Help, mead question!

[Clemcook]

Hi all,

I am finishing off my mead today but it's the first time I am making it and I am not sure if I should carry on. I decided to wash some of my clean cappings which had honey left in them in some cold water, I then filtered the liquid and heated to a boil and skimmed off the 'scum'.

Now it's in the jar it's a little murky, there is still a small amount of wax floating on the top (I did it on Friday, 2 days ago)

I've kept aside honey specifically to make mead and I don't want to wate it! Is this normal? Should I proceed to add the honey and the rest of the water or ditch my 'capping wash' solution?

Thanks
Clementyne

 

[Fritillary]

Well speaking for myself (certainly no entries into shows with mead but plenty consumed at home without disaster) I never waste anything if I can help it. I'd just take the wax off the top and use it. You've heated it to boiling point, it's not going to spoil your mead, there's nothing 'nasty' in it. I know people who are aiming for crystal clear prize winning mead might well be much more fastidious.

 

[B+.]

Well speaking for myself (certainly no entries into shows with mead but plenty consumed at home without disaster) I never waste anything if I can help it. I'd just take the wax off the top and use it. You've heated it to boiling point, it's not going to spoil your mead, there's nothing 'nasty' in it. I know people who are aiming for crystal clear prize winning mead might well be much more fastidious.

I'm not really a mead-maker myself but would the wax not be left behind with the lees when you rack it off?

 

[Poly Hive]

No, as the lees are heavy and the wax floats.

My suggestion would be to filter through something fine like lint.

Also remember you need a lot of yeat nutrient as pure mead is lacking hence the popularity of melomels as they have fruit which adds the missing yeast feed.

PH

 

[Clemcook]

Thanks, I will be adding 1.5k of honey for a 5 gallon jar,I am adding lemon and yeast too.

If it won't do any harm I would prefer to leave the wax in to save introducing any pathogens by removing and straining again, unless I re boil but that might weaken the taste further.

 

[B+.]

No, as the lees are heavy and the wax floats.

My suggestion would be to filter through something fine like lint.

Also remember you need a lot of yeat nutrient as pure mead is lacking hence the popularity of melomels as they have fruit which adds the missing yeast feed.

PH

Yes. I take that point...but, if you syphon above the lees (and stop before the level of wax falls to the syphon, would that work? Certainly, I see that syphoning through some sort of filter would be better.

 

[Poly Hive]

It would, but tricker, and also a greater loss of the must. Filtering really would be the way to go.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

I add Marmite at he start and use beer finings before racking off.

Latest batch of mead was added to a cider made from a Cornish Quench apple ( Tad astringent for me)

Neither mead or cider.... packs a punch it does!!

Yeghes da

​

 

[B+.]

It would, but tricker, and also a greater loss of the must. Filtering really would be the way to go.

PH

One of those things I keep meaning to get "around to". I once made a elderberry wine with honey (when I re-read the recipe, I'd put too much honey in). I left it so long I'd forgotten about it. When I found it again, it was delicious!

 

[Fritillary]

No British winter should be undertaken without an adequate supply of elder-wine-with -honey/elder mead/melomel, or whatever you choose to call it.

 

[Murox]

Couldn't agree more. Sadly there are no elders handy to me now but I always used to make a few gallons of elder flower (with a champagne yeast) and then later elder berry.

 

[MerryBee]

Thanks, I will be adding 1.5k of honey for a 5 gallon jar,I am adding lemon and yeast too.

That doesnt sound like enough honey to me. My recipe uses about 4lb of honey for 1 gallon. Once fermented out the mead is medium-dry.