For my next trick, Cherry Almond Vanilla

I started up a 1 gallon batch of cherry almond vanilla mead today. This is the first mead I've tried to make on my own without following someone else's recipe. (The others, two variants of MAOM, are still under glass so I don't even know if I did those right. But I'm game to make mistakes, so what the heck.)

Here's the plan:
Primary
3 lbs clover honey
Spring water to make SG 1.100 (24 Brix)
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Lalvin D47 yeast

Warm 1/2 gallon of water or so to about 105 degrees F. Dissolve honey & mix well. Check Brix, add more water & keep checking until it reaches 24 Brix. Hydrometer says it's OG 1.102. Add energizer & nutrient, mix & aerate. Cool to about 75 F. Transfer to 1 gallon carboy, pitch yeast, stopper & airlock.

That part's done. Feel free to offer suggestions for next time.

Secondary
1 lb 12 oz dark sweet cherries, pitted & frozen, warmed to room temp.
1 lb slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

When primary is at SG 1.020 place cherries, almonds, and vanilla bean in a mesh bag in a fermenting bucket. Rack mead over bag. Cover, stopper & airlock.

When secondary shows no further activity, rack to carboy, let clear, bottle, etc.

This part is open to suggestions. One questions I have for the group: when I pitted the cherries I added three crushed Campden tablets and mixed it in before bagging and freezing. Is that much SO2 likely to cause a problem in the secondary?

I'll post updates a the situation changes.

Dave

P.S. Sorry, no photos. I don't have enough hands. D.

Sounds tasty. If it were me, I'd add the whole bean.

How come so much campden in the cherries?

I had a bad experience trying to make plum wine from fresh fruit about 10 years ago, a massive brett infection. I wanted to sanitize the fruit this time around.

Dave

I would not use the almonds. Im pretty sure the oils in the nuts

will spoil after a while. Im not a 100% on this , so maybe

someone else can back me up

Jack Keller has two Almond Wine recipes here: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/recipes.asp

A little different process but the oils from nuts can be pesky, I followed a similar procedure for a hazelnut mead but it has required several rackings to remove oils floating on top of the mead.

KCPyrate said:

Jack Keller has two Almond Wine recipes here: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/recipes.asp

A little different process but the oils from nuts can be pesky, I followed a similar procedure for a hazelnut mead but it has required several rackings to remove oils floating on top of the mead.

Click to expand...

That's a good point. I'll keep an eye out for that. I hope the fact that I won't boil the nuts will reduce the amount of oil that comes out of them.

Dave

Update:

Checked the mead's gravity this evening, it's 1.026. Racket it into one of my freebie frosting buckets with a mesh bag of cherries, slivered almonds, and half a vanilla bean split lengthwise. I couldn't keep a siphon running worth a hoot so I ended up pouring the mead into the bucket. I may pay for that sin later, but this is all a learning experience anyway so if nothing else I'll learn what oxide of mead tastes like.

While I was in the neighborhood I checked on two batches of MAOM I started a week before last Thanksgiving. Both have fermented to dryness. The one made with orange blossom honey is SG 0.998 and has cleared nicely. The one made with buckwheat honey is still opaque and SG 1.003. Now I know what people here mean when they say it tastes like rocket fuel.

Dave

You racked to secondary after 2-3 days???

Insanity...

Hinermad said:

Update:

I couldn't keep a siphon running worth a hoot so I ended up pouring the mead into the bucket. I may pay for that sin later, but this is all a learning experience anyway so if nothing else I'll learn what oxide of mead tastes like.

Dave

Click to expand...

Sulfites bind with oxygen, so the Campden you added earlier may help. If you poured it carefully you may be all right.

jezter6 said:

You racked to secondary after 2-3 days???

Click to expand...

Five days actually.

Insanity...

Click to expand...

I can't argue with you there.

Dave

KCPyrate said:

Jack Keller has two Almond Wine recipes here: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/recipes.asp

A little different process but the oils from nuts can be pesky, I followed a similar procedure for a hazelnut mead but it has required several rackings to remove oils floating on top of the mead.

Click to expand...

Hi. (Fist time in the chat)
I did a coconut mead and yes, the oil in the mead float on the mead after a week and it has to be double rack in order to eliminate the oily creamy residue on the mead.
Mat