Sweetening the Deal

30 (of 40 total) pounds of raw, unfiltered clover honey.

Honey is a magical substance.  It's the only food on the planet that contains all of the elements necessary to sustain life, including water.  Likewise, it never spoils (if stored properly), is the only food produced by insects that humans consume, and has purported and proven medicinal applications.  On top of all that it tastes great.  It's no wonder why humans have been eating honey and semidomesticating bees for thousands of years.  Despite all that we know about bees and honey production, there is still some mystery to the process of converting nectar into honey.  That unknown adds to the intrigue that honey brings to any beer, braggot or mead making project.  I've made three different meads in the past 8 years (Jumpin' the Broom Honeymoon Mead, Odrerir, and Claire's Mead) but it has been a while since the last one.  Lewy, my brother Jeff, and I decided to pool resources and order 40 pounds of raw, unfiltered clover honey.  It came in the mail yesterday while Lewy was hanging out during my Ecotopia CDA brew session.  Here's what I plan to do with my 15 pounds:

1)  1# - added to Ecotopia CDA secondary fermentation to lend additional flavor/aroma and dryness.
2)  5# - used to brew a braggot that attempts to clone Rabbit's Foot Meadery's "Hel"
3)  6# - for use in a Tart Cherry Riesling Pyment
4)  3# - ???????? - spread it on toast, mix it in tea, eat it straight out of the container...