End-of-the-World Mead recipes - Mayan inspired

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OneCerebralSamurai

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So the Mayans supposedly predicted the end of the world for 12/21/2012, and some of us think it would be nice to make a special, Mayan inspired, mead to toast when that day arrives. :mug:

The Mayas used cocoa and vanilla, so I've decided to use these for my End-of-the-World mead:

6gal batch
20+ lbs of honey (start with OG~1.14 and top off with honey after each racking as necessary - finish with an SG~1.010 - 1.015?).
16oz cocoa powder (12oz in primary and 4oz in secondary)
4oz vanilla powder (3oz in primary and 1oz in secondary)
6 tea bags steeped (add tea only)
1cup raisins (yeast food)
4tbsp lemon juice (acid)
5tsp yeast nutrient (staggered)
5tsp yeast energizer (staggered)
2pkg Lalvin EC-1118

I figure 1 month in primary, 1 month in secondary, and then rack every 2 months until SG is stable (1.010 - 1.015) and there are no more lees. Bottle somewhere around 8 – 12 months.

This thread is for anyone who is interested in creating a special, Mayan inspired mead to post recipes and exchange information. Let's have them!
 
I like the idea. But, the Mayan calendar doesn't predict the end of the world. They just ran out of room and couldn't add anymore days, LOL.

Come back and post how it turned out.

Cheers,
 
In case anyone's interested:






I changed the recipe slightly from what's posted above, but I can't edit that post.

I'll add another video in a week or two describing the degassing and staggered nutrient additions. For now I'll just say that it dropped 6 gravity points on day 1, 8 points on day 2, and 10 points on day 3.

Any thoughts or suggestions by all you Mead Masters would be welcome.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Samurai, try a batch of mead with chai tea in place of the regular tea, and use a whole box (24 bags of Tazo) per gallon. Comes out niiiice!

I did a gallon of Chai Vanilla mead that came out way too sweet. The flavors would have been perfect with a little less sweet and a lil more kick! Silly me for using "Mead Yeast".
 
The way I treated my yeast must have worked, because they are going nuts. To summarize:

OG = 1.142
@ 1day SG = 1.136 (6 point drop)
@ 2day SG = 1.128 (8 point drop)
@ 3day SG = 1.118 (10 point drop)
@ 4day SG = 1.104 (14 point drop)
@ 5day SG = 1.084 (20 point drop)

I was going to degas and add nutrient through day 5, but it passed the 1/3 sugar break on day 4. This seems impressive to me, given that I started at 1.142. There is a TON of CO2 dissolved which made it difficult for me to take a gravity reading, but I didn't degas because it's past the 1/3 break. It sounded like I had a bucket full of fizzy soda in the fermenter!
 
Throw some chilli's in there! I make what I refer to as "Mayan Stout" that has cinnamon, coccoa and chipotle peppers added to may base stout recipe. It was loosely inspired by DogFishHead's Theobroma...I've thought of using that basic spicing regimen in a mead as well...

BTW, it's easier to mix cocoa into solution if you heat it ;)
 
In case anyone's interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr2QSTTS32g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ2Zxe3HyI


I changed the recipe slightly from what's posted above, but I can't edit that post.

I'll add another video in a week or two describing the degassing and staggered nutrient additions. For now I'll just say that it dropped 6 gravity points on day 1, 8 points on day 2, and 10 points on day 3.

Any thoughts or suggestions by all you Mead Masters would be welcome.

GREAT Video. Cant wait for part 3.

Roger
 
Your recipe looks really good I might have to pick up stuff to do this. I think I going to come up with a rig that has a bucket top and and paint mixer that is sterilized so I can hook up a drill to mix everything. I am sure there is someone on here who has made a rig like that. I really like the yeast starter you mixed up I think that is going to be my next big step is making starters from now on. You are getting great production on of your yeast.

Keep up the good work and looking forward to part 3

Pugbrew :mug:
5 gallons standard mead
5 gallons Carmel apple cider

1 gallon hard cider
5 gallons Hef
 
The way I treated my yeast must have worked, because they are going nuts. To summarize:

OG = 1.142
@ 1day SG = 1.136 (6 point drop)
@ 2day SG = 1.128 (8 point drop)
@ 3day SG = 1.118 (10 point drop)
@ 4day SG = 1.104 (14 point drop)
@ 5day SG = 1.084 (20 point drop)

I was going to degas and add nutrient through day 5, but it passed the 1/3 sugar break on day 4. This seems impressive to me, given that I started at 1.142. There is a TON of CO2 dissolved which made it difficult for me to take a gravity reading, but I didn't degas because it's past the 1/3 break. It sounded like I had a bucket full of fizzy soda in the fermenter!


It looks like degassing REALLY, REALLY has a large effect (I read the sticky, so that's why I did it this time).

@ 6day SG = 1.076 (8 point drop) and the mead is extremely "fizzy". I'm still way below the alcohol tolerance of the yeast, so it's pretty clear that it's the CO2 that's slowing them down.
 
Did you use natural or dutch process cocoa powder? I read that the difference is that the dutch process cocoa powder is not acidic.
 
A little late to this, but I will join in for a 5 gal batch.

Hopefully this has potential to mix with my spiced banana mead. Mhmm, spiced banana and chocolate mead? Sounds deadly to me.
 
It looks like degassing REALLY, REALLY has a large effect (I read the sticky, so that's why I did it this time).

@ 6day SG = 1.076 (8 point drop) and the mead is extremely "fizzy". I'm still way below the alcohol tolerance of the yeast, so it's pretty clear that it's the CO2 that's slowing them down.

Actually I don't degass @ all and mine routinely break the 1/3 point on day 3 or 4. I'm still am not convinced that degassing works untill I see the data. I've followed all the links and still haven't seen any good data sets that prove this point. My SGs are very close to what you have going now. I think SNA is the key to getting your mead moving.

You mead does sound tastey though. You might consider chilli's in the secodary because that is how the Mayans traditionally drank their cocao.
 
I'm planning to put together "Lexx Talon's End of Days" brew... which I'm thinking will be more of a cyser... with Vanilla Bean Tea... and I'd like to put a vial or two of my blood into it. Come on... if you're going to do an apocalypse brew... gotta go all the way!

I will have it medically drawn... and My blood is clean... I'll have it double checked before putting it in just to be certain.

I'm wondering whether to add it with the primary... or at secondary. I don't think that the mineral taste will be much of an issue... and the color probably won't be very prominent... but I think the idea is really cool.

anyone have any opinions as to how this may affect the cyser? Or what other possible issues could arise in attempting this?
 
Come on... if you're going to do an apocalypse brew... gotta go all the way!

I will have it medically drawn... and My blood is clean... I'll have it double checked before putting it in just to be certain.

If you are going "all the way", then just nick an artery and let er rip into the primary fermenter. if this is truly an end of the world brew then forget the medical junk :rockin:
 
I'm planning to put together "Lexx Talon's End of Days" brew... which I'm thinking will be more of a cyser... with Vanilla Bean Tea... and I'd like to put a vial or two of my blood into it. Come on... if you're going to do an apocalypse brew... gotta go all the way!

Interesting. I applaud your zeal... but I guess I won't ask to exchange a bottle....:eek:
 
I can't find any vanilla powder in my local area, only vanillin powder. Would this be an alright substitute? I feel like getting this started as soon as possible.
 
I can't find any vanilla powder in my local area, only vanillin powder. Would this be an alright substitute? I feel like getting this started as soon as possible.

Just use actual vanilla beans... You can get them damned cheap on amazon (~$6-$7 for 7 high quality beans)...
 
I can get vanilla beans for around $5 AUS here. I'm just unsure on how to translate the amount of taste I would get from the powder into the amount I would get from beans..
 
Are there no online sources for you?? I know that the beans are much more expensive in grocery stores and such, which is why I get mine online... Even with shipping, I don't think it cost me $2/bean when I ordered my package of 7...

There are sites that show conversion factors for whole beans to extract. Not sure about the powdered form though...

I'm more inclined to use the whole bean since you have better control over how much flavor you'll get from it. With powder and extract, once it's in, you cannot stop the flavor contribution. So, if it's too much, you're screwed (or you have to let it age long enough to mellow)...
 
I could order from Amazon, but it would take a good 3/4 weeks to get here and they'd probably be fiddled with in customs. Would you be able to link me to a good site, ie, one that you've used before that is reliable?
 
I ordered from Amazon... The place that sold them was actually just a few towns over from me... Even using USPS they arrived within two days...

If you can only get either fake vanilla or expensive beans, I'd get the beans.

Most of the time I see a replacement ratio of 2-3 tsp of extract for one actual vanilla bean.

For vanilla powder, I was able to find this info:
Vanilla powder is a suitable substitution for custards and other desserts because it lacks the alcohol contained in vanilla extract. Substitute two teaspoons of vanilla powder for one vanilla bean.

But, without knowing how much 2 tsp of powder actually weighs, it will be difficult to formulate exactly how you should replace. If someone has the powder on hand, maybe they can weigh 1-2 tsp of it so we have a baseline... If the powder is dense enough, you could be looking at 2 beans...

As I already mentioned, I'm more of the mind set to use the original flavor element over extracts or powders. Especially when brewing/fermenting.

If you add this post fermentation, you should get more flavors into the batch. Or shift the balance so that you use less during fermentation and more post.

I actually have a 1 gallon batch of my mocha madness mead sitting on a single split vanilla bean (didn't scrape it)... I dropped that in on 2/18/11... I'm going to let it go another week or two before I check on it... I am looking for a more pronounced addition from the bean, which is why I'm leaving it so long. I'm also considering adding some oak chips to the batch for a month or two.
 
Yeah, but everything I order from Amazon has to cross the Pacific :(. I'll use two in the primary then. I see everyone saying how vanilla has the potential to overpower the other tastes, but in my opinion that can't be a bad thing, as I like my brews very sweet with a powerful taste of whatever it is that I am adding to it. I think that the two in the primary will be fine as I am also using cocao powder which has a pretty potent taste as well, and like you said, I can always give it a taste mid-fermentation.

Thank you so much for your help! I am actually using a single vanilla bean in a spiced banana mead along with some nutmeg and cinnamon. It has been sitting on it for around 5 days now, I might give it a taste to see how much flavour has been imparted to get a good idea of how much to use in this brew.
 
So THAT'S what they really mean by "the land down under"... :eek:

I would actually use them post fermentation. Or use 1/2 of a bean in primary and save the rest for post fermentation. That way you'll get more layers of contribution...

From what I've read, and experienced so far, vanilla (most often) will actually just enhace the other flavors in something. Until you get to crazy levels of it that is. So, I would do the 1/2 bean in primary, to get that contribution, but then use the rest later as needed. Especially since they're costing as much as they are.

You could also use some oak chips/cubes to get a similar effect in the batch...
 
I know, it sucks. It sucks even more when this is the only decent forum on brewing, all of the Australian forums I have found are either dead or strictly for beer brewing (for some reason, everyone I talk to over here looks down on wine/mead/cider brewers).

Sounds good, you seem much more experienced than me at using stuff like this! What do the oak chips do? What type of flavour is it? As an end-of-the-world mead, I would want this tasting pretty damn good.
 
I was using the Got Mead? site for learning about making mead when I started (back in late November of last year)... Great info on this stuff over there. They do have a beer section too, but the focus is mainly on mead, cider and wines... GREAT people there, tons of knowledge. I highly recommend visiting for such info...

Personally, I started with beer, but then tried someone's mead... I was hooked right from the start. So, I picked up 40# of honey and started my first batches (still in process)... I decided to go more basic at first. Two traditional batches and a melomel (blackberries)... Learned from making both types. I then decided to step it up a level with my mocha madness batch (1 gallon, more POR for now, if it comes out really good, I'll do a 3 gallon batch next).

I do research things a little, to make sure I'm not going down a dangerous path, then dive in with both feet. A lot of the people at the other site prefer the actual ingredient over extracts. Mostly for the reasons I've already stated (control of flavor contribution).

For what oak will bring to the table... It depends on the toast level of the oak, as well as which oak it is. Most places that offer it also include descriptions of the different types. I'm using medium toast right now, since that has more of what I'm looking for. I do plan on getting some medium plus toast level at some point. I don't think I'll be using either light or heavy anytime soon (if at all)... Not sure what house toast really is. It looks close to medium when I've seen it. I've seen American, French, and Hungarian oak listed... Look at what they describe what they offer, and then pick which you like the sound of most.

Some people tell you to soak the oak in vodka (for days) to sanitize it. Others will tell you to steam it (for 15 minutes I think). Way I see it, you're extracting flavor from the oak by doing this. Unless you're going to include that medium (vodka, or water from the steam) you're throwing away at least part of what the oak would give you (no pun intended, but accepted)... So far, I've simply boiled some water in my tea pot, and poured it into a jar containing the oak chips. I then covered the jar and let them cool to room temp. I then pitched the entire thing into the brew. Wood and tea (essentially) included. Zero infections, contaminations, etc resulted. Just got good tasting brew out of it. For mead, if it's already fermented fully, I would probably just toss the oak into it and not even blink. Of course, my batches are running 14-18% ABV... Chances of anything hitching a ride, and surviving once in the mead is pretty damn slim...

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions about things... I can send you an email addy too, to make things easy... :rockin:
 
Thanks so much :) I'll check it out, I've learnt all I know from this forum and this forum only. My first mead was the banana mead I mentioned before that I adapted from a wine recipe, which is going pretty well. I need to get some more honey for it though! My previous brewing experience is pretty much just apfelweins and assorted 'wines/ciders' (like hard lemonade and ginger beer) because I personally am not much of a beer drinker.

I will use the oak chips then, I'll plan a shopping trip for the weekend to get my honey, oak chips and vanilla and hopefully start it on Sunday. If I have any problems you can expect a PM over the next few days.
 
Put this down tonight, final OG was around 1.104 or there-abouts (had to cut out some ingredients due to conversion from imperial to metric). Smells amazing, tastes even more amazing. Can't wait for this to be done.

Only problem is... it looks like it's going to be a hard job getting the carboy clean again.
 
I racked mine to secondary last night. SG = 1.014 (OG = 1.142).

It had a little fruity sweetness up front, and a little alcohol heat in the finish, and just a touch of chocolate flavor in between. It wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't terrible either.

I added the remaining 4oz of cacao and 1oz of vanilla, and will let it sit for another month before I think about racking it again. I'll see if I can put together "part 3" of my video of making this sometime during the next week.
 
My mods: I used fresh vanilla (one bean, split and scraped) which I steeped in the tea. For the tea I used one packet of chai tea and then the rest black.

This doesn't smell too good to be honest, kinda like an off-chocolate smell. Kinda like when you have chocolate sitting in the pantry for too long and it starts to mottle into a white/light brown colour.
 
Damn, this thing is going crazy. It's fizzing so much that it sounds like someone is cooking popcorn, and the airlock is going off 2-3 times every 10 seconds! Smells like a hot chocolate!
 
Finished fermenting, prominent sulfur smell with a small amount of chocolate in the background... not inviting at all. I'll be leaving this in primary for around another week or two.

I was thinking, how can I get a cookie flavour in this? Can I roast some oatmeal or something else? I can't imagine anything better than heating some of this up on a cold night and it tasting like hot chocolate cookies.
 
oldmate, give it more time before you start trying to mess with it... At only two weeks old, it's not even an infant in mead time... I'd give it at least 4-6 months before deciding to mess around with it at all. Better to go an even year.

Once fermentation is complete (usually more than two weeks for it to hit the actual FG, take SG readings a week apart), and you've racked it a few times (about once a month), put it into a corny keg and then stock it away in a fairly cool place (basement temps should work well) for a year, or more... Check on it mid-2012 and see if it needs anything done at that point...
 
The question still remains! I was just making sure in case it needs to stay in primary for an addition for the flavour I am looking for.
 
Don't think of it like a beer (since it's not)... It's going to be in vessels/carboy's/keg for the better part of a year (if not longer) so you have plenty of time to tweak flavors later.

Most flavor additions, with mead, are done post fermentation anyway. I have my mocha madness mead that I fermented the base for normally, then started adding flavors to. The last thing I added was a vanilla bean (split) over a month ago... Which reminds me, I should sample it to see where it's at... I'll probably rack it into a clean jug (it's a 1 gallon batch, so a single bean could be enough)... I'm thinking of using some oak cubes in it for a month before racking it again and letting it sit for a few more months. I'll have to decide, at that point, if I should bottle it, or let it stay in bulk/batch form longer... BTW, I started this late November (2010)...
 
I have a mead currently at 6 months, and I am only beginning to tweak the flavour as well(trying to bring out more of a banana taste, although bananas for some reason don't want to lend their flavour to it).

The only reason I am asking is because I would have no idea what to do to get the taste I am looking for. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated just so I can get into researching it with a more specific keyword search etc. This in turn led me to ask since my mead is still in primary, because there are only some flavours that you can get from a primary fermentation/fermentation at all. I would hate to have a 5/6 month old mead to have to undergo another fermentation just because I didn't do it first off! It would go all cloudy again, and a lot of profanities would be used :(

Also, reading over this post it makes it seem like I'm not grateful for your help, that isn't so! Thanks for the info.. now I wish i had a keg to store it in.
 
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