Adventures in Mead making

[Ulaven_Demorte]

My newest hobby..

My first batch of Orange and Spice Mead all set up in it's primary fermentation container where it will remain for the next 60ish days before being bottled to age.

 

[Powertone]

after the gig the other night the piano player asked if I'd be up for some corn liquor...I asked if it was in an old fruit jar...it was in a new Mason...but I took a hit of the clear hootch an' lemme tell ya__that was some good moonshine ~

 

[doctor_insanus]

I had a friend a few years back who was into Viking re-enactments, and one of the things he enjoyed most was making Mead.

Good stuff.

 

[where]

My newest hobby..

My first batch of Orange and Spice Mead all set up in it's primary fermentation container where it will remain for the next 60ish days before being bottled to age.

was it time consuming? I love mead.

 

[blunt_trauma]

mead rocks.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

My newest hobby..

My first batch of Orange and Spice Mead all set up in it's primary fermentation container where it will remain for the next 60ish days before being bottled to age.

That looks cool as fuck. And inexpensive. How much to kit all this up and how long do you have to wait before partaking of your endeavor?

 

[rosco rathbone]

Now all you need is some rape, pillage, dead livestock and a burning church or three.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

was it time consuming? I love mead.

It took about half an hour to throw together all of the ingredients. It's actually pretty simple to make.

The most time consuming was sanitizing all of the stuff so it doesn't get contaminated by bacteria or other nasties.

It's bubbling away in our spare bedroom now. honestly it's mostly waiting from this point on.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

That looks cool as fuck. And inexpensive. How much to kit all this up and how long do you have to wait before partaking of your endeavor?

Relatively cheap, especially if you have some 1 gallon cider jugs handy (they sell for about $8 apiece at the brewing supply here in town). stoppers are a buck and a airlock is about $1.50. I think I spent $40 al together for the stuff I needed to get started. 5lbs of honey, yeast.. etc.

Basic recipe for 1 gallon is 3lbs of honey, 1 orange cut into eigths, 25 or so raisins, spring water, this recipe actually calls for plain old bread yeast.

It should be ready to bottle in about 60 days or so and you can drink it immediately, but will taste better if you let it age and mellow in the bottle for a few more months. So I'm told. I'll let you know around Thanksgiving when this batch should be young but drinkable.

 

[Image]

I've made my own wine before but I really want to try making mead! You're right about the sterilization being the most important (and time consuming) step...'

That looks delicious!

 

[where]

It took about half an hour to throw together all of the ingredients. It's actually pretty simple to make.

The most time consuming was sanitizing all of the stuff so it doesn't get contaminated by bacteria or other nasties.

It's bubbling away in our spare bedroom now. honestly it's mostly waiting from this point on.

so where do you source your honey?

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

so where do you source your honey?

I bought 5 lbs of raw wildflower honey from the local brewing supply store. I think I'll look for a local apiary for some orange blossom honey for the next batch.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

after the gig the other night the piano player asked if I'd be up for some corn liquor...I asked if it was in an old fruit jar...it was in a new Mason...but I took a hit of the clear hootch an' lemme tell ya__that was some good moonshine ~

I'm making wine, not hooch..

-but-

I'm using 3D modeling software now to design a distiller that I'm going to fabricate from stainless steel and copper for Recidiva to use for making essential oils from all of the herbs and flowers in our garden. It closely resembles a reflux still used to distill alcohol with a few minor alterations. It could be used to distill alcohol, but that would be illegal.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

A little over 8 hours after pitching the yeast and the bottle is bubbling like mad. The yeast is going to town on the honey and fruit. Now it's just a waiting game.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Update on my mead making adventures since I woke up at 4AM for some reason and can't get back to sleep..

Left is my first batch "Jim's Ancient Orange Mead" at five weeks after pitching the yeast. It's clearing nicely but should remain a nice dark amber color thanks to the deep amber color of the Wildflower honey I used. I'll probably bottle it in a couple of weeks and let most of it age for a few months before drinking.

On the right is my second batch, "Firewater Orange Ginger", it's two weeks behind the Ancient Orange and should be ready to bottle by Christmas. It should be a much lighter color than the Ancient Orange when it falls clear. The clover honey used was a lot lighter in color than the wildflower in the Ancient Orange.

In the design stages for the labels.. Rough draft below.

I'm looking for new ideas.. I'm thinking either a Strawberry or Apple wine for my next endeavor. We shall see.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

First batch bottled and awaiting labels. i need to get to Michael's Crafts to buy a sealant for the inkjet labels I made so they don't run if they get wet. Five 750ml bottles full from one gallon with very little waste.

Notice that the front bottle has only a tasting cork. Recidiva is already tasting that one, and I must say it tastes pretty damn good! The other four bottles are going to a dark, cool, secluded location to age.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

I've started experimenting with fining agents. The Firewater Orange Ginger Mead was being stubborn about clearing and had developed a pectin haze.

I rehydrated half a teaspoon of bentonite clay in a cup of boiling water and poured the resultant muddy mixture into the carboy and stirred it up several times over the course of a day. Two days later the wine is so clear that I can read newsprint through the gallon bottle.

It's amazing how much trub was pulled out of suspension. I'll be bottling this batch and storing it away to age in a nice cool dark place for six months to a year.

Meanwhile I've started a second one gallon batch of the Ancient Orange and will be shopping for bigger fermentation vessels later this week. It's time to scale up so At least some of it gets a chance to age a little. It's tough to let the Ancient Orange sit though, it's perfectly drinkable two months after pitching the yeast.

 

[unregistered]

 

[phrodeau]

(edited)

In the design stages for the labels.. Rough draft below.

I'm looking for new ideas.. I'm thinking either a Strawberry or Apple wine for my next endeavor. We shall see.

The bee should have a red nose and the DT's.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Wow, I have been remiss in my Mead making exploit updates.

I've stepped up to three gallon fermentation vessels for proven recipes, although I still stick to 1 gallon batch size for experiments, more on my current test later in the post.

This morning I racked over a 3 gallon batch of Ancient Orange Mead that was started on 10/5 to get it off the lees, another month to six weeks and it should be ready to stabilize and bottle.. Then the long wait for it to age and mellow (we'll see, it took over a year to get to the last few bottles of the previous batch even after giving some away as gifts) and those last few have been even more awesome than the first. Luckily I have four bottles left from the last batch so these should get to age for a few months before I crack open the first bottle. I'll be able to give away bottles from this batch out as Christmas gifts with the caveat that they should be bottle aged for at least a few months for the best result, even though as a dessert wine it's completely drinkable as soon as it's bottled.

I also have an experimental batch of Apple Pie Mead made with organic apple juice, clover honey, a whole cinanamon stick and a pinch of nutmeg. Specific gravity testing today put it at 17-18% ABV with a crisp apple taste, although it's a bit dry for Recidiva's taste. She likes them more along the lines of a dessert wine like the Ancient Orange. We'll see how it comes along over the next couple of months.

As an aside: A friend that I gave a bottle of last year's batch of Ancient Orange Mead shared it with the Executive Chef and the Sommelier at Emeril Lagasse's Orlando restaurant and they asked to be added to my Christmas list for this year.

I'm going to have to start making six gallon batches soon.

 

[contrifan32]

Technically you are making a melomel, a variation of mead when you add fruit and a metheglin when adding herbs and spices. A true mead uses just honey for flavor and complexity. Not that there is anything wrong with other additives.

 

[islandman]

I do believe your wife promised me a bottle.

When should I expect delivery?

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Technically you are making a melomel, a variation of mead when you add fruit and a metheglin when adding herbs and spices. A true mead uses just honey for flavor and complexity. Not that there is anything wrong with other additives.

True enough.
My wife Recidiva prefers the orange spiced mead. I was partial to the batch of Orange-ginger or the Apple Cyser I made last year.
Maybe after this batch is bottled I'll make a 1 gallon batch of true mead just to see if I like it sans the other ingredients.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

I do believe your wife promised me a bottle.

When should I expect delivery?

I'm pretty sure we talked about this. It's illegal to ship alcohol, even wine unless you're licensed. So if you want it, you have to come to Orlando and pick it up yourself. I'll gladly give you a bottle or two.

 

[islandman]

I'm pretty sure we talked about this. It's illegal to ship alcohol, even wine unless you're licensed. So if you want it, you have to come to Orlando and pick it up yourself. I'll gladly give you a bottle or two.

Yes, yes, I was joking. Besides, Hester said she's pay my way if I put out.

I'm still waiting for that deal.