By James E. Tew, Ph.D.(reprinted with permission, Spring 1986 AMA Newsletter)
Ohio State Cooperative Extension Service Apiculturist; Coordinator, Commercial Beekeeping Program, Agricultural Technical Institute, Wooster, Ohio. The domestic wine industry is based primarily on grapes. The grape crop, unfortunately, is subject to the ravages of weather and specific plant diseases. The development of a supplementary wine industry – Mead – which uses honey, could be of benefit to both winemaker and beekeeper.
Honey is available on a year-round basis. There are few problems with undesired fermentation and a great variety of honeys exist that can potentially give meads a drastically different flavor and aroma. The flowers from which bees gather nectar largely determine the color, flavor, and aroma of honey. These acquired characteristics of honey are transferred to Mead. So, indirectly the flavor and taste of a Mead can be attributed to the interaction of a specific plant nectar and the action of yeasts on the sugars in that nectar.
There are many well-known floral sources of honey. Depending on one's palate, some make better Meads than others. Orange blossom, clover, blackberry, buckwheat, and sage are popular types of honey. Unfortunately, changing agricultural practices have made some of these honeys more difficult to get. Buckwheat, for instance is not grown as widely as it once was. It follows that one would not want to base a Mead production operation on buckwheat honey, as the supply is too erratic.
An advantageous characteristic of honey is its ease of storage. It can be kept for many years in an air tight container and away from light. Honey stored in tombs thousand of years ago has been found in good condition.
Honey is normally stored at room temperature in a dry place. Surprisingly, honey should not be stored in a refrigerator as the cool temperature speeds the natural crystallization process. Crystallization occurs with age in most honeys but does not harm the honey.
Honey is a super-saturated sugared solution and the excess sugars are precipitating out. To drive the sugar back into solution, thereby re-liquefying the honey, simply place the honey in a hot water bath. The water should not be hotter than the hand can stand.
There is one more aspect of this discussion that needs to be addressed -honey bees. They are the little critters that make the honey with which we make Mead. Bees' requirements in life are fairly simple. They need pollen for protein and honey for carbohydrates. Pollen and honey make up their complete menu. Bees and insect-pollinated plants have devised a complicated agreement -pollination. For a price, (pollen and nectar) bees will visit the blossoms of specific plants and in doing so, will distribute pollen from one blossom to another. In most plants, successful pollination is achieved. Fruit is set and consequently, seed is distributed.
A glass of Mead is much more than an enjoyable drink. It is the result of a complicated interaction between plants and bees. We, as opportunists, take a part of the bee's efforts, honey and change it to another form, Mead. Now when you enjoy a glass of Mead, imagine fields of blossoms, a bright, blue day and busy bees, laying by stores for the winter. That is the essence of a good Mead.
- 4-9-24 Bryce and Savannah at Fox and Raven Meadery - April 9, 2024
- 3-26-24 Bray Denard – One Month Mead, Mead - March 26, 2024
- 3-12-24 Laura Angotti – Mead in History and Historical Mead Making - March 12, 2024