Melter Honey

[Windswept]

Was just in at the local apiary to see if they had any low-grade or non food quality honey and they suggested I try some melter honey. It's basically the left over honey that's extracted when they render out the wax. It's basically cooked watery honey that's caramelized. Anyone use it before? They're giving me a 5 gallon pail of the stuff to try, and I figure I'll have to mix it 50/50 with water at least.

Anyway, if it works, they've got drums of the stuff for peanuts.

[jonnys_spirit]

Oh Man Score!

Honey shine is the best! I bet caramelized has some good flavors too! The mead folks cook their honey till various levels of caramelization and call it "Bochet". Never had it but Valhalla hasn't called me home yet either....

I'd use a nutrient schedule and ferment it like a mead if you;re thinking a straight up honey shine and save the dunder while you're at it to reintegrate like molasses / rum.

Does it have wax in it?

Very interested especially if it's a useable byproduct.

Cheers,
jonny

[Windswept]

I’m probably going to ferment it as is, strip it, add some quality honey to the low wines and run it again.

I’m inordinately excited!

[jonnys_spirit]

I read up a little on melter honey and I think the bees asses are gonna bee a good flavor enhancer!

Cheers,
-jonny

[Windswept]

So I picked it up today, 4.5 gallons for free, mixed it 2 parts honey to 7 parts water to get it to about 8% potential ABV. Looks like molasses, but smells like honey, kind of a weird combo. Added some DAP and some oyster shells (I put that crap on everything).

I think I might have over diluted, but we’ll see. SG was 1.07.

[Deplorable]

That SG should give you a healthy stress free ferment.

[sweeps]

I read up a little on melter honey and I think the bees asses are gonna bee a good flavor enhancer!

Cheers,
-jonny

You make rum from mole asses, so I figure bee asses must make something interesting.

Eager to hear how this turns out.

[Windswept]

Less than 24 hours in. Sg is down to 1.05 and it’s churning away madly!

[Windswept]

Fermented to just under 1.00sg in less than 3 days, hoping to get the strips done. I'd never done a staged nutrient addition before, but I tried it with this one and it went gangbusters.

The wash tastes pretty awesome as it is. I'm probably going to keep a gallon or two back to drink as is!

[Windswept]

got it stripped and spirited ( i added some fresh wildflower honey into the low wines for the spirit run), tails started in at a fairly high ABV, but I'd still managed to collect about 2 gallons at 140pr before they did, was pretty good right out of the gate, but I gave it about 2 weeks sitting in glass with a coffee filter cover and it smells even better. proofed 2l of it down to 80pr last night and the floral honey smell was incredible just coming off as I proofed.

They gave me 2 drums of the stuff, so when I extrapolate i could end up with 70 gallons of this stuff, not sure what I'm going to do with it all! I'm seriously thinking about getting an older multi-fill full sized barrel and just leaving it for as long as I can stand to see what it makes!

I'm also going to need a bigger still, it's going to take forever on my 8 gallon about 45 strips and another 20ish spirits...

[jonnys_spirit]

Sounds awesome! Two drums wow! I think pure honey shine is one of the best spirits and you could really get some nice honey dunder going with all that.

Cheers,
jonny

[Windswept]

I was thinking about trying it pugirum style and keeping the tails to add in every spirit run, I'll have lots to try with!

[Beerswimmer]

Oooh yeah, do it like a heavy rum!

[NZChris]

I'm also going to need a bigger still, it's going to take forever on my 8 gallon about 45 strips and another 20ish spirits...

Adding a preheater would be cheaper, plus it would be cheaper and quicker to run than a bigger still.

[Deplorable]

I'm also going to need a bigger still, it's going to take forever on my 8 gallon about 45 strips and another 20ish spirits...

Adding a preheater would be cheaper, plus it would be cheaper and quicker to run than a bigger still.

Not to derail the OPs thread, but is this something that can be done using the discharge water from the PC through a copper coil? Could a wort chiller attached to the outflow hose from the PC be used to preheat the next batch for stripping thus reducing heat up time in the boiler?

[NZChris]

There are threads that discuss it.

[Windswept]

Just a follow-up on this. I've done a couple of batches now, one I scorched which was terrible and became hand sanitizer.

I've learned a bunch about dealing with this kind of honey, straining the dead bees out after fermenting is a must (see above)!

Turns out it needs a third round through the still to make it really potable. I've been adding honey to the boiler for the last time through to add in some more honey flavour. Has a really thick mouth-feel to it.

If I'm rambling, its because I've been sampling it! I think I'll be barrelling it in an old barrel when I have one available!

[BigJames]

I ordered some melter honey online after reading your post. I have a 6 1/2 gallon carboy bubbling away right now. Thanks for giving me the idea. I’ll let you know how it turns out

[zapata]

Definitely gotta find me an apiary. Not only does this sound delish, the only thing I like better than good booze is free fermentables!

[jog666]

Our melter honey is some of the best tasting Ive ever had. We didnt have much this year, just enough to make about 3/4 gal of mead. Id be tickled pink to have enough extra honey to do a small slow run with.

[erykroom]

Very interested in this topic. Just got 20 kg of melter honey and I wasn't sure how I would use it.
Should I do a double pot run or a strip and plates run or something else.

[Windswept]

I did a triple pot because that’s how I’m set up. Added regular honey into the pot during the third run.

I’d be interested to hear how the plates work!

[erykroom]

Do you get any honey taste without the honey addition to the low wines?
I was thinking that I'll ferment the first batch and strip it. Keep the backwash from stripping and use it in the next ferment. Something similar to a rum ferment.

[Windswept]

I did, but it comes through later in the tails really strongly. That’s why I’m thinking the pugirum method is the way to go, just haven’t had a chance to test it, the kids don’t leave me enough time to go that deep