What can I make in two months?

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DeadGuyNick

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I am teaching in China, and I had ordered some Montrachet wine yeast off the net to make some cider around Christmas time. I have another packet of yeast and a packet of pectic enzyme left, and want to do something with it. Unfortunately I will be leaving at the end of July, and traveling for most of July.

Ideally I can start something before I leave, rack it and leave it for the end of my time here. So does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do?

If anything I'll just make more cider. After back sweetening and heating it up with some cinnamon sticks it was pretty good after about a month and a half!

EDIT: I don't have any camden tablets, and I can't get my hands on any, so I'll have to just go without those if your suggestions call for it.
 
Make some mead. A nice light mead around 7 percent ABV. I bet you can get some pretty raw honey out there, and some bizarre fruit to make a Melomel.
 
Sonds good to me! I'll take a look in the mead forum. Are there any threads off the top of your head that you think I should look at? And would my Montrachet wine yeast work for mead? I don't want to wait to order a different yeast. Took me a bit just to find this stuff.
 
A recipe recommendation would depend on whether you would like a sweet mead or a dry mead. Also if you wanted fruit in it what kind of fruit do you think you might like. Maybe then we could suggest a recipe.

I made Joe's ancient orange mead and it was much to sweet for my liking. I just make beer. I make lots of beer.
 
My goal whenever I get settled somewhere for more than a year or two is to start making beer. I've been reading up on it for years and I get more and more anxious every day! But for now I'll practice with what I can. The cider was pretty easy to make.

As for the mead, I honestly don't know a thing about it. I started looking through the mead making faq thread. I'm down for making something interesting. I've never tried durian, but it's plentiful here. As are most fruits: bananas, apples, oranges, etc. You get the idea. I'm a fan of dragonfruit, maybe I can do a dragonfruit mead?

As for sweet or dry, I don't like too sweet, but a bit sweet would be nice.

EDIT: Looking through the faq, it looks like yeast nutrients will be very important. I don't have any, and I don't know if I can get my hands on any. Will this be a problem? I understand honey makes it difficult for the yeast to do its job.
 
I'd go for a toned down apfelwein (less sugar). At a lower ABV it would mature quicker, and a lot of people drink it as soon as it goes clear which is at about 2 months.
 
I'd go for a toned down apfelwein (less sugar). At a lower ABV it would mature quicker, and a lot of people drink it as soon as it goes clear which is at about 2 months.

Ed's recipe calls for 2 lbs for 5 gallons. What do you recommend for a toned down version? And just off the top of your head, what do you think the ABV would be (ballpark guess)?
 
My goal whenever I get settled somewhere for more than a year or two is to start making beer. I've been reading up on it for years and I get more and more anxious every day! But for now I'll practice with what I can. The cider was pretty easy to make.

As for the mead, I honestly don't know a thing about it. I started looking through the mead making faq thread. I'm down for making something interesting. I've never tried durian, but it's plentiful here. As are most fruits: bananas, apples, oranges, etc. You get the idea. I'm a fan of dragonfruit, maybe I can do a dragonfruit mead?

As for sweet or dry, I don't like too sweet, but a bit sweet would be nice.

EDIT: Looking through the faq, it looks like yeast nutrients will be very important. I don't have any, and I don't know if I can get my hands on any. Will this be a problem? I understand honey makes it difficult for the yeast to do its job.

If you are using some fruit in there as well you will probably get away without the nutrients, though adding some raisons will help a lot, Joes ancient orange mead only calls for those to supply nuitrients.
 
If you are using some fruit in there as well you will probably get away without the nutrients, though adding some raisons will help a lot, Joes ancient orange mead only calls for those to supply nuitrients.

Thanks for the suggestion! I found this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/joes-ancient-orange-mead-joam-45152/

I think I'll go with that. I can start it this weekend and let it sit until the last few days of my time here. Looks like I'll have 2 months and a few days before I leave if I start it on Friday. I guess I'll head over to the mead forum for any questions I've got. Thanks again!
 
I'm a little late to answer, but 2 months is more than enough time to make a batch of hard lemonade. Cheap frozen concentrate, sugar and regular old yeast is all I use. If you let it ferment in a warm spot, I've had it ready as quick as 3 weeks.

If you want the recipe, I can give you specifics.
 
Ed's recipe calls for 2 lbs for 5 gallons. What do you recommend for a toned down version? And just off the top of your head, what do you think the ABV would be (ballpark guess)?

I think that Ed's yields a 9% ABV or close to it, I guess you could cut it in half, and maybe have a 7% ABV? There has been reports that nutrient addition and degassing through the fermentation stage (take a look at the stickies in the mead forum) can yield something to drink a lot earlier as well. So keep that in mind if you choose something else!
 
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