When to add "flavor" honey

[Halbrust]

I have a mead going, that I started about two months ago.
Starting gravity was 1.110
Three pounds of wildflower honey for a one gallon batch.

I will be adding 500grams (like 17 1/2 oz) of Linden honey. Hoping that the flavor and aroma of the added honey will shine as the "honey-ness" of the drink.

The mead has stopped fermenting, I assume because there has been no airlock activity for about a month. It is still in the primary fermenter on the trub/lees.

It will be judged and drank in early March 2015.

When should I add the additional honey? (How long before consumption)
Shoul I rack to a new carboy first?

 

[Complete_Amateur]

What is the current gravity/sweetness?

Another pound of honey in on a gallon sounds a little heavy.

Are you going to continue fermenting, or are you adding this solely for flavor/sweetness?

If the latter, I would add maybe a quarter pound at a time to taste, probably less.

 

[fatbloke]

I have a mead going, that I started about two months ago.
Starting gravity was 1.110
Three pounds of wildflower honey for a one gallon batch.

I will be adding 500grams (like 17 1/2 oz) of Linden honey. Hoping that the flavor and aroma of the added honey will shine as the "honey-ness" of the drink.

The mead has stopped fermenting, I assume because there has been no airlock activity for about a month. It is still in the primary fermenter on the trub/lees.

It will be judged and drank in early March 2015.

When should I add the additional honey? (How long before consumption)
Shoul I rack to a new carboy first?

3 static gravity readings, each one taken 2 or 3 days apart will confirm stopped fermentation.

Depending on start and finished gravity, and the calculated % ABV, as to whether you need to stabilise first (and depending on what yeast was used as to whether there's any scope for further fermentation).

Addition should be made at something like 2 oz a time before tasting, or enough to raise the gravity no more than 5 points.

just dumping in X amount is a fools errand......

 

[Halbrust]

I'm not back sweetening. I'm making a second fermentable addition, so that the flavor and aroma of the honey aren't blown away by highly active fermentation.

4 pounds of honey to a gallon batch is a "normal" ratio for a strong mead.
4 pounds was always the goal. I just had to obtain the right honey for the final pound.

I'm hoping someone who has done multiple additions of honey can guide me to the correct aging time to capture the aroma and flavor.

Otherwise, I'll just go with the standard 'longer is better', and add the honey this weekend.

 

[Complete_Amateur]

I'm not back sweetening. I'm making a second fermentable addition, so that the flavor and aroma of the honey aren't blown away by highly active fermentation.

That makes more sense. In that case, I would add the honey just as the fermentation starts to slow (which I am guessing has already happened), and I may not add the full pound all at once, depending on the yeast. That's about how much I would add to 5 gallons for a step feeding.

If you are worried about blowoff, headspace is your friend. I would be more concerned about stressing the yeast by adding too much honey at one go than losing much flavor to blowoff.

4 pounds of honey to a gallon batch is a "normal" ratio for a strong mead.
4 pounds was always the goal. I just had to obtain the right honey for the final pound.

4 pounds is more like an upper limit for me, but that range will usually produce a very strong, very sweet mead. If that is specifically what you want, then I would go for it, but I still would not add that much in one feeding. I would step-feed in two or more feedings (4 - 6 oz each, by weight), making sure you have activity and a gravity drop before adding more. Then, when the yeast quits (or you stabilize), add honey to taste in smaller amounts (the 2 oz suggested by FB sounds good) to taste.[/QUOTE]

I'm hoping someone who has done multiple additions of honey can guide me to the correct aging time to capture the aroma and flavor.

Otherwise, I'll just go with the standard 'longer is better', and add the honey this weekend.

I don't have any rules for aging until I taste the raw product. I would taste at racking. If it is somewhat drinkable at that point, age a month or two and then taste it again. Repeat.
If you cringe at the original tasting, forget about it for 6-9 months, and taste again. Repeat.

 

[loveofrose]

To give you an intelligent answer, we need a bit more information.
1. What yeast did you use? EC1118 will go to 18% and take this dry while bread yeast will stall out at 12-14%.
2. What do you want? Dry? Semi-sweet? Sweet?
3. What is the flavor of your "flavor" honey (Closely linked to 2., but separate depending on whether that flavor requires some sweetness to stand out)?

Answer these questions and we will help you anyway we can.

 

[Halbrust]

1. Red Star Cotes des Blanc (alcohol tollerance of 12-14%)
2. Sweet
3. The flavor honey is Linden Honey (The aroma is described as woody, pharmacy and fresh, also described as mint, balsamic, menthol and camphor. It has low acidity, medium sweet and sometimes a light bitterness. It has a persistent aftertaste and is slightly astringent. Other aromatic notes spicy-thyme, mentholated, geranium, hay, phenolic. It goes well with lemon sherbet or herbal teas.)

 

[Complete_Amateur]

1. Red Star Cotes des Blanc (alcohol tollerance of 12-14%)
2. Sweet
3. The flavor honey is Linden Honey (The aroma is described as woody, pharmacy and fresh, also described as mint, balsamic, menthol and camphor. It has low acidity, medium sweet and sometimes a light bitterness. It has a persistent aftertaste and is slightly astringent. Other aromatic notes spicy-thyme, mentholated, geranium, hay, phenolic. It goes well with lemon sherbet or herbal teas.)

4. What is the current Gravity?

5. Does it taste sweet now?

 

[Halbrust]

Have not opened the fermenter

 

[TheAler]

Linden Honey is another name for Basswood honey if I'm not mistaken. Have you used it in the past?

 

[Halbrust]

Linden honey is Basswood honey.
I have not used it.

It is a very popular and plentiful honey in Russia, and I am attemting to recreate the taste of a 10th century Russian mead.

 

[TheAler]

Sounds interesting. Keep us posted on how it turns out. I'm starting a basswood honey mead next week and would love to hear how yours turns out. Mine will start at 1.130 so it will be some time before we can compare notes.

Just reread your post and it said 2015 so we will both be aging the same time frame.