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Reason to the madness

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Muirghein Tarot

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May 28, 2006
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In the No-age sweet mead recipe it calls for buckwheat honey and says not to substitute it. My question is what is that type of honey doing that a different honey couldn't do? When I looked up buckwheat honey it describe it as a strong dark honey that could easily replace molasses in cooking recipes. Is it the taste? Is it that dark honeys ferment quicker? The honey site said it was high in antioxidants but that shouldn't play into the fermenting should it? In the recipe he said not to substitute that there was a reason to the madness.....Ok ,what's the reason?
Not trying to change the recipe for changing sake, buckwheat honey it all but unheard of here. Getting a lot of "your looking for what?" type responses for my time on the phone calling local honey sellers. As an avenue of last resort I could order it online but that is not my favorite approach to things I like to be able to see what I'm buying in my hand when the money leaves my wallet.
If buckwheat honey would substitute for molasses in cooking would molasses do the same for buckwheat honey in mead making? Just a thought.
Thanks for any help you can give to some one stuck in a place where buckwheat is only know as a little rascal.
Tarot
 
Dan McFeeley

Dan McFeeley

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Muirghein Tarot said:
In the No-age sweet mead recipe it calls for buckwheat honey and says not to substitute it. My question is what is that type of honey doing that a different honey couldn't do? When I looked up buckwheat honey it describe it as a strong dark honey that could easily replace molasses in cooking recipes. Is it the taste? Is it that dark honeys ferment quicker? The honey site said it was high in antioxidants but that shouldn't play into the fermenting should it? In the recipe he said not to substitute that there was a reason to the madness.....Ok ,what's the reason?
Not trying to change the recipe for changing sake, buckwheat honey it all but unheard of here. Getting a lot of "your looking for what?" type responses for my time on the phone calling local honey sellers. As an avenue of last resort I could order it online but that is not my favorite approach to things I like to be able to see what I'm buying in my hand when the money leaves my wallet.
If buckwheat honey would substitute for molasses in cooking would molasses do the same for buckwheat honey in mead making? Just a thought.
Thanks for any help you can give to some one stuck in a place where buckwheat is only know as a little rascal.
Click to expand...

Hello Tarot --

Briefly, buckwheat honey is not only high in antioxidant content, it also has high levels of minerals, acidity, and nutrients. The rule of thumb in honey (and there's always exceptions to the rule! ;D) is the darker the honey, the more good stuff there is for fermentation, i.e., nutrients and minerals.
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

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In addition to all that great mineral, protien and enzyme content the darker honeys seem to add a bit more body to the meads I have made. A little more volume and roundness in the mouth as well as in the glass.

Another thing to keep in mind is that heating/boiling your honey will denature your protiens and enzymes and render them unusable by your yeasties. Boiling also drives oxygen from your must and your water. So if you're going to spend the coin and shipping for buckwheat why not give it a try no-heat style.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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Muirghein Tarot

NewBee
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That is the only type of mead I have made so far. My first batch I boiled the water then added tea bags, turned off the heat and let it steep down to 100*. I added my honey stirred the begezits out of it, poured it into a carboy I had warmed by sitting it in hot water in the sink. Dropped in my spices, pinched my yeast and capped with an airlock.
The second batch was Joe's ancient orange no heating of the honey there either.
From what I have read (Ken Schramm's the compleat Meadmaker) I'm more in favor of the no heat method.
Most of the posts I have looked at show people mixing the buckwheat with other honeys for that added body and taste. Will keep spelunking the old posts might find something. I wounder if cotton or kudzu honeys would be as dark and rich there both local?
Thanks,
Tarot
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

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Cool, literally ;D (as in no heat ;))

If you go to the honey locator here you can get more information on honey type. I don't recall using cotton honey, and I know I've never used kudzu.

You can look at the honey grid in Ken's book to get an idea of what kind of mineral, pH and nitrogen content the cotton honey would have.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar
 
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