If you’re looking to move beyond simple hunting and gathering, it’s time to look into apiculture. Honey isn’t just a great-tasting sweetener; it’s a powerful medicinal tool that boosts your immunity level, making it a “must-have” for any serious survivor’s base.
Here is your step-by-step guide to becoming a wasteland beekeeper and, eventually, a master of honey wine.
Part 1: Sweet Gold – How to Harvest Honey
Before you start, make sure you have your kit ready. You’ll need 3 Honeycomb Frames, a Spatula, a Honey Dipper, a Honey Pot, and some disinfectant (Alcohol Tincture or Iodine).
Step 1: Prep the Hive
Craft 3 Honeycomb Frames using 10 Nails and 3 Wooden Planks. Once they’re built, attach them to your Beehive.
Step 2: The Waiting Game
Now, let the bees do their thing. Depending on your server settings, this usually takes about one hour. Keep an eye on the frames until they are brimming with honey.
Step 3: Harvesting the Combs
Take your Spatula and swap the full frames one by one into the next slot of the Beehive. This process extracts the Honeycombs. Once you have three, stack them together.
Step 4: Sterilization is Key
Don’t get yourself sick. Take an empty Honey Pot and clean it thoroughly with your Alcohol Tincture or Iodine. Once it’s sterile, combine it with your stack of three Honeycombs.
Step 5: The Final Pour
Attach that pot back to the Beehive slot and use your Honey Dipper. You’ll walk away with a full, fresh Honey Pot.
Part 2: The Good Stuff – Crafting Honey Wine (Mead)
Once you’ve mastered basic honey production, you can move on to the distillery. To make Honey Wine, you’ll need a Test Tube, an empty Honeywine Bottle, an empty Honey Pot, and your disinfectant.
- Prep the Base: Harvest 2 Honeycombs and sterilize an empty Honey Pot.
- Boil the Water: Fill a Test Tube with water and get it on the fire. You need it at a minimum of 100°C.
- Pro Tip: Heat it up to 200°C before moving it to the hive, as it cools down quickly and the recipe won’t work if it drops below 100°C.
- Mix the Mash: Attach the boiling Test Tube, the 2 Honeycombs, and your sterile Honey Pot to the Beehive. Use the Honey Dipper to mix them into a Watered Honey Pot.
- The Bottling: Attach that Watered Honey Pot back to the hive, put your empty Honeywine Bottle in your hands, and start the process.
The result? A bottle of Honey Wine ready for your next victory celebration. Just remember: stay hydrated, because you will get drunk.