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Please help me

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Johanneskai

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 22, 2009
87
0
0
Eugene, Oregon
I have four pounds of delicious honey and would like input as to what I could do with this honey. I am new. I have read the NewBee listings, but my last post has not had many hits.
Sorry that I am asking too many questions.
The honey is one of the best that I have tasted. It is Bamabeek's.
Please make suggestions. I will look things up.
Please.
 
d.j.patterson

d.j.patterson

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 29, 2010
232
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0
Vass, NC
I agree with Medsen and Wayne (in your other thread) that if you want this to taste like the honey then you should make it a traditional. With four pounds of honey you will have a yield between one and two gallons based on your OG and desired FG.

So what were you thinking for your %ABV and how would you like it to finish up?
 
AToE

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
If I could make a suggestion as well - if you want it sweet, consider making it go dry, then aging for at least 4-5 months and tasting to see how much honey to add (the honey will stay fine in that time). The use sorbate and sulphites to stabilize and sweeten to taste. This way gives you the best control, and waiting a while before backsweetening will prevent you from over-doing the sweetness (if you do it earlier you'll add extra honey to fight all the bad flavours of a young mead).
 
AToE

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
I think if people waited longer they would sweeten less and be happier in the end, but that's just me - Trying as hard as I can to get people to give dry(er) meads a chance!
 
BamaBeek

BamaBeek

NewBee
Registered Member
May 31, 2010
26
0
0
Birmingham, AL
picasaweb.google.com
This is good advice for me too. I think a traditional mead with a target range of dry to lightly sweetened will be my first plan.

Of course, if I do a larger (5 gal) batch I can always split and sweeten sub-batches to different levels.

Now if I could just stop working the bees and spend more time making mead I would be in business.

BamaBeek
 
I

irishrose

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 19, 2009
6
0
0
Princeton, LA
I, myself, have made only 1 batch of mead so far, and it's a 1-gal. I started with 3# (of an excellent local honey, & yeast, some raisins, & a little bit of orange). Then, when I racked just over 30 days later, I used 1/3 to 2/3 of a # to make it a little sweeter. That's been about 3 months ago & I haven't touched it since. I've only had the patience to not drink it b/c I'm 19wks pregnant!

This may be not exactly how other mead makers would do it. I had to get over my fear of messing something up & just start. I know I'm still a newbee at making mead, but I hope this helps! Good luck & happy vintning!
 
Last edited:
J

Johanneskai

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 22, 2009
87
0
0
Eugene, Oregon
My recipe

Before I post this recipe to the other log. Here are my ideas.
I am thinking of a dry to semi-sweet mead. I do not normally drink white wines as the reds are my favorite. I have enjoyed the JOA mead I made and the Lavender Mead. My Sage Mead was dry but lacked depth.
I want this to go dry and back sweeten later as suggested.

1US gallon
3 lbs BamaBeek early spring Honey.
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
Lalvin D-47 or R-2 or K1V-1116.

Will maybe age with some oak later, or part of it with oak.

Ok
1. Is 3 pounds enough?
2. I have heard of Fermaid-K and other things. What energizer and nutrient are best for each yeast I have listed?
3. I would prefer the R-2 yeast because of its description, which one would you choose and why?
4. How does adding oak sound?

Thanks again
Let me know.
 
AToE

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Johanneskai said:
Before I post this recipe to the other log. Here are my ideas.
I am thinking of a dry to semi-sweet mead. I do not normally drink white wines as the reds are my favorite. I have enjoyed the JOA mead I made and the Lavender Mead. My Sage Mead was dry but lacked depth.
I want this to go dry and back sweeten later as suggested.

1US gallon
3 lbs BamaBeek early spring Honey.
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
Lalvin D-47 or R-2 or K1V-1116.

Will maybe age with some oak later, or part of it with oak.

Ok
1. Is 3 pounds enough?
2. I have heard of Fermaid-K and other things. What energizer and nutrient are best for each yeast I have listed?
3. I would prefer the R-2 yeast because of its description, which one would you choose and why?
4. How does adding oak sound?

Thanks again
Let me know.
Click to expand...

3lbs is not enough if not backsweetening. Check the mead calculator and the ABV tolerances on those yeasts, you'll end up dry.

For the dry mead you made that was boring, how old was it? Most I've made are very thin until 7-8 months, and even then would benifit from a LOT of aging.
EDIT: Oak is good, try cubes, and some searches wih Oskaar as the author for amounts and types, it adds a lot of depth/width/whatever to a mead.
 
fatbloke

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Feb 3, 2008
3,632
14
0
UK - South Coast.
fatblokeshomebrew.blogspot.com
I'd just use 3 and 1/2 lb honey in the gallon and reserve a 1/2 lb for back sweetening.

Using AToE's suggestion as method.

I'd also use the K1V-1116 for the yeast - it retains flavours and aromas very well - and baring in mind that the honey came from bamabeek, as a "nod" to the apiarist world, the 1116 is the same as the yeast that Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey fame used prior to his death in the late 90's (when his favourite "Maury" yeast became unavailable in small packs - and yes I did email the apiaries manager to find that out.....)

The end result would be dry, initially, but the reserved 1/2 lb is for the back sweetening so you shouldn't be able to accidentally over sweeten.....

Oh and it's quite possible that when you back sweeten with honey you will get some haze. I don't know exactly what kind of haze that would be described as but it does drop out with ageing.....

should be a "good 'un" that way......

regards

fatbloke
 
AToE

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Good call - the haze might even be a hidden blessing, forcing one to age longer (I've heard it does eventually go away).
 
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