Hello everyone, this is my first post as I am about to create my second batch of mead.
I am a longtime fan of Mead but new to making it. I have a friend who is into Maple Mead and after a taste of his, I figured it is time to try to make my own.
I am 30+ days into my first 5 gallon batch of traditional mead. It consists of 15 pounds of honey and 4 gallons of spring water with 71B yeast. I am fermenting it at 62 Deg. and I was at 12.6% ABV two weeks in as I did my first rack. The bubbler is slowing down and I will do a final rack after it clears a bit more, maybe another 30 days?
I have just purchased a bucket of local honey and I plan to start my second 5 gallon batch of mead while the temps in my basement are still cool enough.
While researching what flavors to experiment with for my second batch, I came across a reference to Kurt’s Apple Pie Mead. It sounds simple enough, has great ratings and it was created very close to my relatives home in Derry, NH. (I need to stop in there soon!)
I see various attempts to mimic the Kurt Apple Pie recipe, and I am thrilled to see post from Michael of Moonlight Meadery here, that is why I registered for Got Mead discussion board.
Please step in with your suggestions and comments on any of my planned methods here:
My attempt will use the 25% Honey to 75% Apple juice by volume method. Due to the lack of unprocessed cider this time of year, I will use Motts 100% apple juice, except for some vitamin C it has no additives. I see unfiltered apple juice online, but it is expensive and hart to find in quantity locally.
For five gallons it calculates out to 3.9 gallons apple juice and 1.3 gallons of honey.
I will use the 71B yeast with nutrients and energizers in a staggered pitch. That is what I did for my first batch and that is proceeding nicely. (My Day 1 check list is at the end of this post.) I plan to let the must ferment down to about 1/3 sugar remaining before doing the first racking. That is when I plan to add the spices and that is where things get fuzzy and I may need a lot of advice.
Researching various web links and videos, it looks like Kurt’s uses Madagascar Vanilla Beans and Vietnamese Cinnamon. (I have them on order) I do not see any exact ratios mentioned but I am guessing that 1 bean is about right for 5 gallons and as for the cinnamon, I am guessing one stick will work if it is broken up but not ground?
Looking at other attempts at an Apple Pie Mead, I notice that besides cinnamon & vanilla beans, some use cloves, nutmeg and brown sugar or molasses.
Some folks use spices in the primary but most use them add them in the secondary. Some pull the spices out of the must long before bottling, other leave them in right up to bottling.
My main questions are;
What spices work best?
What spice quantity works for 5 gallons?
When to add and remove the spices?
If adding them in the secondary is best, then I may consider taking the 5 gallons of must after it is done in the pail and split it into 1 gallon jugs and spicing them in different ratios to find the best flavor.
I am a longtime fan of Mead but new to making it. I have a friend who is into Maple Mead and after a taste of his, I figured it is time to try to make my own.
I am 30+ days into my first 5 gallon batch of traditional mead. It consists of 15 pounds of honey and 4 gallons of spring water with 71B yeast. I am fermenting it at 62 Deg. and I was at 12.6% ABV two weeks in as I did my first rack. The bubbler is slowing down and I will do a final rack after it clears a bit more, maybe another 30 days?
I have just purchased a bucket of local honey and I plan to start my second 5 gallon batch of mead while the temps in my basement are still cool enough.
While researching what flavors to experiment with for my second batch, I came across a reference to Kurt’s Apple Pie Mead. It sounds simple enough, has great ratings and it was created very close to my relatives home in Derry, NH. (I need to stop in there soon!)
I see various attempts to mimic the Kurt Apple Pie recipe, and I am thrilled to see post from Michael of Moonlight Meadery here, that is why I registered for Got Mead discussion board.
Please step in with your suggestions and comments on any of my planned methods here:
My attempt will use the 25% Honey to 75% Apple juice by volume method. Due to the lack of unprocessed cider this time of year, I will use Motts 100% apple juice, except for some vitamin C it has no additives. I see unfiltered apple juice online, but it is expensive and hart to find in quantity locally.
For five gallons it calculates out to 3.9 gallons apple juice and 1.3 gallons of honey.
I will use the 71B yeast with nutrients and energizers in a staggered pitch. That is what I did for my first batch and that is proceeding nicely. (My Day 1 check list is at the end of this post.) I plan to let the must ferment down to about 1/3 sugar remaining before doing the first racking. That is when I plan to add the spices and that is where things get fuzzy and I may need a lot of advice.
Researching various web links and videos, it looks like Kurt’s uses Madagascar Vanilla Beans and Vietnamese Cinnamon. (I have them on order) I do not see any exact ratios mentioned but I am guessing that 1 bean is about right for 5 gallons and as for the cinnamon, I am guessing one stick will work if it is broken up but not ground?
Looking at other attempts at an Apple Pie Mead, I notice that besides cinnamon & vanilla beans, some use cloves, nutmeg and brown sugar or molasses.
Some folks use spices in the primary but most use them add them in the secondary. Some pull the spices out of the must long before bottling, other leave them in right up to bottling.
My main questions are;
What spices work best?
What spice quantity works for 5 gallons?
When to add and remove the spices?
If adding them in the secondary is best, then I may consider taking the 5 gallons of must after it is done in the pail and split it into 1 gallon jugs and spicing them in different ratios to find the best flavor.
Semi Dry Mead, First attempt, aiming for 14% to 16% alcohol content.
Day 1: 11/23/16
1) Clean & sanitize everything to be used for Day 1 list
a) PWB cleaner: ½ cup = 5 ounces for 5 gallons of warm water. 30 minute soak time.
b) BTF Iodophor ½ ounces (1 tablespoon) per 5 gallons cold water
c) Soak for 10 minutes, drip dry for 10 more.
2) Prep Energizer
a) Mix 1 teaspoon (about 4 grams) Fermaid-K and 2 teaspoon (about 8 grams) DAP
b) Divide into four ¾ teaspoon servings (about 3 grams each)
c) Mix one serving with ½ cup spring water or mead must
3) Prep Lalvin 71B 1122 Yeast (No more than 30 minutes before adding to must)
a) In a glass bowl add ¼ teaspoon (about 1 gram) Go-Ferm energizer to 1 cup spring water @ 110 degrees F
b) Wait for temperature to drop to 104 degrees F then add two 5 gram packs yeast.
c) Stir until mixed and let sit 20 minutes, no more than 30 minutes before adding to must.
4) Prep water & honey
a) Refrigerate 2 gallons of spring water to 35 degrees F.
b) Warm all 5 honey containers in pot with warm tap water to thin
c) Warm 2 spring water jugs in pots with warm tap water
5) Prep honey, water, energizer & yeast mix
a) Mix 1 1/2 gallons warm spring water (110 degrees F.) & 15 pounds of warm honey (95 degrees F.)
b) Use remaining warm spring water to get honey residue from containers into must
c) Add 1 serving Energizer as prepared in step 2
d) Add 2 gallons refrigerated water (35 degrees F.) to bring must down to about 75 degrees F.
e) Wait for temp to get to 70-75 degrees F.
f) Check & record must SG with hydrometer 1.11 and Brix sugar level 25.5 @ 80 Deg.
g) Warm ½ cup of must to match yeast mix and add to yeast mix (from step 3) to acclimate yeast
h) Slowly add cooled must so yeast temperature matches must temperature
i) Be sure must is within 10 degrees F of yeast then add yeast/must mix to must bucket
j) Slowly mix & aerate yeast & must with mixing rod on drill
6) Install lid & bubbler
7) Move to basement 60-65 degrees F
8) Check & record container temperature 11/24 0600 64 Deg.