Fermented honey can be defined as the honey that has already undertaken the fermentation process. From this statement, it is clear that the honey still has its natural bacteria, enzymes, and yeast that convert the sugars in the honey to alcohol with water addition.
Therefore, if you have been holding doubts on whether you can make mead from fermented honey, then I want to tell you it is absolutely possible. In fact, raw honey, yeast, and water are major ingredients in the production of mead. More of such information awaits you in this report.
We will provide answers to your questions and ensure you are satisfied after going through this article. We will equip you with simple steps and tips to help you use fermented honey to make mead. Let’s have a look at some of these actions;
How to make mead from fermented honey
Under this section, we will learn how to use the already fermented honey to make mead. Since you will be dealing with a honey that has already undergone the fermentation process, the natural yeast will have already made the honey to establish its flavors, tasting sour and funky.
We have involved several steps that are simple enough to initiate the process. However, you have to ensure the following ingredients are in place;
Initiation fermentation process;
- Edible flowers, berries, etc. (don’t wash this ingredient)
- Ceramic container or wide-mouthed glass
- Cloth (it should have a string or rubber band)
- Wooden spoon (to be kept in your container while fermenting)
- 3 lbs. of honey (local one is highly recommendable)
- Water (boil tap water, or get spring water, distilled, or purified one)
Step 1: Pour your honey to a clean container
Having a clean container with you is highly recommended. Being clean at this point means that you have to rinse it gently with hot water before you pour in your honey.
Step 2: Add water
Since water is one of the critical ingredients in mead making, we recommend using something like a gallon to the 3 lbs. honey. This ratio will leave you with a balanced and reliable mead. For your information, excess honey will leave you with a sweeter final product, while less tends to make it drier.
Step 3: Mixing the honey and water
The action involves stirring your mixture vigorously for a few minutes. Doing so is necessary as it will aerate the natural yeasts to achieve a uniform mixture. Shaking is not recommended, because the mixture might be unevenly mixed.
Step 4: Covering the container
Do you remember the large cloth? Now it is time to take and use it. Your container should be covered entirely with this cloth. After doing so, you are requested to store the container in a dark and warm place.
Step 5: Make a few stirs a day
At least make 4 stirs in a day and if everything has been put into place, you will realize bubble formation after some days. The yeasts will be activated to consume all the sugars around it before multiplying. After one or two weeks are over, the bubble will peak before mellowing out. The dead yeasts (lees) will therefore start to sell at the bottom part of your container.
This observation will be a clear indication that the initial or actual fermentation is over. You may therefore decide to consume your mead with its taste or you may initiate the secondary fermentation process. Though, this was how the mead was consumed many years ago before the introduction of airtight vessels.
Secondary fermentation process
If you are not satisfied with the taste of your mead, then I guess you would have to initiate the secondary fermentation process. The second fermentation is necessary to curb souring from non-stop air contact. Under this fermentation phase, the process will be slowed down, softening the sweetness and enriching the mixture with extra alcohol content and new flavors.
Extra equipment that you will require includes;
- 1 gallon-sized Carboy; narrow-necked glass jug
- Airlock like this type
Because they are strong and also cleaning them is straightforward than the substitutes
- Bung (should have a drilled hole in the middle to help you insert an airlock)
- Siphon tube (it should be safe for food tubing like an auto-siphon
Step 1: Siphon the mead to the carboy
This step is simple as you should only remember to leave less mead. The less I am talking about can be something like the bottom inch. Doing so is advantageous to avoid transferring dead yeasts to your carboy; it’s likely to ruin the flavor of the mead.
Step 2: Fill the carboy with honey and water
The mixture should cover up to the bottom neck of the carboy. The narrow neck is essential in reducing the surface area of your liquid exposed to the air.
Step 3: Fill the airlock
I mean use water to fill the airlock before inserting it in the bung. The bung is then placed into the carboy. Place it in a dark and warm environment, like in the initial fermentation.
Step 4: Allow the mead to ferment for something 4 months
This process can go up to 6 months or even a year. You can terminate the process if you are impressed with the taste of the mead. Don’t hesitate to drink it up!
Tips on betterment
- You have to understand that war or unprocessed honey is a powerful medicinal food, full of minerals and vitamins.
- Pasteurization is highly recommended if you decide to use fermented honey to make mead.
- Using regular honey is highly recommendable when preparing mead.
You Might be interested to read also our another comprehensive article of: Can You Make Fermented Hot Sauce From Frozen Peppers?
FAQs:
- Does fermented honey contain alcoholic content?
Yes. It doesn’t matter whether you call it honey wine or mead; it has an alcoholic content made from fermented honey. It remains one of the ancient alcoholic beverages since it was consumed by our ancestors.
- What are some of the common fruits to use when making mead?
It’s possible to ferment all sorts of vegetables and fruits like berries, jalapeños, ginger, and bananas.
Final words
Hopefully this article has equipped you with required knowledge on how to use fermented honey to make mead. There are simple equipment and ingredients that we highlighted above to make the fermentation successful. You should therefore don’t worry about having already fermented honey.