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- Jul 22, 2021
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I purchased a small bucket of carrot blossom honey. The plan was to make up a 3 gallon batch, pitch yeast and then split it into three 1-gallon batches to see how they do with some variation in nutrients.
I opened the bucket and it had almost like a small bit of foam on top. A bit out of place but it didn't seem too odd; almost like there was some air burping out when filling the bucket.
I mixed the must and whipped a ton of air into it and instead of the typical light foaming I ended up with a very thick, lemon meringue like foam... not typical and I've seem that once before on a Mesquite honey I suspected was adulterated.
I now checked the pH of the must as if it is very low I will try and buffer it a bit. The pH came in at a high 5.0. I just used and calibrated my meter yesterday, but this forced me to check it again with 4.0 calibrating liquid. My meter read it perfectly. I was expecting a pH anywhere from 3.5 to maybe 4.0. The pH is much closer to Blue Agave syrup.
Something doesn't seem right and I have already emailed the honey dealer, though I'm not sure what to expect out of them other than claims that it is 100% pure honey.
I still plan on doing the nutrient variations, but if its not pure honey what I get out of it may not be worth interpreting... Maybe I'll just front load it with an amount figured by TOSNA and do the experiment over with some orange blossom I have.
I'm not even adding this to the running mead total, as I'm not sure that it is mead.
I opened the bucket and it had almost like a small bit of foam on top. A bit out of place but it didn't seem too odd; almost like there was some air burping out when filling the bucket.
I mixed the must and whipped a ton of air into it and instead of the typical light foaming I ended up with a very thick, lemon meringue like foam... not typical and I've seem that once before on a Mesquite honey I suspected was adulterated.
I now checked the pH of the must as if it is very low I will try and buffer it a bit. The pH came in at a high 5.0. I just used and calibrated my meter yesterday, but this forced me to check it again with 4.0 calibrating liquid. My meter read it perfectly. I was expecting a pH anywhere from 3.5 to maybe 4.0. The pH is much closer to Blue Agave syrup.
Something doesn't seem right and I have already emailed the honey dealer, though I'm not sure what to expect out of them other than claims that it is 100% pure honey.
I still plan on doing the nutrient variations, but if its not pure honey what I get out of it may not be worth interpreting... Maybe I'll just front load it with an amount figured by TOSNA and do the experiment over with some orange blossom I have.
I'm not even adding this to the running mead total, as I'm not sure that it is mead.
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