My first mead was a dry and sour mead.
This time I'm going for a sweet mead. I'll be adding some spices too, as I really like a sweet Spiced mead.
Lavlin ec 1118
half a teaspon of wine essentials yeast nutrients
19 x 700g bramwells mixed blossom honey
13.3kg honey
Teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Tablespoon imitation vanilla essence
Tablespoon ground allspice
35g cinnamon sugar
3 drops of natural orange essence
Enough water to get to 25 litres
put the jars of honey in a bath of hot water, to make the honey pourable.
mix up the spices with a small amount of boiling water.
pour two kettles of boiling water in the fermenter (to keep the honey from solidifying)
pour each jar of honey into the fermenter, stiring as you go.
add spice mix
add yeast nutrients
add the rest of the cold water, till at 25 litres, and about 30 degrees
rehydrate yeast and add it
This should give me a very sweet mead, at the maximum alcohol level that the yeast can handle.
That should be around 17.5%
Starting temp
Original gravity: over 150, approx 160?
before adding the yeast, it before tastes very sweet (obviously 13.3kg; honey), the spices are present, but not very strongly.
all spice and orange are the main secondary flavours.
date, temp, SG
2013/11/16, 32 degrees, 160?
2013/11/16, 18 degrees, ?, added yeast nutrients
2013/11/21, 21 degrees, 150, added yeast nutrients
...
UPDATE : 2014/02/03, stuck at 77 for 2 weeks or so. I'm not sure what exactly to do, so looks like I've got some research to do.
I've tasted it anyway, and it's very damn sweet. Which is to be expected as it hasn't finished yet.
It already tastes like actual mead though, and the spices have really mellowed and integrated well with the honey. This batch is already a success I'd say.
UPDATE : 2014/05/15
This mead has turned out very very sweet, with just a hint of spice. A strong honey flavour too.
It's good at room temp and chilled, as well as fizzed up with the soda stream.
before adding the yeast, it before tastes very sweet (obviously 13.3kg; honey), the spices are present, but not very strongly.
all spice and orange are the main secondary flavours.
date, temp, SG
2013/11/16, 32 degrees, 160?
2013/11/16, 18 degrees, ?, added yeast nutrients
2013/11/21, 21 degrees, 150, added yeast nutrients
...
UPDATE : 2014/02/03, stuck at 77 for 2 weeks or so. I'm not sure what exactly to do, so looks like I've got some research to do.
I've tasted it anyway, and it's very damn sweet. Which is to be expected as it hasn't finished yet.
It already tastes like actual mead though, and the spices have really mellowed and integrated well with the honey. This batch is already a success I'd say.
UPDATE : 2014/05/15
This mead has turned out very very sweet, with just a hint of spice. A strong honey flavour too.
It's good at room temp and chilled, as well as fizzed up with the soda stream.
