Topping up with honey/water

[Fritobandito]

So I made a 4 gallon batch using 10 lbs of orange blossom honey. I have it in a 3 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon glass jug. After I rack I'm just going to top up the 3 gallon carboy with mead from the 1 gallon jug. I plan on filling up the 1 gallon again though for future rackings. I was wondering if there was a ratio for honey to water I should use. Like 6 cups water 1 cup DME for a beer starter except use honey instead of DME.

 

[fatbloke]

Well the recommends that I've read about honey based top ups, said 2 honey to 1 water.

Myself, I usually make it a 1 to 1 split, which seems to work.

Either way, if the ferment has finished, and you've sulphited/sorbated, then you will often find that honey top ups will cause a hazing - I understand that it's a protein haze, that drops out over time, though I try and back sweeten before the clearing process has finished then I can use finings with minimal racking losses etc and end up with a nice clear batch either for bulk ageing or bottling (bulk ageing for preference as I'm lazy and it pisses me off to have to spend hours washing, de-labelling and sanitising the bottles....)

regards

fatbloke

 

[Fritobandito]

2 parts honey to 1 part water seems like that would be really concentrated. I figured something like 4-5 parts water to 1 part honey. And about the clearing thing, I plan on having this ferment again. I haven't sorbated yet, and probably wont for a long time.