# What the heck have I got myself into??



## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

Hello Craig and welcome to BeeSource, it appears you have learned quite a bit about beekeeping so far already, what you have gotten yourself into is an addictive habit with no known cure :lpf:.

You and I need to have a chat about making honey wine, I have learned a little about the subject and even made 4 gallons last year but I have no idea if I made it correctly or not. It will have aged a year come July and I was waiting until then to do a taste test.

Bill


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## Gumpy (Mar 30, 2016)

Always willing to share info. Send me an email. I think it's in my profile. 

Basically, it's just a matter of mixing it, adding yeast, putting it under an air lock and letting it ferment in a cool location. Rack it periodically to get it off the lees and let it clear naturally. One year is probably good. You could be trying it periodically. Use a wine thief to pull a taste out, or take a small amount when you rack it. 

If you did a straight mead (honey and water), you shouldn't have much problem clearing it. Flavor will depend on what you used for yeast. 

craig


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Great stuff. I hope the best as you depart into beekeeping. Swarm traps and swarms are a great way to aquire bees.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome Craig!


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## twgun1 (Jun 26, 2015)

Welcome...there are a few of us Minnesotans on here. It's not a bad place to have bees, long flow all summer where I am and plenty of habitat. I'm setting out swarm traps too and will make some splits of my over wintered hives when the weather warms. I'm a wine maker but have not used much honey. I have grape/elderberry and a pie cherry in the carboys now. I have an overly sweet 2013 mead I've no idea what to do with....blend it off?


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## Gumpy (Mar 30, 2016)

twgun1 said:


> Welcome...there are a few of us Minnesotans on here. It's not a bad place to have bees, long flow all summer where I am and plenty of habitat. I'm setting out swarm traps too and will make some splits of my over wintered hives when the weather warms. I'm a wine maker but have not used much honey. I have grape/elderberry and a pie cherry in the carboys now. I have an overly sweet 2013 mead I've no idea what to do with....blend it off?


I wish I could find some overwintered splits. I opted for the nucs, but am now second guessing. All the package bees arrived this week. Haven't heard anything on my nucs. Getting a little nervous. I bought them off Craigslist, and realized I didn't get a phone number or other contact info. I do have the address, though, if I don't hear from him. Just have to trust him for now. 

I planted Frontenac's in a couple years ago. Hoping to get enough for a gallon or two this year. Another thing I don't know much about, so I think I may have screwed up in training up the vines. As for the sweet mead, you could blend it with some dry wine. Maybe some of that cherry. Or, make another mead and ferment it out dry and blend the two. I do mostly fruit wines. A lot of port style, which is sweet and high ABV content. Apricot, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, etc. Some of my ports use up to 6 lbs honey for a 6 gallon batch. I've done the straight meads. Carbonated some of it. It's different.


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