traditional buckwheat mead

i just got a 2.5 ls of buckwheat honey and im looking for a good mead recipe to start with, id like a traditional but wouldnt mind one withsome added flavor, but im not realy looking for a fruity one either. if you know of any on here that fit the bill or have you could post id be much obliged.

I would think buckwheat honey would impart its own specific flavor.

Straight buckwheat honey can give some very weird flavours on it's own. Most seem to make batches where only part of the honey element is buckwheat i.e. if you use 3lb per gallon of honey, 2lb would be something else and 1lb would be buckwheat.

Either way, it's your batch, so it's up to you......

fatbloke said:

Straight buckwheat honey can give some very weird flavours on it's own. Most seem to make batches where only part of the honey element is buckwheat i.e. if you use 3lb per gallon of honey, 2lb would be something else and 1lb would be buckwheat.

Either way, it's your batch, so it's up to you......

Click to expand...

+1 blend it with another honey.

Yep...

You can get a reasonable idea of the specific flavors underlying the "Sweet" if you will dilute 1 volume of honey in 3 or 4 volumes of water and slurp a teaspoon or two worth.... You want to sniff the aroma and slurp at the same time... Sounds a bit weird, but you get a really good idea of what is hiding in all the "Sweet"....

This is important - as some honeys can have strange grassy/vegetabley flavors under the sweet... and when the Sweet is gone - all you have left is the flavor of say Raw Collard greens and grass clippings.... It may taste pretty decent on toast or mixed into a cup of tea... but it would probably taste a bit weird when it's the main flavor component in mead...

Anyway... You might look into traditional recipes from where Buckwheat is native... so maybe some of the African honey beverages....

Thanks

My $0.02: Mix it with another honey.

That said, I received similar advice on here once, but ignored that advice did it anyway. I have a 1 gallon batch, that while it isn't horrible, isn't very good either. Buckwheat is some potent stuff. I am leaving it alone to let it age(it's a little over a year now) in hopes it gets better with age..

If buckwheat does have some underlying earthy flavors it might go rather well with a Braggot.

Another idea would be to brew it up as-is, and then blend it with other meads or wines to achieve a particularly delicious blend flavor.... Some flavors by themselves are really strong and weird, but when blended are really nice....

i think im gunnu go with 100% buckwheat honey, and do a gallon of applecider, with cinnamon sticks and peppercorns, i dont think my yeast (lalvin 1118) will be able to finish that much suger to dryness, so im hoping for the caramel flavor of the honey to come out and a bit of spicyness with the peper and cinnamon. if anything it will make a good novelty mead to make my friends drink, but im hoping for delicious first try and a recipe i can keep

Well... Get to it then and keep us posted!

Thanks