BuckWheat Mead

[mikeal]

This thread was resurrected fortuitously! I'm actually planning on making three batches with buckwheat (a traditional, a chouchen, and one split between buckwheat and acacia) once my fermenters free up in about two weeks time. It'll take a while before things are ready to taste-test, but I can follow up and let you know how they all go.

Note: using west-coast buckwheat for the traditional and chouchen, and east-coast buckwheat for the acacia/buckwheat split.

Did you end up making this? If so, how did they come out?

 

[dmtaylor]

I can't be certain what dung tastes like, but I imagine it's not far from buckwheat honey mead. YMMV

Enjoy.

 

[dvi]

Did you end up making this? If so, how did they come out?

I did! The chouchen didn't turn out well coming out of secondary - the buckwheat funk didn't seem to mesh with dry cider and there was an underlying bitterness that I struggled with. That one might improve with age though.

The other two were much more successful and have made me an overall fan. The buckwheat/alfalfa split is strong and tastes almost like a mild whiskey. For the 100% buckwheat traditional, I used a red wine yeast that added dark fruit notes and they matched perfectly with the honey's characteristics. It is probably my third favorite of any batch I've ever made and one I'll definitely be repeating in the future.

One thing to note: all three were made with western-US sourced buckwheat honey. I found it to be delightful and full of character without being offensive on the senses, but for eastern US sourced honey that might be a different story.

 

[Luxumbra]

In general, mead-makers will warn you off of using buckwheat.

This is because they are little girly-men.

However... you might not want to go 100%. I made a mead with 12 lbs clover and 3 lbs buckwheat, and it definitely adds a kind of a farmhouse/apple flavor to the whole deal. It's kind of appealing, but I wouldn't use it as more than 20-25% of your fermentables. If you do, though, let me know how it goes!

I have made a 100% buckwheat mead, and I recommend against it lol I will never do it again. The initial taste, dry out of primary, was old stale beer. I backsweetened it and tried to balance it, but no matter what I did it just tasted like old stale beer with sweet cough medicine in it.... it has made me second guess adding the honey to anything ever again, though with the overwhelmingly good reviews on some things including buckwheat as a piece of the fermentables, I might try it out in the future. But 100% buckwheat traditional? Never.. again...

 

[MightyMosin]

From my experience, straight buckwheat is difficult as a mead.

As part of other meads it can be nice. I have used It in smaller amounts to add different flavors.

It works nice as a bochet or as a part of one. One of my favorites is in BOB...Buckwheat Orange Blossom traditional.

 

[Luxumbra]

From my experience, straight buckwheat is difficult as a mead.

As part of other meads it can be nice. I have used It in smaller amounts to add different flavors.

It works nice as a bochet or as a part of one. One of my favorites is in BOB...Buckwheat Orange Blossom traditional.

Hmm, I'll have to just take a leap of faith then and try it out