Newest Threads

RC0032 · 09-27-2012, 09:02 PM

Anyone tried it? I have never done a mead mostly because of cost. But I was at Costco and 5lbs is $12. cheap!

mrdillon5 · 09-27-2012, 09:54 PM

I usually use Costco honey. Our local one also sells a 6 lb package from the Sonoran Desert. Great stuff in my humble opinion

weirdboy · 09-27-2012, 10:03 PM

I made a mead using all ingredients from costco. Well, except for the DAP. Fermented it using the red star bread yeast that they sell in the big bricks.

It came in at a whopping 17% ABV.

RC0032 · 09-27-2012, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weirdboy

I made a mead using all ingredients from costco. Well, except for the DAP. Fermented it using the red star bread yeast that they sell in the big bricks.

It came in at a whopping 17% ABV.

Is it good? ABV is one thing...bread yeast and generic honey is another.

**sonofgrok** · 09-27-2012, 11:12 PM

My Costco doesn't have that... it has 6# bottles of Mrs. Crockett's Hill Country sonoran honey. THat is what I have been using.

weirdboy · 09-27-2012, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC0032

Is it good? ABV is one thing...bread yeast and generic honey is another.

It was OK for an off-the-wall experiment. I would describe it as "average". I entered it in a recent competition and it scored mid-high 20's.

The ABV was a surprise for me. I piled on the honey anticipating a semi-sweet or sweet FG, but that bread yeast just chugged along and it fermented out to something really low, like 1.006 I think.

BBBF · 09-28-2012, 08:18 PM

I started off with Costco honey, but found it is possibe to find a beekeeper that will sell better honey at the same price. But yes, you can make a good mead with Costco honey, especially if you add fruit (I highly recomend Costco's frozen strawberries while you are there).

Matrix4b · 09-28-2012, 10:58 PM

From what I understand, especially from the Stickys:

You lose a lot of honey character in the primary fermentation. If you are planing on back sweetening then you can do your primary with a generic honey and then backsweeten with the more expensive honey and still get the great flavor and character of the more expensive honey. Worth trying I think.

Me, I usually do a 5 gal batch with 12 pounds of honey and let it ferment out and then stablized and backsweeten with 6 pounds. Ofcourse, My current source is about the prices you are seeing on the Costco honey. I know a few people but for regular alfalfa and wildflower it's about the same price. A little more for Orange Blossom. So I just stick with the same honey source.

I may just have to do a test with this though.

Batch 1: 12 pounds of cheap honey, backsweetening with my chosen honey type with 6 pounds.

Batch 2: 12 pounds of my chosen honey type, backsweetening with my chosen honey type.

Then seeing what the difference is. Has anyone done this?

Matrix

vespa2t · 09-29-2012, 02:08 AM

I have used Costco clover and red star in orange and raspberry meads. Turns out fantastic. Just like everything if you take care with temp and such , things will turn out fine

**biochemedic** · 09-30-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrix4b

From what I understand, especially from the Stickys:

You lose a lot of honey character in the primary fermentation. If you are planing on back sweetening then you can do your primary with a generic honey and then backsweeten with the more expensive honey and still get the great flavor and character of the more expensive honey. Worth trying I think.

Me, I usually do a 5 gal batch with 12 pounds of honey and let it ferment out and then stablized and backsweeten with 6 pounds. Ofcourse, My current source is about the prices you are seeing on the Costco honey. I know a few people but for regular alfalfa and wildflower it's about the same price. A little more for Orange Blossom. So I just stick with the same honey source.

I may just have to do a test with this though.

Batch 1: 12 pounds of cheap honey, backsweetening with my chosen honey type with 6 pounds.

Batch 2: 12 pounds of my chosen honey type, backsweetening with my chosen honey type.

Then seeing what the difference is. Has anyone done this?

Matrix

This is a great experiment Matrix! I hope you start a thread about this and post the results. I think you should choose a competition or two and enter both meads so you can get some objective/blind comparison...