Devo9

Recipes 

The big white thing is a grain bag filled with strawberries, the dark brown bits are oak chips, and the yellow things are lemon zest (well actually lemon shavings would be more accurate).

The liquid itself is a dark amber colour. It is nice and clear, but very dark.

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Devo9

Recipes 

Another picture:

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kevokie

Recipes 

Looking good. I can't wait to hear how this tastes.

K9Handler

Recipes 

What size grain bag did you use?

Devo9

Recipes 

Honestly, I'm not sure. I didn't have any choices in my local home brew store. I just bought what they had. I'd have to check next time i go there.

It was a pretty large bag, it could have taken more then I put in it

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K9Handler

Recipes 

To make this you ferment the primary ingredients for 10 days then add the secondary ingredients and let it ferment for 7 days then rack it and add the lemon and thyme? How long will you leave it on the thyme and lemon?

Devo9

Recipes 

I actually kept it on the fruit until it dropped. I think it was more like 15 - 20 days. I juiced the strawberries in my juicer (I highly recommend this) then added the rhubarb in the grain bag. Finally, I added more strawberries in the grain bag (not nearly as clean as the juiced strawberries). The new strawberries haven't dropped yet.

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K9Handler

Recipes 

How many more pounds of strawberries did you add? Are you saying you added the second addition of strawberries once the rhubarb dropped? Thanks for the info, I just want to get it right.

Devo9

Recipes 

Yes, I waited for the rhubarb to drop before I added the additional strawberries. I didn't want to displace too much mead at once. I also added the vanilla, lemon, and thyme with the rhubarb, as soon as it went to secondary.

Here is the amounts I used (found in my original post near the end):

New Revised Recipie: (Final revision, I hope)

Ingredients
Primary Ingredients
12 lbs. Clover honey
½ cup of raisins
~4 Gallons water (fill to 5 gallon level)
1 pack of D47, 71B, or Montratchet wine yeast (still deciding)

Secondary Ingredients
12 lbs. of frozen strawberries (Juiced, if possible)
3 lbs. of rhubarb
2 Vanilla Beans
Zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon of Thyme

Backsweetening Ingredients
2 lbs. Clover honey or
strawberry juice to taste

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K9Handler

Recipes 

Thanks for the information!!