# A love for the bee



## RogersRanch (Nov 2, 2016)

I started keeping bees this spring. Started with 2 small colonies in the spring. Definitely one of the most interesting hobbies i have ever done. I managed to get 120 lbs of wild flower honey. So with all this wonderful wildflower honey i decided to turn some into mead. Start with a small test batch.

*5 Gallon Rogers Ranch Wild Flower Mead*
Sterilize everything

12 lbs of raw honey from the backyard
Enough filtered water to bring up to 5 gallons
2 Tsp yeast nutrient
2 Tsp yeast energizer
10 g of Lavilin K1-V116 Yeast

Mix in primary and seal with an air lock.
S.G. 1.096 at start, 8 days later at 1.050.
It looks Beautiful and smells amazing.
cant wait to have a sample when it goes into Secondary.


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## RogersRanch (Nov 2, 2016)

Here are the Hives in the Backyard.
First pic - hives in the early summer with their first honey super on.
Second Pic- Harvesting some honey.
Third pic- Day One after putting them in their new home.


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## Arne (Nov 3, 2016)

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you might have an unending supply of honey. Good luck with your fermenting. Arne.


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## Jericurl (Nov 3, 2016)

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I loved looking at those pictures. Please feel free to start a beekeeping thread somewhere to keep us updated on all your bee adventures.
Manthing and I are planning on buying a house together next summer and I am hoping to begin beekeeping the spring after that.

Sounds like you had an excellent harvest for your first year. Good job.


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## Jericurl (Nov 3, 2016)

One question...one of your pictures shows an outer fence, a space, then an inner fence. What's the space for?


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## drainsurgeon (Nov 5, 2016)

Jericurl said:


> One question...one of your pictures shows an outer fence, a space, then an inner fence. What's the space for?



Jericurl, If you look closely (first picture) there is chicken wire on the outside of the inner fence. It looks like he has put the bee hives inside his garden. Just a guess.


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## Hinermad (Nov 8, 2016)

drainsurgeon said:


> Jericurl, If you look closely (first picture) there is chicken wire on the outside of the inner fence. It looks like he has put the bee hives inside his garden. Just a guess.



Perhaps it's to keep out the wascally wabbits and marauding meadmakers.


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