Recent content by Bush_84

So I made a cider with maple syrup over a year ago. It's been sitting downstairs bulk aging after a few rackings and the addition of sorbate and campden. At least according to my records. I recently got around to bottling it. It tasted nice...real nice. I added a little sugar to it. Today...

Some people leave a cloth on at first when fermenting in a bucket to get easy access early on for stirring/adding nutrients etc. This is especially done in mead. I would say go ahead and put on the air lock.

Where did you get your refractometer?

I would suggest that you attend the local beekeeping association meeting. Meet a few people and ask some questions. You could also go to some forums on beekeeping and see if you can find somebody in your area.

Where I am from we had a terrible honey year. My bees really didn't start storing honey until mid July. That coupled with the fact that my bees are in their first year and I don't think I'll be harvesting any honey. I talked to a few people who also have also had bad years. So honey prices...

Sugar is not "filtered by the liver." It is absorbed in your gut and used by your body. You liver can make glycogen from sugar, but I do not think that would slow down it's other functions.

Ya the point of a late addition is to bring a sweeter fruit flavor to my meads. Will try this for my next batch. Simply going to ferment out honey and stabilize and add fruit after.

Hello all. I am thinking of making a mixed berry mead. I have been trying to think of ways to maintain the taste of the fruit in the finished product. My first brew I added half of my berries at the beginning of fermentation and half at the end of fermentation. For my second brew I added all...

Freeze them before and you will have no issues.

I did a batch of mixed berry stuff from old orchard. I put a vanilla bean in for a week. Initially it was way to tart to drink. After about 10-12 months it tasted like juice. It had my wife wishing I hadn't given so much of it away!

Aquarium fermenter? That doesn't sound sanitary.

Must have been a typo. I assume you mean 5 gallons for 100.44 or maybe 5lbs for 10.44?

That is why I am building my own top bar hives and getting bees. I did the math and if I can get 2 five gallon batches of mead I will have broke even. You can save even more money if you entice a swarm. Food for thought.

I would wait quite a few more months before passing judgment on your mead. If I were you I would not even taste it until 6 months old. If you do taste it, just keep in mind that it is not ready yet.

You could easily add another 1/2 lb honey as well as the strawberries if you'd want.