Mead

[garethbryson]

Do Any of you Make Mead? If So can you tell me the best methods and yeasts to use?

 

[Hivemaker.]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5443

 

[garethbryson]

Thanks HM.

 

[Poly Hive]

You need a high alcohol tolerant yeast.

I boiled my must and used 4 pounds to a gallon.

Started yeast in a small bottle and moved it up to a larger one when it got going so I effectively added a good pint of strongly working yeast to the must.

If say I made 10 gallons in two batches one would take off and be finished in three weeks and the other would "sulk" but if left alone eventually it got there and "there" was 17% alcohol so beware... strong stuff and mine was very dry as low as 996.

PH

 

[garethbryson]

I made a batch with champagne yeast and it turned out 22%ABV. i used a yeast nutrient and it was finished and bottled within 3 weeks.(with no secondary in the bottle)

 

[psafloyd]

Is this a clever way of selling off unsaleable honey with too high a water content or am I missing something?

It's going at £4.50 a lb whichever way you look at it.

 

[For want of a better word]

so beware... strong stuff and mine was very dry as low as 996.

Bit like your sence of humour PH... !!!

could I run my bike on it?

 

[MandF]

Is this a clever way of selling off unsaleable honey with too high a water content or am I missing something?

It's going at £4.50 a lb whichever way you look at it.

Well, it is illegal as it is being sold right now - the labels dont say "bakers honey". But assuming they changed the label I think it is probably a clever way to shift unsaleable honey.

Assuming they actually sell it of course!

 

[drstitson]

also Baker's honey cannot state a regional origin.
and although they've put a label on saying 908g i bet the fact that the lb in larger font is still visible would not go down well with trading standards.

 

[dclewis]

Get yourself a good book or two on the subject.
I favour cold sterilisation of the must rather than heating as it should result in keeping more of the original honey aromas and flavours and there is absolutely no need to boil the must, far too hot! Yeast choice depends on the starting Specific gravity and desired end alcohol content and dryness or sweetness desired and also if you are going for a straight mead a melomel, cyser or baggot? You need to get your shopping list of essentials before visiting a homebrew shop (plenty on line). Finally lots of patience as it always takes far longer than you think to get to maturity.

 

[dclewis]

Ps I use cappings washings rather than feed it back to the bees. that way you can thionk of it as free or at worst the cost of sugar syrup.