Mesquite and Watermelon Honey Meads

NTexBrewer · Mar 3, 2016

Just wanted to share.

Was at McKinney Texas Trade Days in December. There was a vendor selling honey and I bought two types that were collected in Texas. Mesquite and Watermelon Blossom.

I bought 4lbs of each to make 2 gallon batches. This came out to 18.7 Brix or 1.077.

I used EC-1118, 1 tsp acid blend and 2 tsp yeast nutrient. In January, I racked from a 2 gallon bucket to 1 gallon jugs. At the end of January I added 0.7lb of Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit to the Mesquite Mead and 2 cups of Dried Cranberries to the Watermelon Mead.

It is amazing the difference between the two honeys and meads. The mesquite honey had the typical honey flavor but the watermelon honey was very light and floral.

Will be bottling tomorrow so here is a picture of the what I have. From left to right, Mesquite Mead with Cactus Fruit, Mesquite Mead, Watermelon Mead, Watermelon Mead with Cranberries.

Will be sweetening with Splenda so I can bottle it sparkling.

Arpolis · Mar 3, 2016

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. The prickly pear sounds like fun. I want tasting notes on that one!

Vex3521 · Mar 4, 2016

Those look fantastic! I second more on prickly pear, but also watermelon since I've heard about fails there.

NTexBrewer · Mar 4, 2016

The prickly pear fruit I have had peeled and in the freezer for a long time. Some of it I picked from a neighbor, some came from the grocery store. The sample tastes great. To me prickly pear is a very subtle sweetness but definitely there.

The watermelon is honey from bees pollinating watermelon flowers, no watermelon fruit.

Vex3521 said:
Those look fantastic! I second more on prickly pear, but also watermelon since I've heard about fails there.

TandemTails · Mar 4, 2016

Awesome. I just bottled a prickly pear mead I made. It came in around 14% and still needs some time to age but I'm hoping it turns out well after the hotness dies down. I used Lalvin D47 yeast and it fermented down to 1.000

Did you use dried, fresh or frozen cranberries?

NTexBrewer · Mar 4, 2016

They were dried. Bought them on Amazon. They hardly have any moisture content. For this batch I used 2 cups and rehydrated then in 1 cup of wine and then heated up to 180 to sterilize. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1457117606.653146.jpg

TexasDroughtBrewery · Mar 4, 2016

Wow those look really good in those bottles. That is awesome man I bet they are just as tasty. I bet you can find some more honey varieties in one of those shops in downtown McKinney square.

NTexBrewer · Mar 4, 2016

Good idea. With the weather warming up this is the time to do that.

TexasDroughtBrewery said:
Wow those look really good in those bottles. That is awesome man I bet they are just as tasty. I bet you can find some more honey varieties in one of those shops in downtown McKinney square.

kempshark · Mar 5, 2016

TexasDroughtBrewery said:
Wow those look really good in those bottles.

I was thinking the same thing. What kind of bottles are those, and where do you source them?.....if you don't mind me asking.

NTexBrewer · Mar 5, 2016

I got them from an Asian/Korean supermarket. They cost me $0.99 per bottle. I mainly bought them for the bottles as the drinks are not that good. The basil seed drink was ok to drink but just weird and the coconut drink was not that bad.

They are 9.6 oz.

Thinking that I may get a few more of the coconut drink and figure out how to make a nice summer cocktail for the wife this summer. I'm planning to cap the bottles and spray paint them similar to what Delirium does and use them for my high gravity beers.

Another great looking bottle that I use for my ciders is a Mexican Sangria soda. The bottle is 11oz. My kids like it so I buy a few each time I'm at the grocery store. I find the Mexican Sangria at our Kroger's in the Mexican food aisle and they are usually $0.67 per bottle.

kempshark said:
I was thinking the same thing. What kind of bottles are those, and where do you source them?.....if you don't mind me asking.

NTexBrewer · Mar 5, 2016

Here is the final product with the labels.

Screen Shot 2016-03-05 at 5.24.34 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2016-03-05 at 5.24.00 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2016-03-05 at 5.23.29 AM.png

kempshark · Mar 5, 2016

NTexBrewer said:
I got them from an Asian/Korean supermarket. They cost me $0.99 per bottle. I mainly bought them for the bottles as the drinks are not that good. The basil seed drink was ok to drink but just weird and the coconut drink was not that bad.

They are 9.6 oz.
.

Thanks!!......now that you mention it, I saw that bottle of basil seed drink at one of my Asian stores (Vietnamese stores) just last weekend....didn't even realize it was the same bottles you were using. Thought bottles in your pics were a little larger, but the smaller size might be better for the 8% flavored mead I was thinking of making and using them for.

Vex3521 · Mar 5, 2016

Really nicely done! I love the bottles!! You can find some in really different places, and those just have such a nice appearance! Well done.

txpitmaster · Mar 8, 2016

was this the guys from Anna you bought the honey from?

NTexBrewer · Mar 8, 2016

txpitmaster said:
was this the guys from Anna you bought the honey from?

Probably, here is their website http://www.warneshoneybees.com/index.html

Mesquite and Watermelon Honey Meads

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