So, I tried to brew some mead months ago, and had a horrendous explosion. Since then, I've still been interested, just hadn't had the time or money. Well, I found some money, so I bought some stuff. My friends tell me when something interests me, I go for the gold. I ordered from MidWest Supplies, and while I forgot some things, I'll make another order before I need them (i.e. racking cane, bottling stuff, etc, etc.).
So, this is what I have, equipment-wise:
I've also got 18 pounds of clover honey on hand. Note that this is the 3 lb. jugs sold by WalMart and/or Sams. I've hit a wall in terms of local apiaries, so my ability to get honey like Tupelo, Orange Blossom, etc, etc is severely hindered and the costs of shipping 12+ pounds of it are prohibitive. The 3 lb. jugs here are about $8.30 each.
My plan was to, as usual, do a JAOM, so that takes care of one 1-gallon jug and an airlock. I'm also going to try another quickee recipe I found.
So, really, what I'm looking for is an idea on a larger-scale batch that can I can bulk age, I'll start it in one of my 6.5s and have the 5-gallon to rack to later, along with another one gallon to use as a separate batch or top off. I'd like to do a melomel, a blueberry or tri-berry. I don't particularly care about ABV, I'd just like to have something my friends and I can enjoy siting around and shooting the breeze, but I'd like it to be flavorful. I don't drink much wine, though my ex and I normally drank Moscato d'Asti when I did. As far as I know this is a dessert wine that's something like 10-11 ABV, so that's the only reference to my background with wines I can really give you.
Essentially, my post boils down to this:
1) Is there a recipe I haven't found that would make a flavorful blueberry/tri-berry melomel with no particular ABV level that would take six months or less to be drinkable? (and I can bulk age what we don't intially drink)
If not, I don't mind waiting longer, but I will want to do something we can enjoy before-hand as a lot of my friends are interested.
2) Are there any other quickee recipes that could tide my friends and I over while I do some larger batches?
3) Does any one know of any apiaries in south-east Ohio (I'm in north-west WV) that have varieties of honey? I could travel to pick them up if they're not too far. All of my searching has been fruitless.
Thanks for any help you guys can give me, hopefully I can do the same for others in the future.
So, this is what I have, equipment-wise:
Two 6.5 gallon bucket fermenters
One 5-gallon carboy
Three 1-gallon jugs
Five airlocks, three 3-piece, two S-Bubble
Five, Lalvin D-47
Five, Lalvin EC-1118
Five, Red Star Pasteur Red
Five, Red Star Premier Cuvée
1 lb. yeast nutrient
1 oz. yeast energizer
100 potassium metabisulfite (Campden tablets)
2 oz. Sodium Benzoate
I've also got 18 pounds of clover honey on hand. Note that this is the 3 lb. jugs sold by WalMart and/or Sams. I've hit a wall in terms of local apiaries, so my ability to get honey like Tupelo, Orange Blossom, etc, etc is severely hindered and the costs of shipping 12+ pounds of it are prohibitive. The 3 lb. jugs here are about $8.30 each.
My plan was to, as usual, do a JAOM, so that takes care of one 1-gallon jug and an airlock. I'm also going to try another quickee recipe I found.
So, really, what I'm looking for is an idea on a larger-scale batch that can I can bulk age, I'll start it in one of my 6.5s and have the 5-gallon to rack to later, along with another one gallon to use as a separate batch or top off. I'd like to do a melomel, a blueberry or tri-berry. I don't particularly care about ABV, I'd just like to have something my friends and I can enjoy siting around and shooting the breeze, but I'd like it to be flavorful. I don't drink much wine, though my ex and I normally drank Moscato d'Asti when I did. As far as I know this is a dessert wine that's something like 10-11 ABV, so that's the only reference to my background with wines I can really give you.
Essentially, my post boils down to this:
1) Is there a recipe I haven't found that would make a flavorful blueberry/tri-berry melomel with no particular ABV level that would take six months or less to be drinkable? (and I can bulk age what we don't intially drink)
If not, I don't mind waiting longer, but I will want to do something we can enjoy before-hand as a lot of my friends are interested.
2) Are there any other quickee recipes that could tide my friends and I over while I do some larger batches?
3) Does any one know of any apiaries in south-east Ohio (I'm in north-west WV) that have varieties of honey? I could travel to pick them up if they're not too far. All of my searching has been fruitless.
Thanks for any help you guys can give me, hopefully I can do the same for others in the future.