Mead in Belfast

[Paddy]

Hi guys

I know this is predominantly about beer but I've brewed a few meads recently. Problem is honey is damned expensive. In other countries they sell large 5 - 7 litre buckets.  But I can only find small jars here which collectively cost a bomb. So was wondering if anyone has seen any cheap honey knocking around or if anyone knows a local supplier? Chancing my arm here but thought I'd give it a shot. Cheers, Paddy

PS cheapest I can find is £1.40 for 555g at home bargains which seams to beat the supermarkets. Not too bad for a 5L batch but a killer when looking at doing 20L

[johnrm]

Hey Paddy,
I'm not a big fan of mead myself, but it's homebrew, so don't be afraid to ask about it, and don't be embarrassed either!
There's a lad in the Lee Valley Brewers is into mead.
They're was once a chap from Wicklow on here who knows a lot about honey... I believe he has his very own hives... Maybe you need a another hobby!

[nigel_c]

I've had great results from plain shop bought honey. Love the stuff but as you said its not the cheapest brews to make. We did a bit of research into the cash and carry 5L's of honey and if you have access it is the way to go. You don't get that "designer honey"  that some people talk about but I've never had a bad word about any of my batched of mead.
Seat advice I can give for mead...
Brew it
transfer to secondary
forget about it for a year.

[CARA]

Few beekeepers on the site, cough cough damun and Ciderhead

[Paddy]

Haha thanks guys.

Yeah I already got two in Primary and one in secondary. Also got some must fermenting in some coconuts but I'm not expecting that one to work tbh.

The problem is I want to put on a 20L bochet cyser. And my long term plan is to oak barrel age (40Gal/180Litres) a traditional batch.  I have the capacity but not the cash for that much honey  :

I've seen 3L buckets going for about £5.00 online (or 7L for £10.00) which is great but the supplier is in England and it's £7.00 for delivery.  So no economic in the end.

So my only hope is local suppliers.  I'm hoping I can bulk buy before its processed thus cutting out some of the costs, ie pasteurizing, packaging, commission, etc...

I might even give a few bottles to anyone willing to help me out...though they'll be waiting a year or two 

Thanks for the name dropping CARA   

[Damien M]

Honest CARdA! Mine is only for personal consumption !!!

and when I do part with a jar, 't was too hardwork for to go cheap...,,

[Will_D]

I've seen 3L buckets going for about £5.00 online (or 7L for £10.00) which is great but the supplier is in England and it's £7.00 for delivery.  So no economic in the end.

So my only hope is local suppliers.  I'm hoping I can bulk buy before its processed thus cutting out some of the costs, ie pasteurizing, packaging, commission, etc...

Do you know anyone with a Makro Cash&Carry card? That would be your cheapest option?

[johnrm]

You could start a 'Honey Buy' thread...
Have you got the barrel?
How much honey do you need
Can I have some mead in return?

[Will_D]

For to make a mead you are looking at 1.5 - 2 kilos per gallon!

That is a lot of honey!

[johnrm]

Alibaba do honey?
Do they do grain too?

[Paddy]

Yeah Will_D I use 1.5 per Gal and yeah it is a lot!

I've got the barrel.  Currently looking around for something a bit smaller but alas much like the honey there is no joy!

But I'm liking the Makro idea (I live just round the corner too).  Got a friend with a card so definitely going to check that out!  Thanks for the suggestion.

I'll look at the Alibaba route but I'm, guessing the postage will ramp it up again.

Was hoping to find a local commercial supplier but Makro looks like the best option for now! A honeying buying thread is a great idea.

Thanks again for the help guys.

[Bzfeale80]

Another way of getting local honey would be if you asked a local beekeeper for their leftover cappings from their harvest. Part of the reason why natural locally sourced honey is so expensive is because harvesting it is very labor intensive. If you get a bucket of cappings you can heat it up and strain it through a fine sieve to get the honey. The cappings can then be used to make beeswax products with further refining. I recently made a 5ltr batch of mead from honey sourced from cappings which is fermenting like the clappers with champagne yeast at the moment. Beekeepers normally harvest their honey around September so maybe it will be of benefit to you next year.

[sub82]

Would you be able to buy larger quantities in a health food shop?

[Paddy]

I've already tried Holland and Barretts and other and no joy.  Plus health food stores tend to be a bit more on the pricey side.

I think Makro is my next port of call.  Then I got the best part of a year to make some contacts in the bee keeping community.  Bzfeal80 seems to know his stuff.  Thanks for that btw

[Bzfeale80]

My Mum & Dad used to have bees up until last year. Last winter from a combination of poor weather disease etc everything got wiped out. There are numerous debates going on as to the cause of the decline in bees in North America and Europe in particular especially during the last 10 years with the proliferation of genetically modified crops etc along with harm caused by pesticides used in commercial agriculture.

here is a recent article http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/last-winter-a-third-of-us-honeybees-died-should-we-be-worried-243005.html