Best honey? 🍯

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Hey guys. Question for all the mead makers please (or anyone else who can help).

I really like the idea of doing a quality mead recipe instead of the **** honey the supermarket sells. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I am considering buying the stuff below, it looks like a good one as far as I can see. Does anyone have any wisdom on the subject for me please?

 

[foxy]

Hard to tell with honey nowadays, I would think that unprocessed honey would be fine. Unless there is a way of adulterating that.
If you can get some Leatherwood or Red Gum honey they would add an interesting flavour.

 

[MrRook]

Are there any bee keepers in your area?

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Are there any bee keepers in your area?

we do live in the country but I haven’t a clue to be honest.

 

[MrRook]

we do live in the country but I haven’t a clue to be honest.

Look in the local yellow pages, or Google, for bee keepers or bee keeper supplies.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Hard to tell with honey nowadays, I would think that unprocessed honey would be fine. Unless there is a way of adulterating that.
If you can get some Leatherwood or Red Gum honey they would add an interesting flavour.

will look at those. Am looking for something neutral like clover or wildflower.

 

[fury_tea]

Off topic but I was in a Turkish shop a few months back and I saw they were selling lavender honey.

I wonder whether that would make a nice mead or if it would just taste like soap?!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Off topic but I was in a Turkish shop a few months back and I saw they were selling lavender honey.

I wonder whether that would make a nice mead or if it would just taste like soap?!

I quite fancy that to be honest. Like Parma-violet sweets ha ha!

 

[foxy]

will look at those. Am looking for something neutral like clover or wildflower.

Well don't look at them then. They have a strong flavour especially the River Red Gum they are eucalyptus trees.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Well don't look at them then. They have a strong flavour especially the River Red Gum they are eucalyptus trees.

shows how much I know about honey. Hence why I’m asking!

 

[fury_tea]

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/296981554
It seems Tesco do a version.

The last few meads have been a disaster so I have been avoiding it. Might have another go at some point...

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/296981554
It seems Tesco do a version.

The last few meads have been a disaster so I have been avoiding it. Might have another go at some point...

interesting! Just have to find the right stuff to go with it!

 

[fury_tea]

I opened a small bottle of mead from last year's summer fruits mead batch this week. 1 year in the making and it tastes like turps.

Needless to say it went down the sink

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I opened a small bottle of mead from last year's summer fruits mead batch this week. 1 year in the making and it tastes like turps.

Needless to say it went down the sink

 

[foxy]

Gordon Strong a champion brewer advocates Orange Blossom honey in his beers. In the UK you can get this which seems to be genuine.
https://www.fromfieldandflower.co.uk/product/orange-blossom-honey-azahar/Also have a read of this.
https://byo.com/article/making-mead-tips-from-the-pros/

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Gordon Strong a champion brewer advocates Orange Blossom honey in his beers. In the UK you can get this which seems to be genuine.
https://www.fromfieldandflower.co.uk/product/orange-blossom-honey-azahar/Also have a read of this.
https://byo.com/article/making-mead-tips-from-the-pros/

to be fair I put orange blossom water in some of my brews. I can’t see a difference between doing this and forking out for dear honey that claims to have orange blossom in it ha ha!

 

[LED_ZEP]

Try looking here to find a local bee keeper or bee keeping club. British Bee Keepers Association
There won't be much for sale at this time of year but if you do a search in the summer you'll find someone selling locally. I'm sure if you give a local bee keeper a few bottles of mead you've made from their honey you'll get a better deal next time you buy.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Try looking here to find a local bee keeper or bee keeping club. British Bee Keepers Association
There won't be much for sale at this time of year but if you do a search in the summer you'll find someone selling locally. I'm sure if you give a local bee keeper a few bottles of mead you've made from their honey you'll get a better deal next time you buy.

Thank you. My nearest one is Beverley by the looks of it.

I have a question please. What’s the highest temperature of the water that you should dissolve the honey in? Because I’ve read you shouldn’t go above the temperature that the hive is at so as not to ruin the flavour of the honey.

 

[MmmBeer]

Radical Brewing has a section on honey (mead, bragot etc.).

Below is a list of honey varieties and description of their flavours from it.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Radical Brewing has a section on honey (mead, bragot etc.).

Below is a list of honey varieties and description of their flavours from it.

View attachment 40122

Thank you.