Mead is quite a delicious alcoholic beverage that mainly consists of honey. But, there are many people around me who are confused regarding what kind of honey to use for mead. After all, the yeast has to convert the sugars present in the honey properly.
So, can you use raw honey for mead? Yes, it is totally okay to use raw honey for mead! In fact, some people even believe that raw honey imparts better taste to mead instead of regular honey. It also contains more nutrients that may benefit your health too.
In this guide, I will be talking about how you can use raw honey for mead and what you need to do. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it!
How Do You Make Mead With Raw Honey?
Now that you can make mead with raw honey, what is the process of doing so? Is it the same as regular honey or do you need to take a few extra steps? I have covered it all for you in the below-mentioned steps.
Ingredients Needed:
Before you begin, make sure that you have the below-mentioned ingredients available with you:
- Filtered or distilled water
- Two to three pounds of raw honey
- Two grams of champagne yeast
Then, follow through with the next steps.
Steps To Follow:
Step 1: Sterilize The Vessels
It is necessary to make sure that whichever vessels and equipment you are using for preparing mead are clean. Hence, first, start by sterilizing the vessels.
Step 2: Mix Honey With Lukewarm Water
You need to simmer water until it is warm before you begin the process. Then, you need to add two to three pounds of honey to the water as per your sweetness requirements.
Then, make sure you stir water and honey till they are combined properly.
Step 3: Simmer The Honey and Water Mixture
After mixing both water and honey, you need to simmer the mixture for around 30 minutes. However, make sure that you don’t boil the mixture as it would cause the honey to lose its flavor and may even pose health risks.
After 30 minutes, you may find a scum layer present on the surface of the mixture. So, you need to remove this layer properly.
Then, remove the mixture from heat and let it cool for a few minutes till the temperature reaches 100F.
Note: There is a debate going around where some brewers are against heating honey. So, the decision is up to you whether to heat or not heat the mixture!
Step 4: Add Yeast To The Mixture
In this step, you need to pour the honey-water mixture into a gallon glass bottle after it has cooled down.
Now, again measure the temperature and let the mixture cool down to about 90F. Then, add the yeast to the mixture.
Step 5: Close The Bottle
After adding yeast, you need to cap the bottle. Then, shake it properly. After you have shaken it well, you can add more water to it.
Here’s a tip: Make sure that you leave at least 4 inches gap from the bottle cap to the mixture content.
You can then remove the top and replace it with an airlock to ensure that there’s no contamination.
Step 6: Store The Bottle
Lastly, simply store the bottle in a cool place for about six weeks. After 12 to 24 hours, don’t forget to check the bottle for any foaming or bubbles.
Then after six weeks, the foaming will lessen. Once it stops completely, you can bottle your mead now!
In this way, you can use raw honey and prepare mead from it.
What Type of Honey Is Best For Mead?
There’s no ‘best’ honey for preparing mead. After all, it truly depends on what kind of flavor you’re looking for in your mead.
So, let’s see the different types of honey varieties and what kind of flavor and color they can impart to your mead. I am sure this will help you decide which honey to use!
- Acacia
If you’re looking for a sweeter-tasting mead, then I highly recommend using acacia honey. This honey comes from the black locust flower and has a light yellow color.
It is one of the sweetest kinds of honey varieties available today. It can also blend well with other honey varieties.
- Alfalfa
Alfalfa honey is the best option if you want to add additional flavors to your mead. It doesn’t have an overpowering flavor. Instead, it has a mild floral flavor with a bit of spiciness. It has a beautiful and light amber shade.
- Blueberry Blossom
There’s nothing more exciting than a tangy and rich honey mead! Well, the blueberry blossom has a super dark color with a rich and sour taste of blueberry. So, you don’t need to add any extra flavors when you use this honey.
- Buckwheat
Using buckwheat honey alone for mead is simply not a good idea. It has a very strong earthy flavor that is unsuitable for mead. However, if you want to use it, you can use it in 1/3rd quantity with any other honey variety.
- Clover
Clover is the most common option for creating mead today. It has a great flavor but the best part is that you can use it as a base and add more flavors to your mead.
- Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus honey isn’t the best option for mead due to its herbal taste and smell. But, it may taste pleasant if you ferment it once.
- Mesquite or Desert Blossom
Mesquite is a considerable choice if you’re planning to use spices, chilis, and cloves in your mead. It has an earthy taste and smell with mild sweetness which does pretty good on its own too. But, you can use this honey as a base too!
- Orange Blossom
Are you in a holiday mood? Then use the orange blossom honey! It has lovely citrus and floral taste. Moreover, you can also add additional flavors like cloves, cinnamon, and orange to the orange blossom honey for a lovely winter mead.
- Tupelo
This type of honey also has a slightly floral and fruity taste. So, if you want that in your mead, go ahead with tupelo!
- Wildflower
Wildflower honey has a different flavor and consistency every time. I don’t recommend it if you want a similar-tasting mead every time. But, if you specifically want to have something special and unique, you can use it!
So, depending on your requirements, you can find out which honey variety suits you the best!
How to Sanitize Honey for Mead?
Sanitizing honey for mead may stand for pasteurization wherein the microorganisms present in the honey are destroyed. Many brewers are against using heat for honey as it may cause loss of flavor and even aroma.
But, I have found three alternatives that can help you. These include:
- Using Low Heat
In this method, you don’t need to boil honey. You can simmer it for a few minutes so that it can kill off any microorganisms.
First, ensure that the honey-water mixture is around 150F. Then, let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. For better results and more safety, you can also bring the temperature to 140F and let the mixture simmer for 22 minutes.
- Using Sulfite
You can use sulfite tablets in the form of Campden tablets. These tables can kill off any microorganisms and prevent contamination. You can use about one tablet for one gallon and two tablets for one gallon having fruits or extra ingredients as well.
But, keep in mind that these tablets may affect the taste and flavor at times.
- Simply Cleaning The Equipment
Lastly, you also have an option to not sterilize honey before making mead. The yeast that you add to the honey-water mixture won’t allow the growth of outside bacteria or stray yeast.
So, simply clean the equipment and go on with the process!
Raw or Filtered Honey for Mead?
There are certain benefits and limitations to both raw and filtered honey for mead.
Filtered honey is free of any microorganisms or even other unneeded substances like pollens present in it. It is because this type of honey is heated then cooled immediately However, filtered honey may have less intense flavors and fewer nutrients compared to raw honey.
As the name suggests raw honey is honey in its original form. There’s no pasteurization process done here. Hence, it retains its original flavor and nutrients too. But, there may be a risk of contamination present due to the microorganisms inside.
Tips for Making Mead With Raw Honey
If you are preparing mead with raw honey, I have gathered some tips that will help in making the end results amazing!
- Consider not heating the raw honey and water mixture as it can reduce the overall flavor of the mead.
- Use fresh raw honey and always look for natural and quality ingredients such as fresh fruits from backyards.
- If possible, try to monitor the pH during the fermentation process.
- If you want to preserve the original taste of honey, consider opting for cooler fermentation temperatures.
Final Thoughts
Your honey mead can come out to be excellent and beyond delicious if you use raw honey. You just need to make sure that you avoid heating techniques if possible.
However, if you’re too skeptical about contamination, it is also a good idea to go ahead with filtered honey instead of raw!