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5/17/2010 -- what is your phone number?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We can be reached at (425) 355-8865
Our toll free order is (800) 850-2739
1/8/2010 -- I am currently brewing my first batch of beer --wizard's wheat- and I have a question about adding honey. I see that it's OK to add during the boil and in the primary fermentor, but I'm ready to move it to the secondary because it's been about 3 days and the bubbles are few and far between. Is it still OK to add honey at this stage? If so . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, you can still add honey BUT remember...you are adding more fermentable sugars (in the honey) and they will require more time to ferment out. This causes more bubbling and sediment as well, and prolongs the time before you can drink your beer.
12/9/2009 -- I saw this question asked somewhere on your site but after searching for it again, I cannot find it.
In the suggestions for the St Peters Pilsner, you say adding a lb. of honey to the last 2 minutes of the boil will add flavor and increase alcohol content. Can you do this with any of the kits (specifically the Wizards Wheat), or just the . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, you can do this with any of the kits. The Wizard's Wheat would be especially good.
1 lb of honey in a 5 gallon batch will raise the alcohol content by about 1% by volume. Don't expect sweetness, the honey will (slowly) be converted to alcohol. We don't recommend adding more than 1.5 to 2 lbs, or it starts to detract from the beer.
Many . . .
4/30/2009 -- Can I use honey as a primer instead of dextrose to use as a bottling sugar? What would the conversion be to honey for a 5 gallon batch?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes you can, altho I see little reason to use it for that.
Honeys vary quite a lot in sweetness and consistancy, but a "normal" amount is about one half cup per 5 gallons. I wouldn't exceed 3/4 cup, or you risk exploding bottles.
Be sure you allow extra time for the carbonation to develop. Honey is a complex of sugars, and it needs . . .
2/2/2009 -- Can I use honey in place of bottling sugar/malt extract for the conditioning.
If so, what proportions should I use? and should the honey be sterilized?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes it can, altho I see little reason to use it for that.
Honeys vary quite a lot in sweetness and consistancy, but a "normal" amount is about one half cup per 5 gallons. I wouldn't exceed 3/4 cup, or you risk exploding bottles.
Be sure you allow extra time for the carbonation to develop. Honey is a complex of sugars, and it needs to . . .
1/15/2009 -- When using raw honey (non-pasturized) do we really need to boil it? If we do have to boil, will we lose flavor? Because, when I add honey to my beer, and I add it, when the first fermentation starts . By the way Nectar of the Gods is the Best!
(I got lucky on it!!!, now I know why honeymoon came from Mead.)
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You'll find lots of opinions on this issue. Personally, I believe you would be fine with not boiling. It makes sense to me, however, to pasteurize the honey/water mixture by bringing it to about 180 deg F for perhaps 15 or 20 minutes.
Yes, boiling your honey causes some of the more delicate aromatics to escape. Adding to an active fermentation . . .
11/18/2008 -- I was researching mead and i stopped by a local meadery and he said for a five gallon batch that primary would probably take between 2-4 months and the entire process will take a year. is this true? Does leaving sit too long in primary damage it? Thank you i love the QnA pages
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Making mead takes patience, clearly, but putting a time on it like your local fellow is just not possible.
How long will it take? It depends on the fermentation temperature, the amount and quality of the nutrients added to mixture, the amount and quality of the honey itself, the type and quantity of yeast, and probably 100 other factors. . . .
8/1/2008 -- HI, I would like to try to make mead. Do I need to buy a "Beer Kit" and do you sell instructions for this? I have only made whiskey with a still. Beer and mead making is COMPLETELY NEW. Please help with some info and tell what I need to buy. Thank You,,,Paul
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A great way to get started in making mead is with these two products:
Nectar of the Gods Mead Kit
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/Product550
This is the ingredients, instructions etc to make a nice traditional mead.
For the equipment, we recommend our 5 Gallon Complete Wine Making Kit. It has all the hardware...fermenter, test equipment . . .
5/2/2008 -- I've brewed four of your beer kits with great success, thank you. I live in New York City, and with summer approaching I’m sure the temperatures will be well above 75. Is there a something, perhaps wine, that will ferment properly at higher temperatures? I’m predicting between 80 and 85 degrees. I’ve heard Mead might, but the one Mead . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes! Red wines and meads, especially, are fermented warm. Cabernets, Merlots, Pinot Noirs etc etc work out nicely. Meads too!
Don't let the fact that your first (and only?) taste of mead was too sweet for your tastes. Mead can be made dry as well. With our Nectar of the Gods Mead Kit you actually sweeten to taste (if you like) AFTER fermentation. . . .
4/29/2008 -- We tried this mead kit and loved it. Now we want to try a cyser. A lot of what I have been reading says to rack/bottle once it clears up. Do you have any guidelines for how long meads/cysers should ferment? Thanks for the help.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: In short, no.
Here is the thing...MANY MANY MANY factors play into how long a fermentation will take. Here are just a few:
Sugar (honey) concentration
Strain of yeast used
Fermentation temperature
Nutrient level present
Type(s) of nutrients
Temperature variations during fermentation
Amount of yeast used
Mineral content of water . . .
3/25/2008 -- how long should i wait until i drink my mead? If i wait longer will it taste better? My brother in-law said a year or two for best quality. And its been fermenting for about a month and a half when will the bubble stop? should i bottle it in wine bottles or beer bottles?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: How long? Hard to say. Some people wait a year after bottling. Some even more. It depends very much on the type of mead, how much honey, nutrients, storage and other factors.
Will it get better with more aging? Yes.
When will bubbling stop? It depends on the same factors cited above, as well as temperature.
Wine or beer bottles? Either . . .
1/26/2008 -- I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we have an actual brick-and-mortar store in Everett, WA. People actually walk in and buy stuff!
Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
Here is a video of our shop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Heck, you can actually call us on the phone, too! It's 425-355-8865. A person will . . .
1/16/2008 -- Hi, I just started homebrewing with a kit from your store. I just received my brown ale kit in the mail and was wondering your thoughts on adding honey to the recipe. Do you think it would be a good idea, if so how much, what type and how do I incorporate it? ...thank you very much
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Honey can be a nice addition, but it's easy to overdo it. It has the effect of:
1) Lightening the color
2) Raising the alcohol level
3) Giving your beer a "dry" taste. It does NOT add sweetness
4) Making your fermentation time somewhat longer
My recommendations are to add perhaps 1/2 to 1 lb to a 5 gallon batch, and see how you like . . .
3/15/2007 -- I have reciently purchased three of your kits. I was wondering if it would cause any problems adding 16 ounces of honey to any of the kits during the boil,can the yeast handle this, or would it be best to upgrade the yeast? How would this affect my finished beer?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, that would not cause any problems. The yeast will do just fine. Personally, I like to add it to the primary fermenter rather than to the boil.
Effects:
About 1% more alcohol
Higher starting gravity
Longer fermentation time
Slightly more color
Possibly lower ending gravity
Adding honey will NOT normally contribute sweetness, . . .
11/5/2006 -- I live in Seattle, can I come and pick up the bottles in Everett? Do you have a "brick and mortar" store?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You sure can. It is literally made of bricks and mortar, in South Everett. Our address is:
Homebrew Heaven
9109 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98204
425-355-8865
Hours are 10-6:30 M-F
and 9:30-5 on Saturdays
Here is a video of the place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1a5fKvv8XI
Take a look around!
11/4/2006 -- I am attempting to brew my first honey beer and am unsure of the quantity and time to add the honey to the brew . I have been brewing beer for about 7 years and i also would like to know if honey would add to the alcohol level as well as sugar.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: For a 5 gallon batch, try using 1 to 2 lbs of honey.
I believe the best time to add your honey is right after fermentation has started. This prevents problems with contamination, and also allows the delicate honey flavors to come thru. Many people just add the honey to the boil, however.
Yes, honey DOES add to the alcohol content of . . .
10/11/2004 -- I've made a pyment (mead with fruit) using homegrown grapes. The grape concentrate was added to the honey-water mixture towards the end just long enough to pasturize. Mead nutrient was also added at that time. Once the mixture was forced cool (75-80 degrees F), the Wyeast Sweet Mead Yeast Package was added. It had been swelling for about . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Mead is nothing like beer, it is often SLOW SLOW SLOW to ferment. It sounds like it is working, just slowly. Get used to it. It may continue like this for months. Repitching won't help, but more nutrients may.
5/22/2004 -- Is your clover honey raw?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It depends on your definition of "raw". Our honey has been screened (for impurities) and heated. It is probably more "raw" than what you get in a grocery store, but not completely unprocessed.
3/17/2004 -- what is mead???
Response From Homebrew Heaven: A drink made from fermented honey. Yum! It has a long, interesting history.
3/10/2004 -- What is the difference between a dry mead yeast and a sweet mead yeast?? Also if you make mead with a basic wine yeast will it turn out ok?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Both mead yeasts are actually liquid cultures. The dry mead yeast finishes out with a less residual sugar, so it is less sweet than the sweet mead yeast.
Yes, many fine meads are made with wine yeasts. The true mead yeasts, however, seem to accentuate the honey flavor more than the wine yeasts do.
2/16/2004 -- It has been about 4 days since I mixed the ingrediants and put the mead into my primary fermentor and I have not seen any evidence of fermentation. It is rather cold where I live (50-60 degrees) and the mead is in my shed. Will this ruin the mead or just take a really long time to ferment before I can transfer it to the carboy?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: There is no harm to the mead, but yes, it will take a very long time to ferment. Mead likes it warmer than that.
We have a supplemental brew heat pad that would work nicely for applications like this. Here is a link:
http://www.nexternal.com/hombre/?Target=products.asp&ProductID=1129
2/4/2004 -- About how long will I have to wait before I can drink my mead?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Mead is one of those drinks that just gets better with age. Figure 6-8 weeks to ferment it. After that, we recommend at least 3 months aging...BUT if you can stand to wait a year it is much better. Try putting a few bottles aside from each batch so that you always have some well aged mead on hand!
12/28/2003 -- Hi, I recently received a "Nectar of the Gods" kit. I'm planning to make the mead in the next day or two. In going over the kit components I noticed that there are two packets of dry yeast (both the same). Do I use both packets even though the label says one packet is sufficient for 5 gallons?
Thanks for your assistance!
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, go ahead and use both packets. Mead is slow to ferment, and this extra addtion helps somewhat.
10/24/2003 -- I just like to say that I enjoy making your mead kits. I have made "gallons" of it and it never last long. My friends drool over it. The best thing that I found out is to disolve the honey in all the water or juice before I put it my fermenter.
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Thanks for the kind words about our kit. We like it too!
10/21/2003 -- I have recently started my first batch of mead using the Wyeast Sweet Mead Yeast. After combining the Honey,water and mead blend and allowing the mixture to cool to 75 degrees I pitched the yeast. Unfortunately there seems to be little or no sign of fermentation after 7 days. Is the reaction less obvious than when brewing beer or is my fermentation . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Mead is known to ferment very very slowly, and especially so when using the liquid yeasts. The fermentation is nothing like beer at all. It may be fermenting, but if it's in a bucket, it may be giving off CO2 at about the same rate that the bucket leaks. Hard to say.
The mead blend actually contains a little bit of Epsom salts, but there . . .
10/18/2003 -- If I wanted to make a cyser, and used your Nectar of the gods mead making kit, how much Apple Fruit Wine Base would I need? If I don't need the full 9.5 lbs., could I divide it between batches?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I would use about half of it. You could use the whole can, but you can expect your cyser to be very strong, and sweet if you do. If you divide the fruit base, be sure to seal up and refrigerate the unused portion.
10/16/2003 -- What equipment do i need besides the mead kit to make mead?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: If you want to make a traditional (still, non-carbonated) mead, we recommend the Wine Making Equipment Kit. If you are looking to make a carbonated mead, the Intermediate Equipment (Beer) Brewing Kit is a better choice.
8/22/2003 -- I am going to make my first attempt at making mead. How important are campden tablets in this process and how do I use them?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Campden tablets (sulfites) have two uses when making meads.
They are often used prior to fermentation to kill (or at least stun!) wild yeasts and bacteria. If you do this, allow 24 hours before adding yeast. This is less important if your honey is pasteurized, of course. If your honey is "wild" I would use them for this purpose. It is . . .
8/5/2003 -- I'm attempting my first batch of mead (or anything for that matter), and am having a great time, but have a few questions. When I'm ready to bottle my mead, is it better to cork it into wine bottles or can I cap it into 12oz. bottles? In either case, how much head space should I leave in the bottle? Do I need to do anything else before or . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Glad to hear you're having fun with it. So do we!
A traditional mead (like our Nectar Kit) is treated like a wine...corked into wine bottles. You CAN however put it into beer bottles if you like, however. If you are making a sparkling (carbonated) mead, I would definately use strong beer bottles and caps. For corks, leave about 2"-2.5" headspace . . .
7/12/2003 -- Sirs,I make a tasty lemony pilsner beer.My equipment is geared to the five gallon batch.My brother,a viking buff saw you'r mead kit over my shoulder and asked if I could brew a batch as mead is very prevelant in Celtic lore.Will my beer equipment suffice to do you'r kit. And
yes I do Know my spare fermenter will be tied up as mead usually . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, it will work just fine. It's very easy to make, it just takes longer than beer.
6/30/2003 -- I am a novice home brewer and recently purchased a Mead Kit. I followed the directions and everything looks to be ok. Within 8 hours, I could hear the CO coming out. My only question is: Right now, all the honey has settled tot he bottom. Is this correct or is there something I chould be doing to get it off the bottom?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: This is correct. Don't worry, the yeast will "seek out" the honey and go to work on it. It takes some time, is all.
6/25/2003 -- I am a novice when it comes to wine making. I am about to get started however, and need some advice before placing my order.
I plan to make "Mead" for my first batch. Other than Item "H24" in your catalog, do I need to order the Mead Blend or Mead Yeast, and if so, which yeast.
I will also be ordering complete kit. I believe the mead . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: I would probably go with the 5 gallon wine equipment kit and when you want to make the 6 gallon wine kits, get a 6 gallon carboy at that time.
The H24 Mead kit has everything you need (including the mead blend) to make it.
Sometime it can take a few months, especially in cooler weather, for the mead to ferment out. So when your mead is in . . .
6/11/2003 -- Since I've had a few successful batches of wine made (my friends think so) I was wanting to know does this kit come complete or is there any other additional equipment or ingredients I need to purchase for this..Thank you
Response From Homebrew Heaven: This kit provides all the ingredients, as well as instructions, for making a great mead. It does NOT contain any equipment, or bottles. If you have been making wine, you probably have the necessary equipment.
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