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| General Mead Making All things mead, melomel, methyglin etc etc |
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#1
03-07-2010, 06:16 PM
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It's arrived, I can't believe it, it's finally arrived...
Yesterday, work-wise, was a bit of a PITA!
Start at stupid oclock (0230) to get to Leeds (well the Leeds Bradford I.E.) before 12 (got there for 10), then across to Tadcaster to grab a load out of the brewery (25 tonnes John Smiths) - so tired and somewhat "PO'd" (up north on a friday.....) the final indignity of a "night out" at Leicester Forest East....... Back to the yard by about 0630 dump the truck and home...... Then waiting as the "Zig Zag cats" were due at the vets for a check up/annual booster...... Ah! finally, time to get a shower etc........... "Bing Bong", hell who's that..... Clare got the door and from a distance, I hear the familiar tones of Eastern European accented english....... It's Sebastian. He used to work with us, but now "pulls" for a different haulier..... He's clutching (no, it can't be) a bucket, (no surely, it can't be, I'd given it up as a bad job), full of "Polands finest"...... What's in the bucket ? Look at the picture! What, engine oil ? Cooking fat ? No, it's none other, than 14 kilo's of Buckwheat Honey. The bucket is still absolutely buried in sticky tape baring the monicka of "Opened by HMRC for inspection" as it seems that the silly sods at customs couldn't believe that this dark brown nectar could possibly be honey - Ha! they took a test sample - Funny that eh Mr Customs man? Just because you've never heard of it, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist! Good thing it wasn't me? I'd have gone up the wall! It's being carried by an EU citizen, labelled IAW EU regs (honey has specific labelling regs), across an EU internal border (they'd no reason to suspect that it was dutiable, like cigs or booze - probably just because they didn't speak or read Polish)...... Still, look at it, all you potential and current mead making types. "Read 'em and weap"   Yes, it can be found here as well, but on the few occasions you find it for sale, then it tends to be expensive. Not because it's particularly rare etc, but you have to taste it to understand. It's very dark, it's not particularly "honey-like" in taste, actually it's quite malty tasting. Which is probably why it's not considered "good" honey. Yes, it's honey consistency, but the malty flavour is giving me flash backs of being about 6 or 7 years old and having my mother shoving teaspoons full of "Radial Malt", malt extract in my gob! I reckon it'd be possible to take cheaper supermarket honey and mix in some malt extract and you'd end up with something distinctly "buckwheat-like"..... So this weekend has been made up with the joy of the arrival of this, oh so special ingredient and watching the cream of the Bundesliga showing a certain "Argentinian basket ball player"  how "it" should be done...Excellent! a rubbish day turning into an excellent one....... Now all I've to do is to stop my stupid head pondering all the potential buckwheat and related recipes....... Ha! if Bob's lucky, I might even do a tutorial for "Joes Pyment"........ but one thing at a time eh!  regards jtfb
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Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. Some blog ramblings
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#2
03-07-2010, 06:44 PM
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To put it quite mildly, HMRC are being a bunch of plebs right now. Doesn't matter if it is going in or coming out, suddenly paper-work has become important.
That's just for the stuff we ship around Europe. I'm not even going to start about the stuff we ship to Iran. (The phrase 'fine toothed comb' springs to mind.) But I digress... John that is a amazing haul! It'll be interesting to see what your plans are for this stuff. Have you ever made Braggot? Sounds like this could do it all in one go!
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The ginger from Del'Monte, He says "YES!"
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#3
03-07-2010, 07:26 PM
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Nice one John! I can kind of tell from your post that you're well chuffed with this pressie!
If you're ever passing by Grantham on the A1 and want to "donate" some of this to me, then feel free to call...  
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HRH Her Lushness Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
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#4
03-07-2010, 08:13 PM
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Most impressive, John! I'm not a meadmaker, but I can very much appreciate the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment one gets from acquiring a good quality ingredient. It can be like finding treasure.
I hope it turns out well got you.
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Steve just some bloke from across the pond. Weekend Winemaker Blog
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#5
03-07-2010, 08:29 PM
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Quote:
Quote:
I'm thinking mainly along the lines of part and whole buckwheat traditionals and a few other bits (Joes pyment only has 6oz of it, as it's just a flavouring hint type thing - or so it seems). I like my hops and malt in my beer, I don't really see a place for it in my meads.... Quote:
Most of my travels in Lincolnshire tend to revolve around Lincoln. The other day I'd tipped in Selby and backloaded out of Worksop, so it made quite a change to actually run down the A1 past Markham Moor, instead of down the A57 into Lincoln and out on the A46! (nice little family run type truckstop just above the A1/A46 junction that I hadn't found before) Besides, I doubt that your neighbours would be too pleased to have a loaded artic outside your gaff at stupid oclock in the morning (most times I'm out of Lincolnshire before 0500 and heading back south). They do tend to get a bit shirty like that......... just can't think why .As for being pleased to finally get my hands on some buckwheat ? Between that and this arvo's excellent footy, you couldn't have punched the smile of my grid! I mean, I haven't tested any yet, I'll probably just make up a gallon of must with the usual weight of honey (about 3 and 1/2 lb in the gallon) and see what it comes out like gravity-wise. I have no way of knowing the quality of it, not being a Polish speaker and all that..... In truth, I've read such a lot that mentions buckwheat honey, it's more of an experiment than anything else. I recently made a batch with "Italian Chestnut" honey, now that's also quite dark/strong tasting. Though the bloke from Paynes said that was the last for this year as last years crop was so poor due to the weather I'll have to wait a while to get some more of that. If it does turn out well, I might even order some more and then make the trip to collect. It was definitely worth the effort of having to blindly trust the people who helped me get this, the only one I actually know personally was the "final delivery man", Sebastian, as he used to work in our yard. Knowing that he goes "home" regularly as he has a young family was key. The others are people from the net etc... They've been absolute stars! Don't yer just love it when a plan comes together....... regards jtfb
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Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. Some blog ramblings
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#6
03-07-2010, 08:34 PM
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It's been damned elusive to find here though. I did find a couple of places here that advertised it, but one wanted £8 per lb and the other wanted £5 per 12 oz jar..... Hell I can get it from The Beefolks in Maryland for about £4.50 per lb if I ordered a 5 gallon bucket and that includes the shipping via USPS..... So right now, your "treasure" analogy is pretty close...... regards Jtfb
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Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. Some blog ramblings
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#7
04-07-2010, 08:31 AM
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I thought I had A Plan for the rest of my winemaking year, but you have just reminded me that I have 70+ jars of Orange Blossom honey in my wardrobe, just waiting to be fermented. I'm not sure whether I actually want 10+ gallons of ancient orange mead 
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Pete the Instructor "Weather conditions have improved tremendously over the mainland, so you won't have any trouble at all seeing the target. Of course, we mustn't forget, that means that they won't have any trouble at all seeing you. "
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#8
04-07-2010, 10:03 AM
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Me ? I'd be making something like 5 gallons of JAO, then a couple of traditionals and then keep a bit of honey back for maybe a melomel or two - when the fruit is in season.... regards jtfb
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Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. Some blog ramblings
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