Old honey vs fresh honey

[AzOr]

Hello Mazers,

I spend most of my time on this forum in the beer and cider side. So it's been a few years since I've made a mead.

My q- About 3 years ago I bought coriander and carrot honey (3lb jug of each). Sadly, life and beer brewing got in the way of me using them. They have been crystallized for at least 2 years, if not more. Should I go ahead and use them for mead, or am I better off using them for cooking and purchasing fresher honey? I plan on making one gallon batches, so the cost wouldn't be too bad if I should use fresh honey.

Recently, there was a Basic Brewing Radio podcast where they taste these varieties and others. That's what is inspiring me to go ahead and make these meads.

I'm definitely interested in the unique qualities that these varietals can offer. All of my meads prior have been made using common honeys; clover, orange blossom, berry etc.

 

[Golddiggie]

Just warm it up enough to get it to dissolve and you're good to go. Just don't let it get above the 100-110F mark and you won't lose anything. I've actually used warm water to get crystalized honey into solution before without any ill effects. Just be sure that the must is a safe yeast pitching temperature before you toss your yeast into it.

 

[Ty520]

If it is still sealed, it should be fine. Put the containers in a bowl or pot of very warm water

 

[AzOr]

Thanks everyone! I've definitely used old and crystallized honey before but never "fancy" varieties.

I will report back. It may be a bit though as we are currently in the middle of a heat wave.

 

[Ty520]

Thanks everyone! I've definitely used old and crystallized honey before but never "fancy" varieties.

I will report back. It may be a bit though as we are currently in the middle of a heat wave.

crystallization is actually a sign of quality honey

 

[Golddiggie]

I've done this with what I had in a bucket of honey. As in a 5 gallon bucket that I had long enough for it to go from fluid to crystalizing. I would just scoop out what I needed (measure honey by WEIGHT) and then pour in warm water to get into solution. Top off with cold water and then wait for it to be the correct temperature. Often I was able to get it into the yeast range with just adding the cold water to the must.

I use local/regional wildflower honey for all my mead batches. IMO, it has a more complex flavor profile. Plus, I like the fact that it's from the same area I'm located in. I typically go to local apiaries to get the honey, not trusting any stores (or larger suppliers) since that honey can come from anywhere in the world.

 

[Dan O]

Hello Mazers,

I spend most of my time on this forum in the beer and cider side. So it's been a few years since I've made a mead.

My q- About 3 years ago I bought coriander and carrot honey (3lb jug of each). Sadly, life and beer brewing got in the way of me using them. They have been crystallized for at least 2 years, if not more. Should I go ahead and use them for mead, or am I better off using them for cooking and purchasing fresher honey? I plan on making one gallon batches, so the cost wouldn't be too bad if I should use fresh honey.

Recently, there was a Basic Brewing Radio podcast where they taste these varieties and others. That's what is inspiring me to go ahead and make these meads.

I'm definitely interested in the unique qualities that these varietals can offer. All of my meads prior have been made using common honeys; clover, orange blossom, berry etc.

I can confirm that heating honey that has crystallized back to a liquid state, (not any higher than 110°F or you're going to start to lose all the subtle floral note of those particular honeys that make them unique from one to the other), & using them in a mead is totally fine & worth the extra effort of bringing them back to liquid state vs. spending more money on honey that you alread have. Currently, I have 27 different varieties of honey, some have crystallized, some not. Any of the ones that have crystallized have made beautiful meads without any issues or off flavors.
On a side note, coriander and carrot blossom are 2 of the 27 that I have
I hope this helps you.
Happy meading

 

[Raptor99]

What method do you use to hold the honey at 100-110 degrees long enough to un-crystallize? I tried placing a 5 lb. container of honey in a pot of warm water at the correct temperature, but the water cooled down long before the honey was liquefied.

 

[Maylar]

What method do you use to hold the honey at 100-110 degrees long enough to un-crystallize? I tried placing a 5 lb. container of honey in a pot of warm water at the correct temperature, but the water cooled down long before the honey was liquefied.

Heat water on the stove top. Turn off heat, add honey jars. Stir after some time. Remove honey, turn on stove again. Repeat.
The label on my local honey says to use 150 degrees... I use 120. An instant meat thermometer works for me.

 

[Raptor99]

Heat water on the stove top. Turn off heat, add honey jars. Stir after some time. Remove honey, turn on stove again. Repeat.

That's exactly what I did. I read that I should not heat the honey above 110 degrees as @Dan O said above, so that was my target. After repeating that cycle 10 times, part of the honey was still crystallized. It's a very slow and time-consuming process. I want to find a better technique before I purchase a larger bucket of honey.

I am planning on trying a thermostat with some type of heading pad so that I can hold the honey at 110 degrees for 24 hours. But I don't have a heading pad yet.

 

[Dan O]

What method do you use to hold the honey at 100-110 degrees long enough to un-crystallize? I tried placing a 5 lb. container of honey in a pot of warm water at the correct temperature, but the water cooled down long before the honey was liquefied.

I use a sous vide machine, (immersion circulator) . Most machines that are on the market nowadays are accurate to +/-.1°F
That way, I set mine to 108°F & leave it alone & the machine keeps the water @ the right temperature & all I have to do is go back & stir it till it's back to a liquid state. It really does make it easy & saves you from having to worry about the temperature getting to hot.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C7PW3P...abc_EDXB45KK7NHGN64N7GYM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I hope this helps you.
Happy meading

 

[Maylar]

That's exactly what I did. I read that I should not heat the honey above 110 degrees as @Dan O said above, so that was my target. After repeating that cycle 10 times, part of the honey was still crystallized. It's a very slow and time-consuming process. I want to find a better technique before I purchase a larger bucket of honey.

I am planning on trying a thermostat with some type of heading pad so that I can hold the honey at 110 degrees for 24 hours. But I don't have a heading pad yet.

Yeah, doing a gallon jug would be a chore. An immersion heater with an Inkbird controller is in my plans. When I did some 3 lb jars I found that stirring the honey sped things up. Gotta be careful not to spill any though. And it's tempting to lick the spoon

 

[Dan O]

That's exactly what I did. I read that I should not heat the honey above 110 degrees as @Dan O said above, so that was my target. After repeating that cycle 10 times, part of the honey was still crystallized. It's a very slow and time-consuming process. I want to find a better technique before I purchase a larger bucket of honey.

I am planning on trying a thermostat with some type of heading pad so that I can hold the honey at 110 degrees for 24 hours. But I don't have a heading pad yet.

See my reply, please

 

[Dan O]

Yeah, doing a gallon jug would be a chore. An immersion heater with an Inkbird controller is in my plans. When I did some 3 lb jars I found that stirring the honey sped things up. Gotta be careful not to spill any though. And it's tempting to lick the spoon

Lol, very tempting to lick the spoon. @Maylar, you don't need the Inkbird if you have the immersion circulator. They have a thermostat control built into the unit & it keeps the water moving @ all times, eliminating any potential hot spots...constant temperature control.

 

[Maylar]

Lol, very tempting to lick the spoon. @Maylar, you don't need the Inkbird if you have the immersion circulator. They have a thermostat control built into the unit & it keeps the water moving @ all times, eliminating any potential hot spots...constant temperature control.

I already have the controller. Just need a heating element. Can a Sous Vide do a 5 gallon pail?

 

[Raptor99]

@Dan O Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking about getting a sous vide machine. That would definitely simplify things. On the other hand, I already have an inkbird temperature controller. I might try hooking that up to my slow cooker, but it's not quite tall enough for my containers of honey. My slow cooker is an old one with a mechanical switch and no electronics, so it should work fine with the inkbird.

 

[Dan O]

I already have the controller. Just need a heating element. Can a Sous Vide do a 5 gallon pail?

Yes, some can. I did a 5 gallon bucket of OB honey not that long ago. Mine happens to be a very expensive one that can circulate up to 16 gallons of water, but, some of the smaller ones are more limited. I might also add that I got mine from Poly Science, before sous vide machines were widely used in the restaurant business . Once the word got out that people were cooking with them, the prices took a nose dive. Just my luck

 

[Dan O]

@Dan O Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking about getting a sous vide machine. That would definitely simplify things. On the other hand, I already have an inkbird temperature controller. I might try hooking that up to my slow cooker, but it's not quite tall enough for my containers of honey. My slow cooker is an old one with a mechanical switch and no electronics, so it should work fine with the inkbird.

No problem. I will set mine up when I get home from work today and take a couple of pictures. I bought a large marine cooler & cut a hole in the lid to accept my machine. I wanted to keep the lid on for a couple of reasons...
1.) Having only the cutout for the machine keeps the evaporation of the hot water down to a minimum.
2.) The insulation keeps the machine from having to turn on as much to maintain a constant temperature.
I hope this helps you.
Happy meading

 

[Dan O]

@Maylar & @Raptor99 , I have an Inkbird as well. The sous vide machine will eliminate the need for it, as it has it's own regulator built into the unit. The only things you need to be concerned with are...
1) making sure you vessel is deep enough for the machine & the vessel of honey you're trying to liquefy
& 2) making sure you keep the water @ the right height. To high & it will short out the electronics, too low & it will burn out the heating element. Also, I ONLY us distilled water when I use my machine. That way my machine stays clean & free of harsh metals & residues.

 

[odie]

I keep bees. Honey does not spoil. If the moisture content is too high, it can start to ferment. Something 18% or less is ideal if not kept refrigerated. Crystallization I think is a factor of low moisture (more sugar and less water). Like the others say, just warm it gently. You could even set the jar out in the sun, but make sure the lid is loose or it can expand and shatter the glass.

 

[bernardsmith]

My q- About 3 years ago I bought coriander and carrot honey (3lb jug of each). Sadly, life and beer brewing got in the way of me using them. They have been crystallized for at least 2 years, if not more. Should I go ahead and use them for mead, or am I better off using them for cooking and purchasing fresher honey? I plan on making one gallon batches, so the cost wouldn't be too bad if I should use fresh honey.

Honey has an incredibly long shelf life (think in hundreds of years , if not longer). There is a claim that a batch of honey found in Egypt in a tomb was still perfectly edible after 3000 years , so your 3 year old honey would not create any problem for the yeast or for you.

 

[AzOr]

Thanks bernardsmith. I've definitely have used old honey in the past for mead, but never an expensive fancy honey. I will give it a shot and I'm sure it'll be good.

Thanks everyone for your responses. This has been very helpful. I may have a sous vide thingy in my kitchen soon.

I believe Inkbird makes an affordable version. I just noticed someone already commented on the inkbirds.

 

[AzOr]

I'm not sure if many of you here listen to Basic Brewing Podcast, since it's mostly about beer. However, it's a great show, very entertaining and they discuss mead fairly frequently.

I believe it's the most recent episode where they taste five different varieties and give their tasting feedback. Very informative.

 

[oakbarn]

You can purchase a bucket heater for honey that only gets to 110 degrees. I keep bees and it is used when bottling (and uncrystallizing)

 

[Elmo Peach]

Hello Mazers,

I spend most of my time on this forum in the beer and cider side. So it's been a few years since I've made a mead.

My q- About 3 years ago I bought coriander and carrot honey (3lb jug of each). Sadly, life and beer brewing got in the way of me using them. They have been crystallized for at least 2 years, if not more. Should I go ahead and use them for mead, or am I better off using them for cooking and purchasing fresher honey? I plan on making one gallon batches, so the cost wouldn't be too bad if I should use fresh honey.

Recently, there was a Basic Brewing Radio podcast where they taste these varieties and others. That's what is inspiring me to go ahead and make these meads.

I'm definitely interested in the unique qualities that these varietals can offer. All of my meads prior have been made using common honeys; clover, orange blossom, berry etc.

We moved house and I put a bucket of honey away. 25 years later i found it and made a batch of mead. It turned out very good and it taste like sherry.

Hello Mazers,

I spend most of my time on this forum in the beer and cider side. So it's been a few years since I've made a mead.

My q- About 3 years ago I bought coriander and carrot honey (3lb jug of each). Sadly, life and beer brewing got in the way of me using them. They have been crystallized for at least 2 years, if not more. Should I go ahead and use them for mead, or am I better off using them for cooking and purchasing fresher honey? I plan on making one gallon batches, so the cost wouldn't be too bad if I should use fresh honey.

Recently, there was a Basic Brewing Radio podcast where they taste these varieties and others. That's what is inspiring me to go ahead and make these meads.

I'm definitely interested in the unique qualities that these varietals can offer. All of my meads prior have been made using common honeys; clover, orange blossom, berry etc.

I put a bucket of honey away when we moved houses. I found it 25 years later and made mead from it. It turned out very good and tastes like sherry

 

[Skyline225]

Use a sous vide and set to 110! Come back in an hour

 

[AzOr]

Or this. Since it's already in my garage.

 

[cmac62]

Or this. Since it's already in my garage.

View attachment 734039View attachment 734039

Perfect. This is what I was going to say, I have not used my anvil for sous vide, but I have heard it works great. you may want to use more hose, so you can get a better recirc. but it should work perfectly.