ideas for first mead wanted.

9/10/11 I mixed up my first batch of mead. I used about 1.5 gallons of local honey, D47 yeast and added water till the OG was 1.100(yeast was added dry). About 21 days later, I racked it from the bucket to a 6.5 gal carboy and added 3 vanilla beans that had been split, cut and soaking in a couple shots of wild turkey in the freezer. The gravity was 1.026 at that time. About 7 weeks later, I racked it to a 5 gal carboy and put an airlock on it. The rest was put in Grolsch bottles. The gravity went to 1.019 and stopped there. It has cleared and I have sampled from the swing top bottles several times along the way. When I started, I wanted it to finish sweet but I now realize 1.019 is too sweet. Does anyone have any ideas what to do now? I am thinking about making more and letting it go dry and mixing the two. I could take part of it and mix with blackberries or some other fruit and re-pitch with a more alcohol tolerant yeast. I also have a batch of cherry wine that's dry and aging(5 gal). I could use some to sweeten that with. I just want this first batch to be enjoyed.

You could try re-fermenting it with Lavin EC-1118 and see if that dries it up for you or go your route of mixing with a 2nd dry batch until it tastes right to you. Alternatively you could get some medium toasted oak and let it age on that for a bit.

I would keep some of the original batch in the bottle and just forget about it for 6 months to a year and then see what you think. Mead needs time to age.

Half a gallon of everclear should sort it. Though you'd have to put it all back into a bucket to mix it, then it would need to be aged again to mellow any alcohol hot taste/harshness.....

Cherry and vanilla blend quite well. But you do have several options as already mentioned.

Just want to confirm, when did this go under airlock?

2/8/12 was the last time I racked the vanilla. It was/is clear. 5/10/12 was the last time I racked the cherry. The cherry is now clear. I also have a batch of raspberry that was made with local honey, coco nibs (2 oz) and 6 vanilla beans. The raspberry that has just cleared. It has not been racked a second time. I thought it may be too much vanilla if blended with the raspberry. I also wonder if the coco nibs will add enough chocolate flavor. I am leaving it on the nibs and beans a little longer. The nibs and chocolate was added to the raspberry on 5/28/12.