Best honey? 🍯

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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/
 
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.
 
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.
 
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...

536BE911-8E87-4C75-816E-9C9064258C08.jpeg

And now...

9711A97C-59AC-4165-95A3-B79C7B135504.jpeg

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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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