> > I'm looking for information on the flavor characteristics of different
> > types of honeys.

> >

> > The local beer/wine shop I go to sells several types of honeys, but
> > doesn't have descriptions of what I might expect out of them.

> >

> > Of particular interest are blackberry, starthistle, buckwheat,
> > watermelon and raspberry. They have orange blossom too, but I've had
> > that before since that seems to be the common one other than clover out
> > here in California.

I can answer a few.

Orange Blossom is common where you have orange groves
and is considered a premium honey.

Buckwheat has a dark brown, not very sweet honey with a very
strong buckwheat aroma and taste.

Raspberry honey is the finest honey I have ever had. It is a light
yellow, sweet honey with a perfume like fragrance.

I've tasted a Blackbeery Mead, but not the honey itself. It
had a mild aroma of fruit, but someone had to tell me it was
Blackberry.

Many honeys do not taste like their source.

Dick

Robert,

I am actively working on a project to provide information of this kind.
I have collected dozens of varietal honey from across the country. All
of which are being fermented in the same conditions, same yeast, and
recipe. My goal is to have this information published. Currently all
the honey has either been fermented, or is now being fermented. The
next step to get some highly qualified mead judges to evaluate the
meads. I am thinking of possibly doing this at the AHA convention in
Denver. Thinking of either 6 groups of judges evaluating 4 meads each.

I haven't tried watermelon honey, so I can't speak to that one.
Buckwheat is very pungent, and I am not sure I care for it on it's own.
It's very dark, has a hay/barnyard type character in the aroma, the
flavor is almost like molasses. The others, blackberry, star thistle,
and raspberry are all very enjoyable in meads. I really try to avoid
heating up the honey as it tends to drive off the aromatics that you
want from a single source honey.

Michael Fairbrother

> > Hi all,

> >

> > I'm looking for information on the flavor characteristics of different
> > types of honeys.

> >

> > The local beer/wine shop I go to sells several types of honeys, but
> > doesn't have descriptions of what I might expect out of them.

> >

> > Of particular interest are blackberry, starthistle, buckwheat,
> > watermelon and raspberry. They have orange blossom too, but I've had
> > that before since that seems to be the common one other than clover out
> > here in California.

> >

> > Thanks!!

> >

> > Robert

> >

> > Could someone explain the advantages of using DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE & UREA,
> > a yeast nutrient product of JD Carlson versus using AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE
> > for a yeast nutrient when making mead.

I've been looking into a same question using different terms:
Should I be using Fermax or Fermaid K with Go-Ferm?

There is also Servomyces Yeast Nutrient from White Labs. But,
I have yet to learn its ingredients.

Fermax is a JD Carlson product. www.listermann.com/Store/Details.asp?ID=1146
indicates Fermax contains food-grade urea and ammonium phosphate.

www.undergrounddigital.com/beeradditives.htm indicates Fermax contains
diammonium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and
autolyzed yeast – ommitting food-grade urea. Somewhere I read that
Fermax no longer contains urea which should not be used when making
Mead. So a valid question is 'What are the ingredients in Fermax?"

Details on Fermaid K with Go-Ferm are at the end of this post.
Read them at your own risk. 🙂

What about Ammonium Phosphate?
I have never used it. My recollection is that ammonium phosphate
leaves a stronger taste in a mead than does diammonium phosphate
and it requires longer aging to vet that taste.

I have been using Fermax for the last four plus years without
any problems. My current supply is below the 1 lb level and
am planning to use Fermaid K with Go-Ferm on several batches
to see if there is a noticable improvement.

Compared to Fermax, Fermaid K with Go-Ferm is very expensive so
I hope it does result in a noticable improvement

Dick

================================================================

Fermaid K with Go-Ferm

http://www.scottlaboratories.com/products/fermentation/nutrients.asp

Fermaid K is a blended complex yeast nutrient that supplies ammonia
salts (DAP), alpha amino nitrogen (derived from yeast extract),
sterols, unsaturated fatty acids, key nutrients (magnesium sulfate,
thiamin, folic acid, niacin, biotin, calcium pantothenate) and
inactive yeast. For best results, Fermaid K should be used in
conjunction with GO-FERM to assure proper nutrition of cultured
yeast from rehydration through completed fermentation. Fermaid K
should be hydrated before adding to an active fermentation to avoid
CO2 release and overflowing of tanks or barrels. At one-third sugar
depletion:

* Nitrogen is needed for protein synthesis and to maintain cellular

growth. Nitrogen from the alpha amino acids contained in Fermaid K is
utilized much more efficiently than from the ammonia salts.

* Fermaid K provides unsaturated fatty acids and sterols. These are

important survival factors needed to maintain alcohol resistance and
permease activity. They also help keep volatile acidity levels low.

* The cell wall fractions in Fermaid K absorb medium chain fatty

acids that are toxic to the yeast. They also provide nucleation sites
to help keep the yeast in suspension.

Note: Due to high nutrient requirements, some yeast strains may require
extra feeding at two-thirds sugar depletion (i.e. CY3079, BM45).

Go-Ferm:
A well-known and easily corrected cause of sluggish and stuck
fermentations is nitrogen deficiency in must. While researchers have
determined that there are several key micronutrients for healthy yeast
growth and survival, many winemakers still only think of the importance of
nitrogen. Research by Lallemand, in collaboration with other institutes,
led to the development of GO-FERM. GO-FERM is a natural yeast nutrient
containing a balance of micronutrients. It was developed specifically to
prevent the problems of sluggish or stuck fermentations.

Suspend GO-FERM in the rehydration water before adding the selected
active dried yeast culture. The yeast soaks up the valuable
bio-available micronutrients as they rehydrate. Infusing yeast with
these essential nutrients arms them against ethanol toxicity and
optimizes nutrient availability to the rehydrating yeast culture.
The result is fermentations that finish stronger. GO-FERM is
particularly effective for helping the yeast survive the
fermentation of high sugar musts. If these micronutrients were
added directly to the must, competitive microorganisms would use
a significant amount of them and others would be chelated by
polyphenols or inactivated by SO2 . Using nutrients that contain
ammonia salts (such as DAP, Fermaid K, Yeastex, Superfood) during
rehydration can be toxic to the yeast.

Does anyone pitch a must onto the lees from a previous batch? I've
recently made the investment of buying honey in bulk, and since I'll be
making pretty much the same basic meads (and add the adjuncts in
secondary) I figure it might be worth investigating.

One concern I have that suggests its not a good idea is that since mead
is fairly high abv the leftover yeast might be stressed and damaged,
and of course new dry yeast is inexpensive. I guess the motivator would
be that a high cell count (if viable) would ferment a batch quickly.

Thanks,
Mike Hetzel