what is a good technique to back-sweeten with honey ?

[ReDim]

what technique would you recommend for backsweteenting and also how much honey to use ?

 

[snuesen]

I will boil some water (amount depends upon how full my carboy is), add the honey when it's luke warm again, stir it up and add to the carboy.

In a 5g batch, I believe 1 cup honey will raise gravity 4 points. Some people will go as far as to take out a number of samples and add various amounts of honey to each, pick the best one and scale up to full volume. I prefer to guesstimate, but it's always best to shoot low and add more if needed.

After sweetening, if you can let it sit in the carboy for a while longer, the better it will balance out.

 

[fatbloke]

I use a similar technique, formerly worked out by taste now by the numbers....

So, I mix a small amount of honey with equal water.....an ounce/25g or so. Then after taking a gravity, I add half, stir it in gently then retest.

This is carried on until I get to between 1.005 and 1.015, aiming for about1.010

I've found thats about the sweetness level I like my meads at.

I also back sweeten once the batch has finished its ferment and been stabilised. Mainly because honey can cause a haze (which I understand, is proteins) and if you've spent all that time clearing it naturally, what with racking loses etc, can be vvv annoying. So I only have to clear it the once.....

 

[vNmd]

I also back sweeten once the batch has finished its ferment and been stabilised.

Do you metabisulfite and sorbate before back sweetening or just add the honey (does it restart fermentation)?

Mainly because honey can cause a haze (which I understand, is proteins).....

When you back sweeten using honey and get a haze, will time clear it or do you have to use clearing agents like superkleer or what ever it is called?

Thanks for the good info.

 

[fatbloke]

Do you metabisulfite and sorbate before back sweetening or just add the honey (does it restart fermentation)?

When you back sweeten using honey and get a haze, will time clear it or do you have to use clearing agents like superkleer or what ever it is called?

Thanks for the good info.

Yes, if theres any room in the tolerance of the yeast (like using a 16 or 18 % yeast but making the batch to 14%), any further addition of fermentable sugars can create conditions for re fermentation. So stabilise first then back sweeten.

If you just added extra honey and tberes room for it in the numbers its basically step feeding.

For honey (protein) hazes in finished brews I've had both. Ones that have dropped out naturally and one with heather honey that needed finings to clear it. Hence why I make my batches to the numbers and do the stabilising once the batch is finished and then back sweeten while its still cloudy. It seems to help it clear in a more normal way, but already as sweet as I want it.

Plus it means I get to run the ferment normally and none of that **** of using so much honey to achieve a higher strength mead with the right amount of residual sugars. I'll leave that hassle to the beer rewers who think that they're experts

 

[huesmann]

Do you metabisulfite and sorbate before back sweetening or just add the honey (does it restart fermentation)?

It depends. If you actually want more alcohol, and the yeast will support it (i.e. the alcohol level hasn't killed them off), then just add honey. If you want your mead at the ABV level it's at, then stabilize before adding honey.