Mead Batch 1
I want to try to make a drier, spiced mead, which is technically a metheglin. Since this will be my first attempt, it's going to be a pretty big mish-mash of recipes:
- 8.5 lbs. clover honey
- 2 cups Yogi masala chai
- 1 packet Lalvin D 47 yeast
- 3 tsp Fermax yeast nutrient
- 1.5 tsp LD Carlson yeast energizer
I'm going to start with a 3 gallon batch. Sounds like it'll probably be 3-6 months from start to "drinkable" and will get better with age.
Started by boiling ~3 gallons of water and sterilizing all of the equipment, including thermometer, hydrometer, auto-siphon, fermentation lock, stopper, and 3 gallon glass fermentation vessel. Took the yeast out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature. Opened the honey (Very Tasty stuff!). Took boiling water off heat and added the honey. Returned to heat, managed to scorch the honey a little, but stirred, skimmed, and heated for ~45 minutes. Removed from heat and chilled the must in a sink full of *cold* water, refilling the sink twice. Got the must down to ~100F, then siphoned it into the fermenter with yeast energizer and yeast nutrient already in the bottom. Made the tea, 2 bags in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, added to fermenter. Put the yeast in 1/4 cup of 102F water for 10 minutes then added to the fermenter.
IG: 1.092 @ 85F = 1.095 @ 68F
-Morrigu 22:01, 3 February 2010 (EST)
I racked the mead today. It smelled like yeasty orangina. Apparently this is normal. -Morrigu 20:28, 20 February 2010 (EST)
Two days after racking it's already getting pretty clear. I'm starting to wonder if I'll even need a clarifier. -Morrigu 22:07, 22 February 2010 (EST)
Given that I can currently see the bricks behind the carboy, I'm going to skip the clarifier. Could be a mistake, but I think it's the right call. -Morrigu 21:51, 25 February 2010 (EST)
It's not mead, it's paint thinner. Needs some more time anyway, so I fed it with a mixture of more tea and honey, and racked again. -Morrigu 13:49, 6 March 2010 (EST)
Racked it again. Still smells like yeasty orangina, but it's clarifying again. It got pretty cloudy after I fed it. Probably just let it sit, possibly rack one more time, and then bottle. My guess is bottling in ~1 month. -Morrigu 09:43, 21 March 2010 (EST)
Racked again, added some sparkolloid (3 tsp in 1 cup water, boil 30 minutes) to clarify. Will bottle in about a week. It was awfully close anyway, and tasting much better than the last time. -Morrigu 18:39, 16 June 2010 (EST)
Bottled. It's very warm, a bit sharp, and has a cinnamon bite to it. All in all, it's ok, but I'm hoping it'll mellow with some age. -Morrigu 20:49, 23 June 2010 (EST)
