Sexy mead

MikeRLynch · 01-25-2010, 11:26 AM

4 gallon batch of mead from local wildflower honey and local blueberries (picked my yours truly). 12 lbs honey in 4 gallons yielded me 1.098 OG. Fermented for five months on Wyeast American ale yeast at ~70 degrees. This brought it down to 1.030. I then pureed 7 lbs of blueberries and added them in secondary, along with a packet of Lalvin K1-V wine yeast. That fermented for about a month. Yesterday I racked it off the trub and into a 3 gallon carboy.....with a little left over for sampling. The final gravity?

.0992

With the additional blueberries, I'm looking at a calculated abv of 15.5%. Not too shabby

Got to say, it's one of the best I've made so far, the alcohol is very well hidden. I think I'll do this every year and see if I can get a vertical tasting going by 2012

**Pappers_** · 01-25-2010, 11:33 AM

Nice picture!

**summersolstice** · 01-25-2010, 12:35 PM

Isn't it great when a plan comes together?

**jezter6** · 01-25-2010, 02:22 PM

wow, that is beautiful!!!!

congrats!!!!

**android** · 01-25-2010, 08:13 PM

well done!

MikeRLynch · 01-25-2010, 08:48 PM

Thanks for the love gents

leghorn · 01-26-2010, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Isn't it great when a plan comes together?

I think you're mis-quoting a great American

Did you mean to say?

homebrewer_99 · 01-26-2010, 02:06 AM

Looks great!!

psyber · 01-26-2010, 04:17 AM

Cool pic. Looks yummy.

Did you bottle it in that flippy? If so, how well do flippies work for bottling mead? Only thing I have ever used is a wine bottle. Will they hold up over the years?

MikeRLynch · 01-26-2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psyber

Cool pic. Looks yummy.

Did you bottle it in that flippy? If so, how well do flippies work for bottling mead? Only thing I have ever used is a wine bottle. Will they hold up over the years?

Nah, that was just for sampling and sharing. Its still in a carboy, waiting for it to clear/mellow a bit still. I think I'll keep it in carboy at least until June (that'll make it a full year from pitching yeast to bottling. As far as swingtops, I don't really trust them any more. I've had way too many commercial beers bottled in those leak or just go bad. Not a very good seal for the long term.