then put it back in, or keep for special occasions..lol... :drink:

:nono: :nono: :nono:

wassup with that???

 

[alanywiseman.]

Discussion of freeze distillation is against forum rules and will result in the thread being blocked. I don't want that to happen as I am building up to my first mead and am finding the discussion very helpful. :thumb:

 

[GeorgeSalt]

I would look in a local Turkish shop. They have different types of honey. Quite nice too. Some come with the honeycomb inside. Don't know the reason why tho.

Because it tastes nice. Hot toast spread with honeycomb.. delicious :thumb:

If you haven't tried honey on the comb, then you should.. :

 

[ish1349]

I follow a very similar recipe to motomaniac, 3lb honey for dry, 4lb medium, 5lb

Is this for a 1 gallon batch?

 

[mead1ntyneside]

I follow a very similar recipe to motomaniac, 3lb honey for dry, 4lb medium, 5lb

Is this for a 1 gallon batch?

Yeah, 1 gallon.... You can try different fruit and spices too.... I made one with Pineapple and cloves mmmmmmm :drink:

 

[ish1349]

I follow a very similar recipe to motomaniac, 3lb honey for dry, 4lb medium, 5lb

Is this for a 1 gallon batch?

Yeah, 1 gallon.... You can try different fruit and spices too.... I made one with Pineapple and cloves mmmmmmm :drink:

Will definitely give it a go at some point soon. :thumb:

 

[monkeybob]

I've brewed honeyed ale on and off for years! You can spend a fortune on honey but is it worth it?
IMO no its not!
I've dabbled with expensive stuff but realised the end result had little or no taste difference from Tescos blue stripey 99p stuff. So it doesnt warrent the cost. My last batch I bought from a farm shop for neary £8 a 500g jar. It tasted gorgeous on toast in the morning but in the ale it tasted no better than budget stuff.
It also pushes the price of a pint wat too high.
It's Tesco blue stripey all the way for me :drink:

 

[ish1349]

It also pushes the price of a pint wat too high.
It's Tesco blue stripey all the way for me :drink:

Well there ya go then. I will buy the cheapest honey I can buy for my first batch. :thumb:
Cheers.