Aquavitae
Well-Known Member
I started a gallon of mead tonight and thought I'd submit the recipe for your reading pleasure (or horror).
3# Kroger brand honey
1 tsp Kroger fast rise baker's yeast (Don't judge me on these first two, I'm poor)
5 bags Bigelow Earl Grey tea
~25 raisins
Steeped the teabags in 2 cups water (that's 480 mL for you European gents...but you knew that already) for 5+ minutes.....poured the tea into carboy.
Used an electric mixer to mix the honey with enough water to make it pourable and to aerate the bejeezus out of it. Poured that in the carboy.
Added raisins. More for an indicator of done-ness when they sink than for any practical purpose like tannins or nutrients, though they certainly can't hurt.
Added water from Brita almost to top.
Pitched yeast.
Filled to about 3 inches from the mouth of the carboy.
It is sitting in the sink with a paper towel over the top and when the yeasties calm down a bit I will pop on an airlock.
Now here is where you guys come in. What would you do different or how would you improve upon this? Other than using varietal honey or better yeast, of course. And if you have had Earl Grey mead before...how is it?
3# Kroger brand honey
1 tsp Kroger fast rise baker's yeast (Don't judge me on these first two, I'm poor)
5 bags Bigelow Earl Grey tea
~25 raisins
Steeped the teabags in 2 cups water (that's 480 mL for you European gents...but you knew that already) for 5+ minutes.....poured the tea into carboy.
Used an electric mixer to mix the honey with enough water to make it pourable and to aerate the bejeezus out of it. Poured that in the carboy.
Added raisins. More for an indicator of done-ness when they sink than for any practical purpose like tannins or nutrients, though they certainly can't hurt.
Added water from Brita almost to top.
Pitched yeast.
Filled to about 3 inches from the mouth of the carboy.
It is sitting in the sink with a paper towel over the top and when the yeasties calm down a bit I will pop on an airlock.
Now here is where you guys come in. What would you do different or how would you improve upon this? Other than using varietal honey or better yeast, of course. And if you have had Earl Grey mead before...how is it?