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Quick Grape Mead - Revised a bit

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mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
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Thanks in advance to whoever it was that gave me the Quick Grape Mead recipe.
I just finished putting ny bubbler on it and am anxiously awaiting the show.
I changed it just a bit.
5 lbs of clover honey and 64 oz of Welchs grape juice.
I am not planning on adding any more honey or juice into another carboy so as not to make it too sweet. I like mine a little dry for some reason. Also used EC-1118 yeast with a toal of about 2 gallons water.

Will let all know how it tuns out in a month or so.
 

ScottS

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 12, 2003
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www.slezakfarms.com
I think it could stand to be a bit drier, but with that champagne yeast it might end up too dry. Only time will tell. I used 71B, and it ended up around 1.040. Practically wine cooler sweet. My friends love it, but I could handle it a bit drier.
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
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Going like crazy this morning and smells up my office real good!

God I love that smell.................... It is addicting.
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
The original recipe is at
http://gotmead.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Recipes;action=display;num=1093396527
One can vary the recipe and I am sure it will turn out fine but the original recipe I created was for a quick drinkable mead in 5 weeks. If you do anything to increase the alcohol content (more honey) or fail to sweeten it as recommended then it may require more time to really be good. The sweetness tends to further mask the edge on the achohol to make it more pleasureable without aging. Dry mead will require more aging. Also the addition of a bit of buckwheat was to bring out the honey flavor which is usually masked by the Grape juice and would normally require a longer age time to come through.
Cheers,
Joe
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
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Hmmm.......
How much more time will the 2 extra pounds of honey take do you think?
I guess if it's too dry (I like dry) but if it is, I can add some honey at botteling provided I've stopped fermentation correct?

thanks for your help.
 

Suzy_Q_Brewmistres

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 18, 2004
155
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Grape huh.....
I think I might try this one too.... although I couldn't use the Welches juice since I work for Smuckers... ;). We are at the present.. Sept 20-Oct20 into Grape Harvest 2004. So.... I have access to Fresh Grape juice or Grape Juice Concentrate. So... Thanks Joe... for the recipe. I'll try this one a bit later this month. Another 1 gallons size.. Good.
:-* Suzy Q, Brewmistress
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
mavityre said:
Hmmm.......
How much more time will the 2 extra pounds of honey take do you think?
I guess if it's too dry (I like dry) but if it is, I can add some honey at botteling provided I've stopped fermentation correct?
thanks for your help.
Was the 5 lbs for 2 gallons? or per gallon? I'm confused. But regardless more honey will make more time for it to become more delightful.

Here's the beauty of this quick recipe.... It only uses ~2 lbs per gallon of honey and with the juice and with the EC-1118 to insure that the must gets a complete fermentation and goes dry with a nominal alcohol content of approximately 12%.
Then you stabilize and sweeten to your desired sweetness. The little bit of buckwheat helps the honey taste to come through the Concord Grape taste as it is quite strong compared to Clover. The absence of any added nutrients insures no off flavors and neither is acid needed because of the juice. Sweetening per the recipe will help to make it really good without aging. It was designed to be really good in 5 weeks from start to finish. Changing it may still make a good mead and maybe even better than my experiemental recipe. But.... modifying it will not make it as good to the average palate in 5 weeks (hence Quick Grape Mead Name) for the previously mentioned reasons.
Joe
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
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0
Hi there.
I understand what your saying. The 5 lbs of honey is for 2.5 gallons.
I didn't see buckwheat honey around where I live (didn't look too hard) but will use it in the future.

Ah............. just spoke to the wife and she didn't throw a tizzy when I mentioned retiting to OR next year and starting a meadery. Whoooo hooo!!!!!!!!
I have been brewing etc..... for about 10 years and now need to buckle down and get some good recipes. I guess I'll have to sample many in the course of things.................
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
OK. That is 2 lbs per gallon and will be fine. The only difference will be without the buckwheat, the honey taste will be a bit weak at such a young age. If you sweeten, it is important to use both Grape juice and honey since at this early age the Grape flavor will also be a bit weak from scrubbing by the fast fermentation of the EC-1118.
Joe
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
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0
Thanks Joe.

What do you think? One 11.1 oz can of Welches and half a pound of honey before bottling?
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
0
0
Holy moly.

I just bottled that grape mead and it's good!!!!!
Had a glass left over so I drank it. Man, what a kick.
A little cloudy but I'm sure it will be fine.
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Thanks for the feedback. That's what I like to hear. Another satisfied recipe user. Looks like it lived up to the promise of being both quick and good without aging even though aging will improve some. Took me a few experimental batches to come up with that combination to make it drinkable so soon. Glad you are enjoying it.
Joe
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
0
0
Ah crap.

When I bottled the mead yesterday I ran out of bottles so I used an old 2 litre Pepsi bottle. I damn near drank THAT last night.
Turned out to be one of those "can't remember going to bed nights".
I'm leaving the rest to age ;)
 

mavityre

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 11, 2004
116
0
0
Hey Joe.
If I wanted to make my next batch just a bit drier, how much less of what would I use???
And yes, having another bottle tonight..............

Thanks

PS And my wife thanks you since I'm not drinking all of her wine now ;D
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Just cut back on honey and welches to sweeten with. Everybody's different that why I experiment with 1 gallon batches til I get it where I like before making 3 or 5 gallon batches. My preference is a final SG of 1.012 or a BRIX of 3 whichever you go by. That's semi sweet and about 4 oz honey and 4 oz Welches per gallon after its finished.
Joe
 
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