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Spiced Apple Mead Questions...

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Kody_Wulfe

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 5, 2017
52
1
0
Midwest
Hey gang..... In the following recipe.. I have two questions.. when it says 1/4 nutmeg.. is that the whole nutmeg or just a 1/4 tsp or something....

and the Allspice.. thoughts??

Thanks...

Kody

Spiced Apple Mead

SG-1.04

2 gallons apple juice
7# apples
12 oz. zante currant raisens
1 teabag- made 1/2 gal tea
1 lemon
3 star anise
4 whole cloves
6 all spice
1/4 nutmeg
6 pound honey
1/4 banana

1/4 papaya
 

pwizard

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 17, 2015
587
0
0
Birmingham, AL
I've always used whole spices, either intact or crushed into large pieces as needed. Just put everything in a small hop bag and suspend it in the carboy with a piece of string or fish line. Powdered spices can interfere with clearing and quickly lose their potency unless you grind them yourself and use them fairly soon (even then I still wouldn't use powered spice in a mead). Generally one nutmeg "nut" is enough for a gallon, so scale the amount as needed.

This may help:

https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Spices/

Also, I would wait until secondary to add the fruit. Is this just a recipe you found or have you already mixed this up?
 
Last edited:

caduseus

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Aug 20, 2016
675
2
18
Cincinnati
1) add spices while as mentioned but put in secondary not primary as I have found putting in primary loses the taste.
2) I would not recommend allspice. Everyone loves my pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie wine- even people who don't like pumpkin pie. My secret? No allspice!
3) tea bag or hop bag? It is all the same. Just make sure it stays intact and is easy to retrieve
4) bananas are a b!!!! to clear. If you don't use a filter down to at least 1 micron (lower would be better), then your mead will remain cloudy from the bananas.

Hope this helps
Pvt me for more specifics
 

bernardsmith

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Sep 1, 2013
1,611
32
48
Saratoga Springs , NY
1)
4) bananas are a b!!!! to clear. If you don't use a filter down to at least 1 micron (lower would be better), then your mead will remain cloudy from the bananas.

Not sure i agree about bananas. I occasionally boil bananas sliced with skins in water (about 15 minutes) and then remove the fruit and use the tea to dissolve the honey. Never had a problem with cloudiness or haze. The fruit seems to add more mouthfeel to the mead.
 

caduseus

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Aug 20, 2016
675
2
18
Cincinnati
Not sure i agree about bananas. I occasionally boil bananas sliced with skins in water (about 15 minutes) and then remove the fruit and use the tea to dissolve the honey. Never had a problem with cloudiness or haze. The fruit seems to add more mouthfeel to the mead.

He asked about adding bananas directly to must. Not boiling the bananas and then adding that to the must. I am sure your way does cause less cloudiness.
 

Kody_Wulfe

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 5, 2017
52
1
0
Midwest
Thanks all... I do have one last question.. as I am adding cider instead of water.. wont the yeast attack the sugar in the cider as well??

Kody
 

caduseus

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Aug 20, 2016
675
2
18
Cincinnati
Thanks all... I do have one last question.. as I am adding cider instead of water.. wont the yeast attack the sugar in the cider as well??

Kody

yes so you need to keep in mind that cider has its own sugar with an average SG of about 1.050 before you even add the honey. You wont need to add as much honey because of the sugar in the cider. In fact if you don't scale down your honey, you will overly stress your yeast from too high a sugar. use the got mead calculator
 
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