Hi all, I’m looking for your suggestions for honey varietals. Back in November I started orange blossom and buckwheat batches using these ingredients and proportions:
15 lbs Honey
2½ tsp. of Fermaid-K and 5 tsp. DAP diammonium phosphate
K1-V1116 yeast: 59-86°F, alcohol tolerance 18% (fermented at around 62°F.)
3.75 gallons of water
OGs were around 1.1 and SGs are around .995, with ABVs around 14%.
Transferring from primary, the orange blossom batch seemed amazing. When I transferred the buckwheat it tasted very vegetal, a lot like fresh manure smells (I’m keeping faith that this will develop over time.)
I’m fermenting down to bone-dry. I think I’ll bottle carbonate the orange blossom and not carbonate the buckwheat. I think I’m interested in aroma as much as taste.
My question: what other honey varietals should I try? I’m already considering basswood, blueberry, and sage. I would love to hear about your preferences.
One more question: does it matter if the honey is “flash heated” to 175°F, heated to 132°F, or raw and not heated at all?
So many questions I know. Please, I will be grateful if you provide feedback for any part of this post.
Thanks in advance for tips about the honey varietals that worked for you, and also the ones that never seemed to amount to much.
