kevokie

Recipes 

Badducky, how big is that batch of pomelo melomel? It sounds really good. I'm assuming 5 gallons?

badducky

Recipes 

Yup. 5.

badducky

Recipes 

On the Braggot, final gravity struck this morning in the secondary. We're going to bottle after dinner. Should be fun!

It smells really good, like a very light, pleasant beer/mead thing.

Flavor at bottling is very floral, with much youth, but once the bottles condition a while, I think the floral aspect will really come out. The braggot isn't very clear, I'm afraid, but it's about as clear as I think it's going to get with that particular yeast. The cake formed up fine on the bottom, and the bracket dropped clear-ish, but there's still a little lingering cloudiness. I suspect the yeast, Wyeast German Ale, is to blame. A yeast that drops clear without filtration, like Nottingham or Wyeast American Ale, would probably be a better choice for folks who want a brighter color.

The rose hips are very prominent, right on the edge of soapy. A little bit more, and it would be soapy. I would hesitate to ever put more than an ounce of rosehips in anything, now that I've tried it once.

badducky

Recipes 

I cracked one open today, just to see how it's coming.

Overcarbed a little bit, alas, but otherwise it's coming along nicely. Very tasty. The rosehips are settling down, and I suspect in three more weeks that rocket-fuel heat from the honey will fade (which is still present, to a lesser degree then at bottling).

There's a real floral/hoppy/rosehippy aroma that rises up through the sinuses in a very pleasant way that is not overpowering, but there enough to be noticed and enjoyed.