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Price of honey

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I've re-thought getting the 5 gallon bucket o honey for now... Really more than I'll use before the next set of mead batches... I'm now thinking that around 10-12 pounds (basically 1 gallon) would be enough to carry me through a few months (maybe more)... Besides, I've put the monstrosity brew on hold for now too. Shifting to something that will be done a bit sooner...
 
I went and dropped LOTS of support on my local apiary today (I have honey again!!) I pay $2.75/lb if I get them to put it in my own bottles, a gallon pail is $44 and I think next time I'll see about getting a 5-gal pail of the goldenrod honey just for a change from all this clover honey I've been using, same price so why not... I didn't get their pail price although I did confirm that they do sell it like that... I think I'll do that next time as I do have enough jars and smaller honey buckets to decant it into to make using it easy...
 
I've been emailing with an apiary in NH for the past day or so... I've been made an offer I simply cannot refuse... For some samples of what I have pretty much ready (in bottles carbonating) I'm being offered a incredible deal on a 5 gallon bucket of honey. :eek: Basically, less than the cost of the 1 gallon I was looking to get (as of last night)... Even with the two hours (each way) I'll be driving, it's a SICK deal... Even if I burn though 10 gallons of fuel (round trip) I'm STILL getting a better deal than the place closer to me could offer... Plus, this is 100% local honey (the hives are in two counties, one in each NH and MA)...

I'll just need to be sure to pack the bottles for traveling (thinking lots of padding, and completely enclosed to prevent an 'accident' from happening)... I'm planning on providing two bottles of each brew, one if they want to try now, the other if they can wait until next weekend (or after I check for carbonation)... Even with what the bottles cost me, I'm STILL getting a great deal...

Love being able to work with people on things like this... Of course, this does mean that I'm going to have to make a batch with their honey ASAP... I want something to bring to them before the end of next year... Thinking that I'll make a lower ABV level traditional mead... Something with D47 yeast and a starting gravity to produce something in the medium to sweet range (not too far into sweet)... Thinking about 10-1/2 pounds of honey in a 3 gallon batch should do the trick... If it finishes around 1.015-1.008 (hopefully D47 won't go drier than 1.004, with a OG of 1.126) that should work... Enough of a kick to it to make it good, but still enough sweetness left in it... NOT going to heat the entire thing above 100F so that I keep all the goodness from this honey...
 
Golddiggie

As has been pointed out in a few other treads, homebrewing is for personal use. Bartering alcohol is subject to taxation and is illegal with out the proper licenses.

Not saying you can't or shouldn't, just saying you may not want to broadcast it to the whole world wide web. ;)

Know what I mean.
 
mmclean said:
Golddiggie

As has been pointed out in a few other treads, homebrewing is for personal use. Bartering alcohol is subject to taxation and is illegal with out the proper licenses.

Not saying you can't or shouldn't, just saying you may not want to broadcast it to the whole world wide web. ;)

Know what I mean.
Click to expand...

Bugger... well that kills that idea... ;)

Too bad I can't edit the post with that info in there now...
 
More I think about it the more I think I'll go with my thoughts as of last night... Get a 1 gallon bucket of the honey delivered for Friday (I hope) so that I can try it out. Will cost me less (in more ways than one) and worry me less... I really only think I'll need the large quantities once a year, if that. The gallon should keep me going until spring time, or when they have the first gathering... If not, then I'll get more as needed. Even though it will cost more in the long run, it's easier on the budget for the near term. Plus, if it takes me a while to use it, having to deal with 40+ pounds of solid honey (again) is not something I look forward to.
 
mmclean said:
As has been pointed out in a few other treads, homebrewing is for personal use. Bartering alcohol is subject to taxation and is illegal with out the proper licenses.
Click to expand...
One of the local apiary owner's offered to buy "a bottle or two" from me as he'd never tasted mead. I told him I couldn't do that but I'd GIVE him a couple of 12 oz. samples the next time I was in the area.

It's part of my evil plan to get yet another person addicted to this hobby. BWA-HA-HA-HA!
 
Thinking that I might opt for doing the same thing...

I'll give a sample, or two, for feedback and still purchase the honey... What they charge me for the honey is up to them, but I'll still be paying them in dollars...
 
I'm still thinking about getting the honey from the place closer... At about $1.75/pound, it's a decent deal... Just not sure if I want to have 5 gallons of honey in my place until I've used it all up... Could take me a while (like a year or more)... 1 gallon would be much easier to store, and last me at least a few months (or longer)... I also have another source that's pretty close (under 15 miles from where I live) that I could pick up 5 or 10 pounds of honey if I needed it... I've used their stuff before and it's good, but not nearly as inexpensive (about $35 for a 5 pound jar)...
 
After sending emails (most of the day) with the apiary that I was going to drive up to on Friday I've just ordered 1 gallon of their honey... They're being kind and not hurting me on the shipping cost of it... I've also (after placing the order) asked if they have any kind of 'sampler pack' of what they have for honey varieties that I could also order/purchase... I just sent that message so it might take a little bit to get a reply... I've also found out about another local apiary/bee keeper that I might be able to purchase honey from. Always nice to have more than one source for things, especially if the source is even closer/more local... So that's three apiaries in the rough area (within about 80-100 miles of each other, driving distance, not as the bee flies)...

I do like ordering from places that are this close. It means that I can do the cheap (UPS ground) shipping and still get the item the following day (as long as I don't miss the cut-off time)... My order will go out tomorrow morning, and I expect to see it come Friday...

Basically, I'm paying just over $2 a pound for this batch of honey. I know it's more per pound than the the place I was originally going to go to, but this is what I actually can use now. Not have it hanging around for who knows how long before I go through it all...
 
Golddiggie said:
Thinking that I might opt for doing the same thing...

I'll give a sample, or two, for feedback and still purchase the honey... What they charge me for the honey is up to them, but I'll still be paying them in dollars...
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what we do. Our honey guy loves to get a bottle of mead when we come in and he always gives us a great price on the honey.
 
I will say that these guys are not getting off to a good start. For one thing, the honey was supposed to ship out yesterday, so that I would have it today... I checked with the UPS guy, and they didn't have anything else to deliver to me (I got my second water filter earlier)... I hope that they used FedEx for this, since I don't think they've come around yet... I did just check, and nothing else has been delivered yet... I was looking forward to using this honey in a brew I'm making tomorrow... Now I'll need to pick up the honey from the grocery store, or run out and hope that I can get something better (without getting over-charged) from Whole Foods... I really didn't want to go there, since it is further away. I told the guy that I was wanting this for a beer I'm brewing tomorrow. I've emailed him asking for tracking info, and to be sure it actually shipped out as promised. No reply yet (it's been a couple of hours too)... I won't have time to get there today, or even tomorrow since I have someone coming over to brew with me. If they used the USPS then it MIGHT arrive tomorrow, but you never really know with those guys if they will deliver on time or not...

Oh, and I've already activated my yeast (Wyeast punch pack) and have the starter mixed up (ready for the yeast to go into it)... So I've pretty much committed to doing this tomorrow...
 
Richard, from Black Cat Honey has NOT responded to any of my emails sent since I paid for the product (late Wednesday evening)... I'm getting really pissed off with them now. I've also left a voice message with the only working number I have for him (the number listed on their site rings a few times and then disconnects). I'll give them a little more time to either call, email, or send out the honey I ordered before I start having to deal with forcing a refund.

Basically, once I either get the honey I've paid for, or my funds back, I'm inclined to never do business with them again. At over 2 hours drive (each way) from me, it's not a trip I would make often. Hence wanting to get the honey shipped to me. I'm already talking with another apiary that's pretty close (under 45 minutes drive each way) where I'll probably pick up some honey very soon. Otherwise, I'm thinking of going to another source (closer to where I live) to get some. The only down side there, is they get about $7/pound for their honey... I would probably only get 5 pounds from them to start with. I could get almost a gallon from the other local source for that same price (a little more $ and I have the gallon)...

I would say that BCH is on the 'bad vendor' list for me... Once there, it takes a LOT to get off that list...
 
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