I just started a batch. Will produce 22 bottles (750ml). $3.80 per bottle.
18LB honey = $30. 20LB tart cherries = $50 yeast/nutrient/water = $5
What do you spend per bottle / 5 gallon batch?
Posted Feb 1, 2020, 1:19 AM UTC
Where are you getting 18 pounds of honey for 30 bucks? Lol that's a good deal
Monarch's Choice 60 lb. Wildflower Honey - $99.99 plus delivery/taxes.
Monarch's Choice 60 lb. Wildflower Honey - $99.99 plus delivery/taxes.
What's a good way of getting the honey out of those big buckets? Without cross contaminating or making a big mess. Is there a spigot? Do you weigh it? I have always been curious.
You can outfit a bucket with a honey gate (like a spigot but for honey) to make a honey bucket, or just buy a pre-made one online.
You can also go low tech by using big spoon and whatever you are putting the honey in. You just make sure they are clean and sanitized and you aren’t going to contaminate anything.
What's a good way of getting the honey out of those big buckets?
Top of the lid has screw on cap. Through that opening, I pour directly into the brew bucket which sits on top of a scale. Works well for 5 gallon batches.
yeah 5 of OB was around 30 for me. lol
I did a batch with black currants and hairy vetch honey that cost me $100/gal final yield. That was pretty costly. 4.5lbs/gal honey and 6.25lbs/gal black currants. And a 55% yield after fruit losses.
However my tart cherry mead comes in at like $38/gal. That's 3.25lbs/gal honey and 5.7lbs/gal balaton cherries. This is a 65% yield mead after fruit losses.
I've made traditionals for $9/gal however. But I'd really like to know what honey you're getting for under $2/lb...
Also with 20lbs of cherries in 5gal of mead your yield will be closer to 3.75gal of final mead where you've calculated a 4.35gal yield. I'd assume you'll get closer to 18-19 bottles from that batch of you truly started with 5gal total.
Damn!!!!
Monarch's Choice 60 lb. Wildflower Honey - $99.99 plus delivery/taxes. I bought 120 pounds so it was cheapish.
Maybe so. This is first time working with cherries. Before placing bags with cherries, bucket was showing about 4.5. After...about 6.
Good honey and good fruit isn't cheap.
Fair enough. I've not been impressed with that honey myself. It's fairly mild on any kinda flavor besides some earthy tones which I'm often not going for.
I'd believe it was more of you had 4.5 before. 20lbs of cherries is close to 2-2.5gal of volume. I work with them a lot. Have 160lbs sitting on my deck waiting to be used.
Biggest difference here is I'm often using a lot more honey and a lot more fruit than most when I make meads. For the same 6gal total volume I'd use 20lbs honey and 35lbs cherries. Or so. And id use an orange blossom which could up the price a little. Just preference really.
I'm trying this recipe. http://chopandbrew.com/recipes/tart-cherry-mead/ I've used 18.2 pounds of wildflower. 20 pounds of frozen gordon foods tart cherry. 2 Gallons of water. 2 packets of D71 and some nutrients. About 1.155 OG. I don't know how much difference it makes, but I've been using a handheld blender to break up fruit and place them in a cheesecloth bag. Before I've warmed up that bag in water at 160-180F for C for 20-30min, but this batch I'm trying no heat treatment. Anyhow... we'll see. Hopefully it will be delish!