Not very hopeful

[hooligansteve]

I received free honey from relatives who keep bees. I made two batches of mead yesterday.
However, I am not altogether very hopeful.
They honey had a pretty strong odor and I'm wondering (hoping really) if those smells will work themselves out of my finished product.
I'm planning on making a dry, sparkling mead which I will age over oak and a sweeter melomel aged over sour cherries.

 

[Tusch]

What kind of odor?

 

[hooligansteve]

Hard to describe the odor. But it was something that would make you crinkle your nose and make you hesitant about putting such a substance in your mouth. I suppose I can't complain too much as the honey was free and all I spent was a few bucks on yeast and spring water. I just don't want to wait 18 months only to get something undrinkable.

 

[Tusch]

I probably wouldn't make mead out of any honey I couldn't eat. I just can't imagine that going well.

 

[hooligansteve]

Well, I wouldn't say that it was inedible.
It just smelled a little.
And it was free and I was already given it with the expectation that I would turn it into mead. I couldn't exactly give it back and say "Thanks, but your honey stinks."
In any case, I have a long time to find out the payoff, good or bad.

 

[Jaybird]

Give it 5 years it will be fine. I almost through out my rasberry ginger mead after holding on it for like 2 years and someone on here said keep it and forget about it for a few years, well I did and it at this point is 5 years old and WONDERFUL!!!!!!!
when you go to bottle, bottle up some 12oz bottles then you have a few testers. I just wouldnt start testing for 2 years.
Mead takes a looooooong time to mature
JJ

 

[gratus fermentatio]

If the mead turns out nasty, give it to the people who gave you the nasty honey. Tell them it was made with their honey, or not. (snickers) Regards, GF.