Mead Honey Question

[JonGoku]

Slightly off topic, but whats the average batch size of mead you guys make?

[jward]

My one batch filled a keg pretty much to the top and the dregs went filled 2/3rds of a 750ml flipper top bottle. You can do other sizes especially if you don't want to put up all the cash for that much honey. The problem I have with small sizes is when you hit a really excellent batch and wish you had made it a full size.

[JonGoku]

How many pounds of honey do you use in a 5 gallon batch? About 14lbs?

[Oskaar]

OK,

Short answer is using pounds is a sure way to make disappointing mead.

Go by starting gravity to save yourself time, hassle and disappointment.

For a sweet mead, exceed the ABV tolerance of the yeast by about 2% or more depending on your sweet tooth.

For a dry mead, starting gravity should be lower or equal to the ABV tolerance of your yeast.

Example: Sweet Mead - Your yeast has an ABV Tolerance of 15% start your must at a gravity that has a PABV of about 17%. DO NOT use beer calculators to figure sweetness they are not accurate with honey. Instead go to the Got Mead Mead Calculator here. So for a yeast with ABV of 15% ABV Tolerance you would want your must to have a starting gravity that would exceed the 15% ABV Tolerance of the yeast which is about SG 1.115 or 27.1 brix. So you would want to mix up your must to have about a PABV of about 15.5-16.5%. To do so you would need your must to be at about 1.12x-1.130.

Using the same yeast and honey from above to make a dry mead you would want to have a starting gravity/brix of 1.115/27.1 or less to have a good dry mead with no residual sugar.

For either recipe, to make a six gallon batch you would need between 18 - 22 lbs or more/less. This is entirely dependent on the honey because like grapes, grain and fruit, sugar content varies with the floral source, and is influenced by heat, rainfall, humidity, etc.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar

[JonGoku]

Thanks Oskaar, good to know info. I will begin to keep an eye out for some reasonably priced honey.

For other inquiring minds, according to this cooking calc the honey weight to gallon ratio is as follows.
18 pound = 1.5 gallon [US]
22 pound = 1.8 gallon [US]

I think Lars mentioned something about some unmanned honey shack out in the desert (Death Valley area?) that he got some great prices on honey, but assuming that's not an option, where else do you and other mead makers get good prices on bulk honey? What's the average price, min purchase, etc?

[backyard brewer]

Millers Honey in Riverside area is your best bet for high quality honey.

[Oskaar]

Thanks Oskaar, good to know info. I will begin to keep an eye out for some reasonably priced honey.

For other inquiring minds, according to this cooking calc the honey weight to gallon ratio is as follows.
18 pound = 1.5 gallon [US]
22 pound = 1.8 gallon [US]

I think Lars mentioned something about some unmanned honey shack out in the desert (Death Valley area?) that he got some great prices on honey, but assuming that's not an option, where else do you and other mead makers get good prices on bulk honey? What's the average price, min purchase, etc?

Again, honey is inconsistent because it is a natural product and it will vary, sometimes widely in weight. If you buy absolute amounts (rather than pounds) you'll get what you want. Five gallons of Eastern Buckwheat honey is very dense and will weigh measurably more than Scottish Heather Honey which is like a block of Jello. It varies, if you want a rule of thumb, remember it is exactly that (a rule of thumb) and not an absolute.

Get your honey statistics and information from beekeepers, not from cooks.

Cheers,

Oskaar

[Rezzin]

Millers Honey in Riverside area is your best bet for high quality honey.

+1

[backyard brewer]

I'll add this too: What ever you do, do NOTtry and 'save' money on honey. Buy from someplace like Millers that is consistent and fair priced. If you only want to spend $30-$40 on honey for a batch, then only make 2-3 gallons of mead and not 5. Never buy grocery store honey which is often cut with corn syrup.

It'll be worth it 2-3 years from now when your mead is getting good.

[Oskaar]

I'll add this too: What ever you do, do NOTtry and 'save' money on honey. Buy from someplace like Millers that is consistent and fair priced. If you only want to spend $30-$40 on honey for a batch, then only make 2-3 gallons of mead and not 5. Never buy grocery store honey which is often cut with corn syrup.

It'll be worth it 2-3 years from now when your mead is getting good.

Excellent advice!

[jward]

I'll add this too: What ever you do, do NOTtry and 'save' money on honey. Buy from someplace like Millers that is consistent and fair priced. If you only want to spend $30-$40 on honey for a batch, then only make 2-3 gallons of mead and not 5. Never buy grocery store honey which is often cut with corn syrup.

It'll be worth it 2-3 years from now when your mead is getting good.

Excellent advice!

You ever wonder what is in KFC's "Honey Sauce"? There isn't enough honey in it to even call it honey. They have to call in honey sauce. When I'm throwing out the packets to use some real honey I wonder what would this crap taste like if I fermented up a batch? It would probably be OK if one distilled it enough before drinking.