Where To Get Meadmaking Honey? (melbourne)

[dr K]

Find a bee keeper.
After harvest they have cappings which they will normally wash (out the remaining honey) then sell the bee's wax.
"Borrrow" the cappings, and "wash" them, return the cappings and use the 1090 (to pick a number) must to meadify.

K

 

[wakkatoo]

Better not tell you I go to my hives for honey. :lol:

Yeah it's hard isn't it?
Not sure how much they have available, but search for 'rooftop bees', they might also be able to put you in touch with a local beekeeper.
Melbourne beekeepers club would also be worth a call.

 

[Fents]

$18.95 for 3KG of australian wildflower honey

Big8 asian supermarket in front of preston market on hight st, preston.

 

[MaestroMatt]

I was in Beechworth a few months back and picked up a 6.8kg bucket of Yellowbox for $60 from Beechworth Honey. Probably not fantastic price but they have a PILE of varietals and mentioned to me that they would happily post (as cheap as possible) any variety in bulk quantities.

Might be somewhere worth checking out?

 

[Mardoo]

Empire Honey (9808 6988) has some lovely stuff. Never asked but I'm pretty sure it's a mixed-blossom honey. However it has a sweet floral taste/aroma with a great touch of muskiness (not musk stick).

Anyone know anything about something I heard yesterday that eucalypt honeys can interfere with yeast growth? Haven't run into that before.

 

[thebeemann]

Empire Honey (9808 6988) has some lovely stuff. Never asked but I'm pretty sure it's a mixed-blossom honey. However it has a sweet floral taste/aroma with a great touch of muskiness (not musk stick).

Anyone know anything about something I heard yesterday that eucalypt honeys can interfere with yeast growth? Haven't run into that before.

99% of my honey is euculypt , ALL honey has antibacterial qualities, i have never had trouble brewing with any of my honey,however Ti Tree honey or Manuka in NZ is super antibacterial so probably stay away from that , mix gum honey in 24 hrs after ferment starts if a paticular yeast strain you use doesnt like it , for mead use try using half blossom and half gum .

 

[Mardoo]

99% of my honey is euculypt , ALL honey has antibacterial qualities, i have never had trouble brewing with any of my honey,however Ti Tree honey or Manuka in NZ is super antibacterial so probably stay away from that , mix gum honey in 24 hrs after ferment starts if a paticular yeast strain you use doesnt like it , for mead use try using half blossom and half gum .

Very cool, thx. I know I ran into the antibacterial aspects in my past life as a baker. And big thanks for the blossom/gum tip!

 

[Stooart]

I made a few calls and found honey for $7 a KG when purchased as a 10kg bulk buy. Very nice guy from Eltham area... when i meet up with him this weekend i will ask if he wants me to advertise his details.

I did find another guy who refused to sell me his honey once he found out i wanted to brew with it... he couldn't believe that I was going to "destroy" his lovely honey in that way!! He said "Mine is definitely for eating"... ... it was $10 per kg.

Thanks,
Stuart.

 

[hoppy2B]

I raided my hives today. Will be making some mead this coming week.

 

[thebeemann]

I raided my hives today. Will be making some mead this coming week.

I still have a few weeks i recon , what have you had ur hives on , i have plenty of canola honey but never brewed with it , i hate the smell of it has anyone tried using it?

 

[hoppy2B]

I still have a few weeks i recon , what have you had ur hives on , i have plenty of canola honey but never brewed with it , i hate the smell of it has anyone tried using it?

Mine are running on weeds at the moment. :lol: Capeweed, Wild Radish, Onion Weed, Horehound, Soursob etc. Probably some Eucalyptus in there as well. Nobody growing Canola near by in the last couple of years. Its a nice mixed floral honey which is reasonably light in colour.
I caught a swarm yesterday morning which I noticed the night before hanging on a tree next to my hives. Don't have any idea which one it came out of. I only have about 8 hives.
Do you wait till your combs are fully capped before you take your honey out? I get it out quick once its about 1/3 capped to try and stop them taking off.
Yesterday was the first bee work I've done in 6 months.

 

[thebeemann]

Mine are running on weeds at the moment. :lol: Capeweed, Wild Radish, Onion Weed, Horehound, Soursob etc. Probably some Eucalyptus in there as well. Nobody growing Canola near by in the last couple of years. Its a nice mixed floral honey which is reasonably light in colour.
I caught a swarm yesterday morning which I noticed the night before hanging on a tree next to my hives. Don't have any idea which one it came out of. I only have about 8 hives.
Do you wait till your combs are fully capped before you take your honey out? I get it out quick once its about 1/3 capped to try and stop them taking off.
Yesterday was the first bee work I've done in 6 months.

It all depends , except canola that shit goes hard in 500c weather ,i swear i can go a week and have candied honey , if they are bringing it in i aim for around 3/4 capped on most stuff , i wouldnt worry about conola , but its great for the spring build up , not sure how many hives i have cause they are everywere i usualy register 50 to be safe, i have 2 in my yard for personall use.

 

[hoppy2B]

My hives are out on the farm but I would prefer to have them in the burbs because of the variety of flowering plants available to forage from. :mellow:

 

[thebeemann]

My hives are out on the farm but I would prefer to have them in the burbs because of the variety of flowering plants available to forage from. :mellow:

As long as they dont anoy the neibours you can legally have 2 hives on a suburban block in most council areas.

 

[hoppy2B]

As long as they dont anoy the neibours you can legally have 2 hives on a suburban block in most council areas.

Are there any websites that indicate which councils allow beekeeping or do you need to check every council's website? <_<

 

[KudaPucat]

All my honey supplies have dried up.
This year has been a poor one for honey.
Could somebody let me know if cheap honey is still available? I'm having trouble finding anything before $7.50