Oh Wifey!!! What does mead taste like?

[Iceblink]

Mead is delicious. The taste depends on the kind of mead, just like the kind of wine. Can you picture the taste of honey without all the sweetness?

You can make 'regular' mead, or fruit mead, which will have the flavor of the fruit used. Personally I prefer fruit mead made with a tart fruit such as cranberry or rhubarb. I have also had spiced mead, which is a little like mulled wine, and was very good.

My husband is a self confessed beer snob, but he loves mead. We often buy it from a local health food store, or it is sometimes in the 'organic/local' wine section. With the price of honey being what it is, unless you have a cheap source of honey, you might want to try mead before you make it.

 

[Wifezilla]

Iceblink, I make mine in 2 gallon batches. If I screw up, I don't throw away too much money. Also 3 lbs of honey seems to work well in that batch size.

 

[miss_thenorth]

So basically, if your a beer drinker, who doesn't mind wine but would prefer to have something else, probably wouldn't mind mead?

Maybe I should break down and buy some to try before trying to make it myself.

I can get 5 gallons of honey for ~$30. A case of your cheapest beer here is about $28.00. (higher end beers much more) I still think making mead would be cheaper ,yes?

Wife--care to share your 2 gallon recipe? In case I feel adventurous?

 

[me&thegals]

I can get 5 gallons of honey for ~$30.

Per gallon or total?!?

 

[miss_thenorth]

Total. I went to a farmers market on Saturday, and that's how much the guy was selling it for. Is that good or bad. I didn't buy any, as I have honey at home.

 

[freemotion]

I can get 5 gallons of honey for ~$30.

Per gallon or total?!?

Canadian dollars or American?????? (What is the exchange now, anyways?) Holy Buzz, Batman, go snag yourself a pail! Grab one for me while you are at it! You'll have to drop it off, as I don't have a passport....

 

[miss_thenorth]

I can get 5 gallons of honey for ~$30.

Per gallon or total?!?

Canadian dollars or American?????? (What is the exchange now, anyways?) Holy Buzz, Batman, go snag yourself a pail! Grab one for me while you are at it! You'll have to drop it off, as I don't have a passport....

Well DANG, it was in London, an hour away, but I will be going back up before Christmas.

BTW Canadian and American are very close these days. I think that would be like $28 american.

 

[freemotion]

I was thinking "bees" when I wrote Holy Buzz, Batman. I just realized what this thread is about....

 

[me&thegals]

Total. I went to a farmers market on Saturday, and that's how much the guy was selling it for. Is that good or bad. I didn't buy any, as I have honey at home.

That is so stinkin' good I'm thinking of driving up there to load up for resale!!! I was pleased when I purchased honey from a fellow beekeeper at $20/gallon this year!

 

[Wifezilla]

Ok...the 3lbs of honey was for the batch with grapes (duh!). Use up to 6 lbs for a 2 gallon batch without grapes. This is the basic recipe I use...

http://www.brewingkb.com/mead/orange-mead-374.html

But I don't boil my honey for very long. Just 15 minutes or so. Longer and the honey flavor tends to get, well, sanitized. I also add a couple of cinnamon sticks to the honey while it boils. Remove those before you add the yeast.