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lucasszy · 10-09-2008, 04:11 PM

just a quick note....

last night decided to throw together a batch of Joes Quick Grape Mead.

Amazing that you can get it all together in about 30 minutes.

1 gallon grape juice
3 lbs orange clover honey
Lavlin 1118 yeast

This morning it was already bubbling!

Hopefully I can drink this one before my JAOM is ready at X-mas, since its been sitting in bottles for about 4 months now and Im keeping that till this holiday season.

Cheers

Lucas

BigStone777 · 10-10-2008, 01:10 PM

Simple Recipe,... but does that mean it will be faster? I sure hope theres a faster way to make mead or cyser...
yeah, yeah... the best of any grog is always the oldest... older wine, older scotch, older mead... ok... but i would really like some mead to taste good after 3 weeks or 3 mo at most...
Too bad for me, huh...
I wonder if this goal can be reached with different yeast, or different mix of fruit juice/ honey, or,... or,...
Sorry if this post seems to be hijacking the thread... just thinking out loud... trying to learn and do.

**BigKahuna** · 10-10-2008, 01:20 PM

If you make that grape stuff with D-47, you end up with something similar to Mogad David. Nearly Cloying sweet, super grape flavor...it's like KoolAde Wine for grownups.

And Yes...the sugar helps this finish up prety quickly.

CBBaron · 10-10-2008, 02:52 PM

This recipe doesn't look like a quick to drink recipe to me.
3# of honey in a 1gal batch is a pretty high starting gravity. I estimate between 1.120 and 1.130.
EC1118 yeast will ferment this to dryness which will result in >15% ABV.
That is a pretty potent, high alcohol beverage. It will be hot for quite some time and may take years before it hits it peak.
If you cut that back to less than 2# honey it will be ready much quicker and you can stabilize and back sweeten to produce a sweet pymet ready to drink in a few months.

CBBaron · 10-10-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigStone777

Simple Recipe,... but does that mean it will be faster? I sure hope theres a faster way to make mead or cyser...
yeah, yeah... the best of any grog is always the oldest... older wine, older scotch, older mead... ok... but i would really like some mead to taste good after 3 weeks or 3 mo at most...
Too bad for me, huh...
I wonder if this goal can be reached with different yeast, or different mix of fruit juice/ honey, or,... or,...
Sorry if this post seems to be hijacking the thread... just thinking out loud... trying to learn and do.

If you want to create a mead ready to drink early here are a few suggestions:
1) Start with a lower gravity must. Something around 1.070 should ferment quickly without many hot alcohols.
2) Be sure to aerate well at the start and use the correct level of nutrient additions. See the Staggered Nutrient Addition FAQ in the sticky.
3) Keep fermentations in the ideal range for the yeast. Probably 65-70F.
4)Stabilize with sulfite and sorbate and back sweeten.

A low gravity must will ferment quicker with less stress on the yeast producing fewer hot alcohols which are what needs to mellow in higher gravity meads.
Good aeration and nutrients also reduce the stress on the yeast so they ferment cleaner.
A low temp ferment will also help to ferment with fewer hot alcohols.
A sweet mead will hide some flaws with a sweet taste.

You can make this as a melomel or a straight mead. Even some spices might work. A braggot may even be the quickest way to a mead but it will take more effort in the production.

Craig

lucasszy · 10-10-2008, 08:57 PM

I realized after the fact that I did make this one hell of a strong mead with the 3 lbs of honey. Im think of transferring to a 3 gallon jug and adding a lot more grape juice to see where this will end up!

Cheers

Lucas

flyweed · 10-28-2008, 02:10 AM

For you impatient fellas who must drink a mead now while waiting for long fermenters, I've got a nice recipe for you that I made a few weeks ago and it's already gone!! I'll make more for sure while I wait on my other batches. I wrote this recipe down from the internet, but can't remember where, so I can't give credit where credit is due. but here's the recipe:

"Sweet mead ready in 3 weeks"

Ingredients:
2 lbs. 3oz of unprocessed Clover Honey
7 oz. Buckwheat honey (do NOT substitute)
.6t grap tannin (needed for taste and clearing) oh and .6t is 2.95ml for you folks who can't convert easily.
1/8t. Fermax yeast nutrient
1 5g pack of K1V-1116 yeast
balance tap water to make 1 gallon (do not used distilled)
4 liter carboy or other 1 gallon fermenter

Disolve honey on quart of warm, not hot, tap water.
Dissolve tannin and fermax in 8 oz. of warm water
Add honey mix and tannin mix to carboy and fill to 3 inches from top with cold water. Shake well and aerate all ingredients

MUST OG = 1.100

Rehydrate K1V-1116 in 4 oz. of tepid water for 15mins in dark place..according to pack instructions.

Must temp should be 68-80F....swirl yeast and gently pour into carboy. Install airlock and palce in dark place or basement with temp as close to 68F as possible.

after 2 days add a little honey water mixture to bring level to 2 inches from top

1 week S.G. = 1.045
2 week S.G. = 1.020 - still working, but tastes great..will stop it here.

next day = racked into clean 1 gallon carboy containing 1/8tsp potassium metabisulfite and 1/2tsp. potassium sorbate. No need to top off again.

next day = already clearing well
next day = can read newsprint through gallon jug
next day = bottled, let set another 3 days and drink.

Again, I made this recipe and it is a good basic, quick mead. It's got a bit of an alcohol bite, but not too bad. Will definitely cure your desire to drink a mead while you wait for others to age.

HTH
Dan

Amiaji · 10-28-2008, 02:44 AM

3 Week mead

lapaglia · 10-28-2008, 02:47 AM

Here is your credit

Amiaji, you beat me to it

flyweed · 10-28-2008, 03:39 AM

Yep, that's the one! Thanks guys. Like I said before..it's pretty decent for a very quick mead. It is a bit "hot" but I think that would subside if you'd let the bottles age a bit before drinking.