Easter Metheglin

[hepcat]

LOL, started on Easter Sunday, April 8:

In my 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket:
10.5lbs orange blossom, raw, natural honey from a local bee keeper.
7g Lalvin D-47 rehydrated @ ~104 deg F for 15 minutes in Spring water.
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient rehydrated in ~1/4 cup Spring water
1/2 teaspoon yeast energizer rehydrated in ~same 1/4 cup water as the nutrient
Spring water to 3.25 gallons.
3 vanilla beans
3 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon allspice powder
Aerated some of the must with a blender before pitching the yeast and gave it a good stir also.
OG: 1.116
starting pH: ~5

April 9:
Added 1/2 teaspoon yeast energizer rehydrated in about 1/8 cup Spring water.
Must temp: 69 deg F.
Later, added 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient rehydrated in about 1/8 cup Spring water.
Must temp: 65 deg F. Gave it a good stir. Vigorous fermentation.

April 11:
SG: 1.100
must temp: 67 deg F

April 13:
SG: 1.092
must temp: 66 deg F.
Added final SNA: 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient and 1/2 teaspoon yeast energizer rehydrated in ~1/8 cup Spring water. Gave vigorous stir. Looking good.

So this is day six, Saturday, April 14 and it's still fermenting pretty good, want it to get down to around 1.015. Original Gravity was 1.116.
I am really pleased with this batch of honey, water, yeast and spices so far, hope it keeps progressing well.

And I'm using a beer tub for the first time to keep the fermenting bucket cool and and it's working GREAT. I've kept the must temp between 65-68 deg F no problem.

[fatbloke]

Just looked at my chart.

D47 is tolerant to 14% from memory, which is a drop of 103/104 points. Your initial reading, presuming 1.000 as dry, would, if it gets that far, give you about 15.7% ABV.

So i'm thinking that you'll probably end up with some residual sugars/sweetness in this batch.

Strange though, given that "Easter cakes" a.k.a. Simnel cake, see to use the same spices (pretty much) as a traditional Christmas cake.

Excellent use of the local honey, well done on that. I'm still hunting out a local bee keeper, to try their stuff. Though I don't hurry as the local apiary supplies place also wholesales various honeys, not the kind of range that somewhere like Beefolks keep, but enough variations to keep me ticking over.

Keep us informed as it progresses.

[hepcat]

Originally Posted by fatbloke

Just looked at my chart.

D47 is tolerant to 14% from memory, which is a drop of 103/104 points. Your initial reading, presuming 1.000 as dry, would, if it gets that far, give you about 15.7% ABV.

So i'm thinking that you'll probably end up with some residual sugars/sweetness in this batch.

Keep us informed as it progresses.

Thanks for confirming fatbloke, that's exactly what I'm hoping, that it finishes at the low end of medium sweet range, around 1.010.

[fatbloke]

Originally Posted by hepcat

Thanks for confirming fatbloke, that's exactly what I'm hoping, that it finishes at the low end of medium sweet range, around 1.010.

Which would be fine - about spot on with how I like my meads.

What I would say though, is that I do prefer to mix my brews to no higher than the gravity that represents the tolerance of the yeast (yes, I'm aware that the data supplied alludes to grape musts, and that with the nutrients/energiser we use, there's some room for error). Then I know it's finished if it gets to 1.000 or below. So I can then back sweeten too taste. Which is my preferred method as some honey can still seem to taste sweet, when the hydrometer is telling me that it's dry - and if I just used the hydrometer, without tasting, then it could be too sweet.

Either way, go with what you're happiest doing........

[Chevette Girl]

Originally Posted by fatbloke

Then I know it's finished if it gets to 1.000 or below. So I can then back sweeten too taste. Which is my preferred method as some honey can still seem to taste sweet, when the hydrometer is telling me that it's dry - and if I just used the hydrometer, without tasting, then it could be too sweet.

I've noticed this with certain fruits, too... red currant and strawberry being two wines I've made which finished bone dry but I like them anyway (I'm not partial to dry wines or meads), and I've been told by others that they were too sweet, despite being well under 1.000.