Here's the recipe I'm trying for my third batch, a strawberry melomel with a hint of orange.
20# clover honey, Sams Club
5# frozen strawberries, Sams Club
2 medium naval oranges, cut up
1/4 cup chopped up raisins
4 tea bags
Fill to a total of 6 gallons with well water.
I started out by cleaning all the equipment with a dilute bleach solution and rinsing with boiled water. I then brought 2 gallons water, raisins, tea bags and the strawberries to a simmer in a stainless steel pot which was then used to dissolive 15 lbs of honey in the bottom of the primary. I continued to add hot water till the 5 gallon mark was reached. A sample showed that the specific gravity was only 1.08 so the rest of the honey was added which brought it above 1.110. Diluted down to 1.110 which gave a total 0f 6 gallons in the primary and dropped in the oranges. The top of the must was only 1/2 inch from the lid so after cooling and pitching the red star champange yeast I siphoned off about 1/2 a gallon and put it in two of the 5 lb honey jars. The fermation had already started and was filling the bubble trap with the must. :-[ Now I can watch the mead ferment as well count the bubbles ;D. It's been a week so far and the specific gravity is 1.063, the flavor is still sweet but has a nice strawberry taste with a hint of citris. (I Love It So Far)
This is the first batch I've tried without using the local HBS mead starter kit, in fact there is nothing in it except fruit, raisins and honey. For a medium sweet I was planning to stop it at around 1.02, any thoughts?. Can't wait, gave away most of batch 2 for presents trying to spread the word of mead to the world. Drink, Laugh and Love,
Beeboy
20# clover honey, Sams Club
5# frozen strawberries, Sams Club
2 medium naval oranges, cut up
1/4 cup chopped up raisins
4 tea bags
Fill to a total of 6 gallons with well water.
I started out by cleaning all the equipment with a dilute bleach solution and rinsing with boiled water. I then brought 2 gallons water, raisins, tea bags and the strawberries to a simmer in a stainless steel pot which was then used to dissolive 15 lbs of honey in the bottom of the primary. I continued to add hot water till the 5 gallon mark was reached. A sample showed that the specific gravity was only 1.08 so the rest of the honey was added which brought it above 1.110. Diluted down to 1.110 which gave a total 0f 6 gallons in the primary and dropped in the oranges. The top of the must was only 1/2 inch from the lid so after cooling and pitching the red star champange yeast I siphoned off about 1/2 a gallon and put it in two of the 5 lb honey jars. The fermation had already started and was filling the bubble trap with the must. :-[ Now I can watch the mead ferment as well count the bubbles ;D. It's been a week so far and the specific gravity is 1.063, the flavor is still sweet but has a nice strawberry taste with a hint of citris. (I Love It So Far)
This is the first batch I've tried without using the local HBS mead starter kit, in fact there is nothing in it except fruit, raisins and honey. For a medium sweet I was planning to stop it at around 1.02, any thoughts?. Can't wait, gave away most of batch 2 for presents trying to spread the word of mead to the world. Drink, Laugh and Love,
Beeboy