This is my first post here, so first of all... Cheers to all!
I have never brewed anything but a cup of coffee or an occasional herbal tea, but I've have had an interest in Mead and Mead making since I visited "Rocky Mountain Meadery" in Grand Junction, CO. several years ago.
I've spent many, many hours reading here, and on other sites taking in as much as possible, there's a lifetime of learning in this craft, and far more than I'll ever know, but if you never start, you'll never finish.
So here's a brief summary of where I'm at, and perhaps with the help from some of you, I'll get to some decent Mead's someday (you got me this far).
Today I visited a local Honey Farm ("The Bee Tree" in Lewis Colorado) and picked up 6lbs of a raw honey (Clover/Sagebrush). What an amazing flavor!
Mixed up a batch in a 3gal carboy to be racked-off into 1gal glass jugs. I'm thinking I'll leave 1gal as a Traditional Show and the 2nd perhaps will get cherries or black currants, maybe some spices or toasted oak cubes, who knows (I might enjoy the Traditional so much I won't be able to add anything)
2.25 gallons of spring water
5.5 lbs of the Bee Tree honey
5 g pack of Lalvin D-47
Staggering "LD Carlson's" (started with pitch)
Yeast Nutrient (total 2 tsp) and Yeast Energizer (total 1 tsp) over the next 48hrs or so.
OG is at 1.079 (seems a little low using Got Mead Calculator???)
I prefer a med dry but might have to back sweeten this a bit?
I also have a "Storm The Castle" easy mead that I started on 01/06/16 (balloon on plastic "Spring Water" container is still inflated, LOL, this is my first brew ever)
1 gal water
2.4 lbs clover honey (walmart)
1pkg Flieshmans bread yeast
1 orange
12 raisins
OG 1.096
Plan on adding 2 cups of blueberries and 1/2 cup dried rosehips to the secondary
Any thoughts on today's mix, or the balloon experiment (LOL) are welcome
Thanks to all of you who share your knowledge and experience here, and to those who take care of this great site!
TK
I have never brewed anything but a cup of coffee or an occasional herbal tea, but I've have had an interest in Mead and Mead making since I visited "Rocky Mountain Meadery" in Grand Junction, CO. several years ago.
I've spent many, many hours reading here, and on other sites taking in as much as possible, there's a lifetime of learning in this craft, and far more than I'll ever know, but if you never start, you'll never finish.
So here's a brief summary of where I'm at, and perhaps with the help from some of you, I'll get to some decent Mead's someday (you got me this far).
Today I visited a local Honey Farm ("The Bee Tree" in Lewis Colorado) and picked up 6lbs of a raw honey (Clover/Sagebrush). What an amazing flavor!
Mixed up a batch in a 3gal carboy to be racked-off into 1gal glass jugs. I'm thinking I'll leave 1gal as a Traditional Show and the 2nd perhaps will get cherries or black currants, maybe some spices or toasted oak cubes, who knows (I might enjoy the Traditional so much I won't be able to add anything)
2.25 gallons of spring water
5.5 lbs of the Bee Tree honey
5 g pack of Lalvin D-47
Staggering "LD Carlson's" (started with pitch)
Yeast Nutrient (total 2 tsp) and Yeast Energizer (total 1 tsp) over the next 48hrs or so.
OG is at 1.079 (seems a little low using Got Mead Calculator???)
I prefer a med dry but might have to back sweeten this a bit?
I also have a "Storm The Castle" easy mead that I started on 01/06/16 (balloon on plastic "Spring Water" container is still inflated, LOL, this is my first brew ever)
1 gal water
2.4 lbs clover honey (walmart)
1pkg Flieshmans bread yeast
1 orange
12 raisins
OG 1.096
Plan on adding 2 cups of blueberries and 1/2 cup dried rosehips to the secondary
Any thoughts on today's mix, or the balloon experiment (LOL) are welcome
Thanks to all of you who share your knowledge and experience here, and to those who take care of this great site!
TK