Made my first mead - Few photos.

[floydmeddler]

Cheers FB. I've sourced honey for the future. My mate's dad keeps bees and he has been selling me jars for £2. Best honey I've ever tasted. Have ordered 5 for my next batch of mead and will a add a jar to my Honey and Elderflower ale next week. Can't wait!

[greenxpaddy]

Hi Floyd

I'm doing a honeyed ale this week. Have some dried elderflowers on the shelf. Don't want it too floral but how much (g/L) might just give it a hint?

Never used elderflower before.

Cheers

[fatbloke]

Hi Floyd

I'm doing a honeyed ale this week. Have some dried elderflowers on the shelf. Don't want it too floral but how much (g/L) might just give it a hint?

Never used elderflower before.

Cheers

do a search for elderflower wine/champagne/cordial and just cut it down, I'd have thought that if it's, something like 1 litre volume per gallon, then something like 1/8th litre volume might be fine. Or just work out the amount for 1 gallon of wine, then use 1 litre boiling water on that and let it steep until cool then add it a little at a time, testing after each addition to taste.......

[floydmeddler]

Hi Floyd

I'm doing a honeyed ale this week. Have some dried elderflowers on the shelf. Don't want it too floral but how much (g/L) might just give it a hint?

Never used elderflower before.

Cheers

No more than 35g. Add it at the last 5 mins of the boil. That will give you a perfect balance. Use good quality honey too like Rowse and don't add it during the boil or during primary. Transfer the beer to a secondary fermenter after around 2 week and add it then. Make sure you pasteurise it before adding. Hope this helps!

[JamesA]

Hi Floyd, the mead sounds good! Thinking of having a go myself, how much honey did you end up using in the end?

Anything you would change if doing it again?

[floydmeddler]

Hi JamesA. I used 3x450g of Rowse honey and 150g of Sainsbury's own brand runny stuff. OG was 1098. I've only had 2 bottles of it so far as I want the rest to age. It's absolutely superb though. Really superb. I may have another bottle this weekend to mark the end of the school year!

I ended fermentation with a campden tablet but forget what the gravity was when I stopped it. Will measure it and let you know.

I'm going to get another batch on I reckon I'd be happy with 1 gallon a year. Mead is something of a special occasion drink for me. I won't change a thing at this stage. Will update here again when I drink another bottle.

[JamesA]

Hi Floyd, thanks for that, will make a shopping list

I presume you stopped the fermentation to keep it a bit sweeter? Would be interested to know how long you let it ferment and what the FG was if you get chance. Ive just bottled my turbo cider and started some of Wurzels orange wine, so mead will be next. Tho i may get in the loft and fish a couple more demijohns out as the wine is heaving and could be for some time!

[floydmeddler]

Yep. Didn't want it too dry. I fermented it for 3 months before bottling. Will defs take a FG reading and let you know. Need to do it anyway for my notes as I'll be repeating this one and like consistency.

[JamesA]

Got 4 jars of blossom honey for Lidl today, didnt think £1.81 was bad for a 500g jar, tastes nice too. Will dig out another demi john and get brewing tomorrow i think!

[crookedeyeboy]

Hey Floyd, what size jars were those honey jars? Thinking of making this

[floydmeddler]

Howdy C.E.B. They were 450g. Didn't have a bottle at the wknd. Will soon though!

[crookedeyeboy]

Excellent so roughly about 1.5kg of honey in 5 lts with 2 lemons and 3 oranges?
Ive got some interesting yeast to try out on this one, the Lalvin K1-V1116.

[floydmeddler]

I used 3x450g of Rowse honey and 150g of Sainsbury's own brand runny stuff and OG was 1098. I really want to crack a bottle open now!!!

[floydmeddler]

Hi folks. Sorry for delay... I took a bottle of this camping with me and sorry to say I couldn't take a hydro reading... who takes a hydrometer camping?? Anyway. I did feel that it was slightly too sweet so next time I'll be shooting for around the 1002 mark.

Very delicious though. No more until Xmas!