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"O'rish" honey - what to do?

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MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
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0
Northern Ireland
Hi,

I've got a goodly amount of honey from Co. Kildare (9kg) Ireland and am wondering what would be the best thing to do with it. It's not orange blossom or anything - it's quite neutral in taste though probably stronger than average with a "off the comb" type taste. According to the blurb - it's all from one source, so not blended with honeys from elsewhere, but I'm sure it has been processed (probably heat treated). I think there's enough there for 5 gallons of something.




I also have a pack of W~Yeast 1388 that I can use so perhaps a BOMM?



Grateful for any suggestions

many thanks

MM
 

MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
0
0
Northern Ireland
That was my thinking .. :)

I was going to to primary ferment in a bucket this time - stirring every day and adding nutrients at the 2/3 and 1/3 interval - putting water in the airlock at about the 1/3 mark?
 

loveofrose

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Nov 9, 2012
2,582
21
38
Texas
I don't bother with the water until after a week. The only exception to that is if you have a fruit fly problem.
 

MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
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0
Northern Ireland
Thanks for that - no flies at this time of year in this climate - it's rained solid for two days now so even birds are having trouble getting of the ground :)
 

GntlKnigt1

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Mar 17, 2004
2,484
8
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Chicago area formerly Netherlands
Well, amazing as it sounds, in the light cast by the setting sun here, I have seen swarms of insects outside....in mid January!! I certainly have never seen that in Chicago, but I don't know if Ireland is having as mild a winter as we are having so far here in the Netherlands.
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Well, amazing as it sounds, in the light cast by the setting sun here, I have seen swarms of insects outside....in mid January!! I certainly have never seen that in Chicago, but I don't know if Ireland is having as mild a winter as we are having so far here in the Netherlands.
Probably Doug ......

As half way between I can confirm not many insects (but a few out of season ones), but mild, wet and on occasion, windy as he'll (snow on the high grounds of course).

MM could do a few different batches, given an average of 1.3 to 1.8 kg per gallon.......

As the 1388 is available that'd be a handy first one to try........
 

MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
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0
Northern Ireland
It's mild-ish here but we really only get insects in the summer, I've never seen flies during the winter months- or very very rarely. Around lough Neagh (the big blue bit in the middle of Northern Ireland) can be prone to flies - all that still water - but I'm a long way from there.

I'm still constructing my plan of attack for this honey - I don't want to make a hash of it - but it's going to be a BOMM. Just making sure I have my various chemicals worked out as I don't have Fermaid or Go-Ferm so looking at the alternatives :)
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
It's mild-ish here but we really only get insects in the summer, I've never seen flies during the winter months- or very very rarely. Around lough Neagh (the big blue bit in the middle of Northern Ireland) can be prone to flies - all that still water - but I'm a long way from there.

I'm still constructing my plan of attack for this honey - I don't want to make a hash of it - but it's going to be a BOMM. Just making sure I have my various chemicals worked out as I don't have Fermaid or Go-Ferm so looking at the alternatives :)
No equivalent for GoFerm I've found so likely something like a boiled yeast and vitamin B1 tablet maybe for starter making ? If you're not rushing then there is a product available at Brookland in Belgium that reads as similar, but I can't recall the name and my Dutch/Flemish is nonexistent.........

The closest easily available combined nutrients like FermaidK would be Tronozymol, but if you located the Brookland GoFerm clone you might as well get their combined nutrients too.....
 

MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
0
0
Northern Ireland
Thanks again for those tips. I do have some Tronozymol, a local homebrew shop stocks it, but no GoFerm equivalent. I will check out your suggestion on the Brookland alternative..

I guess that it's not 100% necessary, but I'd like to get as close as possible to the "working" recipe.

I've a large primary bucket I was going to use for all of it, and I also managed to pick up a 1/2 gallon demi john in a local market for a couple of quid which should be handy if it turns out to be 4 and a half gallons at the end of the first process.

If I can remember - and if my wife doesn't think I'm mad - I'll try and photograph my stages of the process, as much for my own records as anything.
 

MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
0
0
Northern Ireland
There's actually quite a good homebrew shop in Belfast (called Natures Way) so I can pick up most things there - unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anywhere handy for the Go-Ferm.
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Thanks again for those tips. I do have some Tronozymol, a local homebrew shop stocks it, but no GoFerm equivalent. I will check out your suggestion on the Brookland alternative..
Just to make sure you know the place in Belgium, and above is just an "autocorrect" thing, they're at http://www.brouwland.com/en/

But the link that Doug posted http://www.homebrewwest.ie/yeast-nutrients-300-c.asp has the cellvit stuff, which from a read of the description, sounds similar - the GoFerm I have came from an ebay seller in the US, so not only shipping etc, but time as well.......
I guess that it's not 100% necessary, but I'd like to get as close as possible to the "working" recipe.

I've a large primary bucket I was going to use for all of it, and I also managed to pick up a 1/2 gallon demi john in a local market for a couple of quid which should be handy if it turns out to be 4 and a half gallons at the end of the first process.

If I can remember - and if my wife doesn't think I'm mad - I'll try and photograph my stages of the process, as much for my own records as anything.
Fair enough, don't forget that GoFerm is a rehydration nutrient, so if you made a yeast starter, that'd be the same but you'd likely get a quicker start again, as the yeast would already be up and running.

Personally, I'd suggest that you made different batches i.e. with 2 or more of the popular yeasts, but everything else the same so you can get a feel for what is actually supplied by the different yeasts, flavour-wise.

Ha! you found a half gallon DJ for a couple of quid ? I've been selling them for the last few years for 50p each, as I had about 400 of them (old cider, screw top half gallon jars). Stopped selling them now as I've only got about 20 left, enough for me to use up........
 

MourneMead

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 6, 2013
190
0
0
Northern Ireland
But the link that Doug posted http://www.homebrewwest.ie/yeast-nutrients-300-c.asp has the cellvit stuff, which from a read of the description, sounds similar


Just ordered some - thanks for pointing that out

Personally, I'd suggest that you made different batches i.e. with 2 or more of the popular yeasts, but everything else the same so you can get a feel for what is actually supplied by the different yeasts, flavour-wise.


I'll see if I can manage my equiptment to do that.


Ha! you found a half gallon DJ for a couple of quid ? I've been selling them for the last few years for 50p each, as I had about 400 of them (old cider, screw top half gallon jars). Stopped selling them now as I've only got about 20 left, enough for me to use up........

Alas being on the extremity of Europe means we always pay a lot for everything, except rain and wind - that's free
 
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