Skeeter Pee as a mead?

[BernardSmith]

Has anyone on the forum ever tried to make an SP using honey in place of sugar? I am thinking of making a bochet version of SP (that involves cooking the honey to caramelize it ) but I ask because in my opinion not every wine can be transformed into a mead. For example, the character of my elderflower wine changes but not for the better when I have used clover honey as the sugar source. That said, my plan is to try this but if anyone has already made a batch of a mead version I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks.

 

[AkTom]

I've made 3 berry dragons blood, and a 3 berry mead. They taste almost identical. Other than that, I have nothing to add.
Vint and maze on.

 

[BernardSmith]

Hmmm ... Thanks AkTom. But should they not taste differently? The flavors of the honey - should they not be somewhat evident in a mead? If the berry flavors hide the honey then I am not sure what the value is of using far more expensive honey as the source of sugar...

 

[AkTom]

I can't tell the difference. Or at at least it's a very subtle difference. Probably won't do that berry mead again.

 

[Jericurl]

I do it with Dragon's Blood. We can tell the difference and prefer it over using regular sugar.

I've not done it with skeeter pee but I would think lemon and honey would pair nicely.

 

[BernardSmith]

... I would think lemon and honey would pair nicely.

That was my thinking. And I was thinking of adding some lemon zest and backsweetening with orange blossom...

 

[Jericurl]

Oh that sounds downright heavenly. If you can get your hands on some orange blossom water, I'd imagine a little bit of that added at the finish would be pretty nice as well

 

[BernardSmith]

I have rose water ... not sure I have ever come across orange blossom water. Will check this out. (side bar: I have just racked micro quantities of honeysuckle mead and apple blossom mead and harvested the lees which I plan to use to inoculate the must for this batch. Cannot start this project until the beginning of next week (Nov 6 ) earliest but am chaffing at the bit to begin this. My plan is to add the lemon juice to the secondary rather than try to have this acidity and the sorbates present themselves as a challenge from the moment I pitch the yeast.

 

[Jericurl]

I have rose water ... not sure I have ever come across orange blossom water. Will check this out. (side bar: I have just racked micro quantities of honeysuckle mead and apple blossom mead and harvested the lees which I plan to use to inoculate the must for this batch. Cannot start this project until the beginning of next week (Nov 6 ) earliest but am chaffing at the bit to begin this. My plan is to add the lemon juice to the secondary rather than try to have this acidity and the sorbates present themselves as a challenge from the moment I pitch the yeast.

Did you ever get this started?
I'm curious to see how it turns out. I think it would be an excellent candidate for a short mead in the spring/summer.

Also, here is a link to the orange blossom water I use.

https://www.olivenation.com/orange-flower-water-by-malandel-french.html

I love Olive Nation so, so much.

 

[BernardSmith]

Have assembled the ingredients. Having flooring put in and there has been too much hubbub around the house at the moment. Hope (HOPE) to begin this on Sunday. Thirty- 45 minutes cooking the honey, then all set to go. I am thinking D254 yeast (just got some from Morewine (The only source I think that sells the yeast in packs for 1-5 gallon batches). My plan is to add the lemon juice to the secondary and so not worry about the fact that it is full of sorbates. Aiming for a mead with an ABV of about 11% (2.5 lbs of honey). Intend to back sweeten with either some orange blossom honey or some leatherwood honey I have (I think it's leatherwood. Not at home at the moment and my memory is fuzzy) . Will post updates from time to time.