Complete NewBee here

armyturner · Nov 11, 2011

I got a heck of a deal on my first 7 hives of bees this year and have been trying to figure out what to do with some of the honey. I made my way over here from one of the bee forums. I like to partake in an adult beverage now and then, so I believe that my first homemade beverage will be mead. I also garden as well as pick some wild blackberries and muscadines. I think I will buy the necessary equipment after the first of the year and get a batch going, then maybe switch gears to some fruit wine in the summer. I have enjoyed the knowledge here so far and look foreward to learning a lot more in the next couple of months.

The honey that I have is dark and strong. It is mostly made from soybean fields. Anyone use any from soybean honey for mead before?

Chevette Girl · Nov 11, 2011

Welcome to the forum!

I have no experience with a similar honey, all I can generally get is clover, goldenrod and buckwheat around here. Definitely sounds interesting!

If you're holding off on getting equipment but have honey sitting around and want to get started with something, there's really no good reason not to try the Joe's Ancient Orange Mead recipe with some of your honey. The recipe is at the very beginning of this sticky thread in the general recipes section, pop it open and go to the last page, post #1.

All you need is 3.5 lb honey and a gallon jug or jar, an orange, some spices and bread yeast, and it's usually drinkable in 2 months, good at 6 months and really good at 9 months to a year.

And I'm right there with ya on fruit wines, that's how I got my start into winemaking/meadmaking! Although you'll probably want to do melomels (fruit wines with honey instead of sugar) if you've got honey around that needs to be used!

wildoates · Nov 11, 2011

Shaking my head about another weirdo who came here first.

Only kidding, welcome and good luck getting together your brewing gear. I second CG's recommendation to start a batch of JAO, as its needs are minimal and you already have the most important ingredient!

fatbloke · Nov 12, 2011

Welcome to the forums armyturner.

I'd suggest that you have a read of the "NewBee" guide, as it has a plethora of excellent guidance, including the JAO (Joe's ancient orange) recipe, which is a good one to get you started quickly, which minimal kit.

The soya bean honey you mention sounds excellent, a little reminiscent of varietals like buckwheat, Italian chestnut, etc.

When you get round to starting to make traditionals etc, I'd point you toward some of the writings of another (now deceased) bee breeder, mead maker, the late Brother Adam, of Buckfast Abbey. He was using the Gervin packaged version of the Montpellier strain of yeast i.e. same as Lalvin K1V-1116. It makes excellent meads and is quite a hardy strain of yeast.

Good luck with your efforts

regards

fatbloke

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