As many as I can find space for.
That's my limiting factor too!
<inhale> I had to know, so I just went through my whole log book and made a list, put it into a spreadsheet... here's the breakdown.
2004 - 12 batches totalling 26 gallons, of which 10 gallons were from wine kits, 3 gallons traditional mead, the rest, country wines made with sugar.
2005 - 7 batches totalling 14 gallons, one of which was acerglyn, the rest, country wines.
2006 - 27 batches totalling 60 gallons, of which 3 gal were melomels, one acerglyn, 5 gal traditional mead, 4 gal JAO or variations, and 15 gal was kit wines for my mother's wedding, the rest country wines.
2007 - 15 batches totalling 24 gallons, of which 5 gal were melomels, 5 gal JAO variations, one gal sherry and a 5 gal wine kit, the rest country wines.
2008 - 12 batches totalling 18.5 gallons, of which 5 gal are JAO or variations, 1 gallon melomel, 5 gallons acerglyn and the rest, country wines.
2009 - 11 batches totalling 29 gallons, of which 7 gal are JAO variations, 3 gal perry, 1 gal melomel, 15 gallons of kit wine for my wedding and only one 3-gal batch of country wine!
2010 - 16 batches totalling 21 gal already with plans for 5 gal chocolate group brew, 5 gal of JAO variations, 3 gal ice wine made from a 5 gal kit, 3 gal metheglyns, 1 gal acerglyn, 2 gal show meads, 2 gal port, 4 gal melomels and a gallon of hydromel (but not in a pear tree). No country wines as of yet but I will be doing a bunch as fruits ripen and I get stuff bottled to make more room.
Looks like I'll be hitting 200 gal this year... and I think the pear experiment I started last night was my 100th batch!!
... so, an average of 15 batches per year, around 30 gallons per year.
Holy Cow, when do you find time to sleep
Bet you have garnered a whole lot of great experience....
I'm sure that's a common sentiment. I'm planning on having another 30 gallons going by the holidays. I think that's when I'll be happy with the quantity, variety, and age of of my inventory.On the positive side, I'm just now feeling like I'm over the hump of having to wait to drink some good not-too-young mead because the backlog is finally enough. Although, I took stock and dang! I need to keep making more!
Eric
I'm sure that's a common sentiment. I'm planning on having another 30 gallons going by the holidays. I think that's when I'll be happy with the quantity, variety, and age of of my inventory.
I have well over 100 bottles of wine/mead in the house and produce more than I consume. Obsession is not necessarily a bad thing. And remember, age improves with mead, perhaps even more than mead improves with age.