Question for a first time mead maker.... What is the solid stuff floating in my honey

[PaddyMick]

 

[Vikings]

Looks like yeast to me.

 

[fatbloke]

Looks like sugar crystals.......

Some honey will crystalise faster than others. It depends on the fructose/glucose mix in the nectars collected by the bees.

Oil seed rape/canola is famous for crystallising quickly etc.....

If in doubt, immerse it in a sink of hot water, when the water goes cold, fill it up again and let that cool too. You should start to see the crystals dissolving, or at least getting smaller.....

And the reason for warming it like that is to prevent heating damage to the honey and driving off the aromatics and other VOC's that give the honey its varietal signature.......

 

[ColeVet67]

From these pics.. i would say its just bees wax/hive material. This WILL/SHOULD NOT harm your mead in any way.
some people have boiled their honey, like beer wort, and this really destroys the "essence" of the honey. there is no need to boil/heat your honey.. unless you need to GENTLY heat it.. to get it out of the jar.

this should be done, a very low temps.

 

[PaddyMick]

Ok yeah I figured it was whatever came out. Boil may have been a strong word I never got it to a full boil just enough to liquify the honey since it had granulated. The gravity is almost dead on for what it was suppose to be. I have made mead before but from store bought honey and it never ha the particles this does.

 

[PaddyMick]

And the pics were taken before pitching yeast. By the way. Is it recommended to just use the dry yeast direct with out dissolving it in water?

 

[Shooter]

You don't have to rehydrate and you will likely be fine if you are pitching plenty of yeast. That being said, I almost always rehydrate my dry yeast.

BTW, the things floating in you honey are bee ghosts, the souls of long dead bees who slaved to produce the honey and can't find a way to move on. Go into the light little friends!!

 

[Vikings]

Ha. My perspective was off. I was looking at this like it was in a carboy fermenting, but it was in a jar.

 

[PaddyMick]

Thanks to everyone for the advice and comments. I will let you know how it turns out. But since I'm here I've been using Welches frozen concentrated grape juice (in the off season for grapes here in NC) to make brandy.... Comes out really tasty but looking to expand. Anybody got any good choices on other fruit products to use.

 

[PaddyMick]

This is what it looks like now after a month and ten days. Clearing up nicely. Still fermenting and I haven't sample it yet gonna give it another 4 months first.