Best honey? 🍯

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Just had a thought - I did put boiling water out the kettle in the bottom of the honey jars to get the last drop out. Only a bit though and the main brew wasn’t boiling? What do you think?

 

[An Ankoù]

I think it's going to be ok. The slight acidity of honey causes it to darken when warm and the increased acidity from the lemon has hastened this. I'd let it ferment out and see whether you like it before making any others. I always use "cheap" honey for the main fermentation. It's still honey, just mixed from different batches across the EU. (There are some things claiming to be honey, which aren't 100%, but you won't find them in Morrisons).
In the meantime, you might look here:
https://gotmead.com/community/

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thank you!

 

[johncrobinson]

They do say though to avoid eucalyptus honey.As it is supposed to taste vile after its fermented.

As i understand it the honey comes mainly from Australia

 

[Scrattajack]

Apparently, there's such a thing as "honey laundering". It started during the Chinese honey ban earlier this century. Honey is exported to a third party and then on with a different country of origin on the label. The ban was lifted in 2004 so it makes you wonder why laundering persists.

With cheap honey, it's sometimes made by positioning troughs of sugar syrup next to the hives so the bees don't have to waste time and effort bothering flowers. Fine for fermenting but no flavour.

 

[user 39926]

Looking at starting a mead @ some point myself, got an experimental cyser clearing up at the moment. Apparently with honey, if there's a "blend of EU and non-EU honeys" on the label, that's most likely China. For a variety of reasons, you may want to avoid that.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

So it’s day 5 of the Rosemary mead episode and this is how the colour is looking now. Will pop both pictures underneath to compare.

Then...

And now...

Quite a difference! You were right about the colour change Anna! Still a rather grim colour at the minute though. Don’t think I will use that Morrison’s honey again. Definitely going to try a better honey next time I attempt a mead.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

So this is the colour the black mead ended up! Not bad in the end!

 

[johncrobinson]

I have never seen such a dramatic change in colour

I am used to brews getting lighter as they ferment but this is really taking it to the next level.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I have never seen such a dramatic change in colour

I am used to brews getting lighter as they ferment but this is really taking it to the next level.

goodness knows what happened! It is clear as a bell now (well almost!). I have put it under my stairs along with a few others and it seems to be doing well under there.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Probably irrelevant, but this took a full 2 weeks to ferment. Most of my others have taken between 5 and 9 days.

 

[LED_ZEP]

So this is the colour the black mead ended up! Not bad in the end!

View attachment 41390

I find if I have a brew that's not doing what it should if I just ignore it and make out like I don't care they get board and start to cooperate in the end (or is that kids and pets).

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I find if I have a brew that's not doing what it should if I just ignore it and make out like I don't care they get board and start to cooperate in the end (or is that kids and pets).

I think it’s all three things!

 

[johncrobinson]

I have tried that Led-Zep with my cat.Its hopeless he always wins in the end