BAD honey for mead is real. Or is it?

[Dland]

double post

 

[T Murph]

It will make mead. I currently have 3 melomels aging that were made with 10 yr old Gall Berry honey. It was not palatable when fresh so I reluctantly kept it and finally made mead with it. It's now 11 month old melomel that is getting better every month,. I had to kill off the yeast and back sweeten it with Orange Blossom honey and carbonate them, but now they are quite tasty semi dry sparkling melomels. Oh and my bucket looked a lot like yours there. Lol.

 

[bottlebarn]

Actually honey doesn't go bad, it's the only food that there is no expiration date.

 

[Dan O]

Actually honey doesn't go bad, it's the only food that there is no expiration date.

As long as it is stored properly. Honey left open or exposed to humidity & excessive heat will not last forever, contrary to popular belief.

 

[Miraculix]

How about oak aging? I’ve read about oak aging mead in several places and everybody says oak aged mead is supposed to be one of the best. Oak aging or oak chips soaked in whiskey aging? 15 gallons to fill a bourbon barrel would be a lot of mead.

I guess like beer oak or oak and bourbon aging probably isn’t going to cover up a bad base beverage but maybe that could change it enough to make it a bit better?

Did multiple Times, multiple lengths, HATED oak every single time. It's not for mead imo. But personal taste differs.

 

[Miraculix]

Actually honey doesn't go bad, it's the only food that there is no expiration date.

That is an urban legend. Some honeys have more water content than others, as soon as the water content reaches a certain percentage, yeast and other organisms can start metabolizing the sugars. Crystallization also ups the water content in the liquid phase, as it takes sugar out of solution, so there is plenty of room for honey to "go bad". Or to "go mead" .

 

[scry42]

Brazilian honey is interesting. Organic, because many areas are essentially terrible farmland so nobody farms, so no chemicals get used. I have had great results making mead with Marmeleiro honey from Brazil, with a wildflower sometimes called Silvestre, and with what I was told was a brown gum tree - Angico. On the other hand, unique to Brazil is a "honey" that is only available in even numbered years (? how do the bees know that?) that is made when the bees collect what we in the US would call "honey dew" - secretions from insects (that apparently the bees love). It is known as Melato, it is very dark and it is so completely strong (read:horrible) tasting that it makes buckwheat seem like dandelion. I made 3 batches of mead with it, and have not liked a one of them. In hopes of it aging into something drinkable, it's still taking up shelf space, but even after trying to backsweeten, adding acid, and trying several other things I won't embarass myself by admitting to - it is still just AWFUL!

 

[T Murph]

@scry42 when did you make this mead? This time last year I made 3 melomels with horrible Gall Berry honey. They have steadily improved over a year of aging. I did back sweetened them at about 5 months old. They are now very good dry sparkling melomes. I wouldn't give up on them. Let them age and make adjustments as necessary.

 

[eliedenshaw420]

I have a question for mead tastes, I just started a mead with dandelion, blackberry and clover honey, and anise extract. What should I add to it to mellow the flavor or just make it better, because I mostly taste the licorice note and some sweet aftertaste with a little yeasty taste

 

[Dan O]

I have a question for mead tastes, I just started a mead with dandelion, blackberry and clover honey, and anise extract. What should I add to it to mellow the flavor or just make it better, because I mostly taste the licorice note and some sweet aftertaste with a little yeasty taste

Your licorice note is from the star anise extract. Your mead will change over time. Some spices & herbs linger, but, others fade with time. Your honey will likely make a comeback in a few months & flavors will blend.
I would say maybe make a traditional (honey, water & yeast, with nutrients, of course) & try blending them . You can always add more flavor, but, once you've added too much you're stuck with what you have made until you change it or wait it out.
I hope this helps you.
Happy meading

 

[SimPilot]

2+ years ago, I bought burned honey from bulk restaurant web stores. Even after a year of aging, there is still after-taste. Even on fruit mead. So quality does matter.

 

[OleBrewing]

I bought a bunch of cheap honey from Menard's, it made terrible mead.

Most likely a mostly fake honey from outside the U.S. some honey mixed with sweeteners etc. just like electronics counterfeit in food products is a big money maker. Olive oil is another prime example. Store brand honey is a mix of stuff all over the place.

 

[OleBrewing]

Working for a bee keeper in the years of high school the honey types I noticed that were best we're alfalfa and sweet clover these were almost a clear to light yellow. Canola produced a lot of honey and was really good more goldfish. Sunflowers were very dark amber. It all went in the same tank and mixed together. But the clover and alfalfa I would take combs and chew the fresh wax and honey very good.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Most likely a mostly fake honey from outside the U.S. some honey mixed with sweeteners etc. just like electronics counterfeit in food products is a big money maker. Olive oil is another prime example. Store brand honey is a mix of stuff all over the place.

Agree 100%, my Menard's olive oil mead was total **** as well.

 

[eliedenshaw420]

Your licorice note is from the star anise extract. Your mead will change over time. Some spices & herbs linger, but, others fade with time. Your honey will likely make a comeback in a few months & flavors will blend.
I would say maybe make a traditional (honey, water & yeast, with nutrients, of course) & try blending them . You can always add more flavor, but, once you've added too much you're stuck with what you have made until you change it or wait it out.
I hope this helps you.
Happy meading

Here it is, 3 days and bubbling happy, I added red huckleberry juice from some that grow here and it sweetened up

 

[eliedenshaw420]

Here it is, 3 days and bubbling happy, I added red huckleberry juice from some that grow here and it sweetened up

Not to mention I made a special concoction with that added juice that immediately made the yeast happier

 

[odie]

When dealing with meads you can most always expect significant changes over time. I suggest you place yours in a relatively cool location and give it time to mature. Same goes for your Belgian Triple.

My first tripel with honey sat for a long time before I tapped it and was great. My second one I tapped pretty quickly and was unpleasant. Both were the same recipe.

My honey brown I tap right away and it's great...

go figure...

 

[Brewdog80]

Lots of meaderies can serve after only a few months. Our first try has sat 2 years after bottling and is finally drinkable. Just store cool and let it age. It might not be great, but it will most probably get way better. And just remember, the older you get, the less taste you can differentiate

 

[Mossman]

As a "Certified Honey" Beekeeper (I agree to abide by certain standards of quality for my honey and hives) I can tell you that unless the beekeeper is someone you know and they hand you the bottle themselves, it is difficult to know the origin of the honey or its floral source. Most cheaper honey that is available in bulk can have a large quantity of corn syrup either added to it or fed to the bees. Most of these don't have any pollen that is detectable in them to determine their floral source. Any honey that comes from outside your area can be suspect. It's a big money game. Just something to spread some awareness. Depending on the time of year you obtain your honey or the time of year the honey was extracted/robbed will determine its floral source. Here in the spring we have large amounts of Tulipafera (tulip tree or "tulip poplar"). This is a sweet red amber honey. Honeys like "mad honey" (which is nectar from a Nepalese laurel) can be terribly bitter and somewhat fermented when you get them. The effect is fun though. All of this to simply say that the honey does affect the taste of the mead. And I believe there is nothing wrong with taste before you buy...

 

[Mossman]

As a "Certified Honey" Beekeeper (I agree to abide by certain standards of quality for my honey and hives) I can tell you that unless the beekeeper is someone you know and they hand you the bottle themselves, it is difficult to know the origin of the honey or its floral source. Most cheaper honey that is available in bulk can have a large quantity of corn syrup either added to it or fed to the bees. Most of these don't have any pollen that is detectable in them to determine their floral source. Any honey that comes from outside your area can be suspect. It's a big money game. Just something to spread some awareness. Depending on the time of year you obtain your honey or the time of year the honey was extracted/robbed will determine its floral source. Here in the spring we have large amounts of Tulipafera (tulip tree or "tulip poplar"). This is a sweet red amber honey. Honeys like "mad honey" (which is nectar from a Nepalese laurel) can be terribly bitter and somewhat fermented when you get them. The effect is fun though. All of this to simply say that the honey does affect the taste of the mead. And I believe there is nothing wrong with taste before you buy...
Also, it's nice and dark in color and flavor...add some spices and make it a megthelin...or if it doesn't age out...distill it...