Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Mead

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klcramer

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so here is what I'm thinking I have:
15# clover honey
7.5# brown sugar
3# ground cinnamon
5# Dry malt extract

I don't plan on using all in one batch but I am curious how much of each people here think would make a good combination. I can go either way if this is going to be carbonated or not. Would kind of like to do some each way.

Definitely looking for input. Would like to through this together soon.
 
Go here. http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=745&Itemid=16

Great calculator for making mead. It all depends on what alc% you want to end up with.
Standard rate for honey in a mead is 3# / gallon. If you want to retain brown sugar and cinammon flavors I would use the honey for primary and add brown sugar and cinammon in the secondary. I've never used ground cinammon. I usually use around 3 sticks for a few weeks.

If you went with 3# honey and added 1/2# each of malt and brown / gallon you would have a high alc mead that would need some aging time but would probably be amazing in a few years.
 
is the DME because you are looking to make a braggot style with it? and if so are you contemplating adding hops? Your have a lot of fermentables on the list, the spice of the cinnamon may cut the potential cloyingness of all the sweet stuff a little but you may want to think about something that could give a little bitterness to balance it and make it pop.

If youre thinking about using the brown sugar in the primary alot of it will ferment out so not a lot of flavor, if you saved it for later in the process, for example making a dry batch and sweetening it in secondary or later with brown sugar you will get more of the flavor.

Be cautious when you work your final recipe out, cinnamon can quickly become an overpowering flavor.

overall cinnamon and brownsugar will be a tasty combination I think once you work out a good balance of the sweet and spice.
 
I was thinking of it being a braggot style. I have no problems getting hops I just listed what I have but I'm willing to get whatever is suggested to make something good. Do you have a type of hops that you would suggest? Also when would I add them.
 
So far what I think I'm getting for a base recipe is
15# clover honey
staggered yeast nutrient
allow to ferment dry
rack to secondary
2.5 # DME
2.5 # brown sugar
allow to ferment until yeast dies
add cinnamon to taste
let age 6 to 8 months
then bottle and age for another 6 to 8 months
When would I add the hops?
 
I've made one braggott but it was from grain, not an extract.
We did it at my sons as he has the beer brewing equipment, so unfortunately I don't have the notes.
We did a 60 minute mash than a 60 minute boil. I think we used around a lb of grain / gallon. We used a higher IBU hops 50 minutes into the boil and then we dry hopped a lower IBU in the primary. Sorry I don't remember types or quantities. But it is really good.
I kegged my portion and just tapped into it last weekend.
 
So far what I think I'm getting for a base recipe is
15# clover honey
staggered yeast nutrient
allow to ferment dry
rack to secondary
2.5 # DME
2.5 # brown sugar
allow to ferment until yeast dies
add cinnamon to taste
let age 6 to 8 months
then bottle and age for another 6 to 8 months
When would I add the hops?

If you want to get bitterness from the hops, you will have to boil them. You could do a boil with the DME and brown sugar in perhaps a gallon of water...your hop utilization won't be great with only a gallon boil, but I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for. If you just want hop aroma and flavor, you can just dry hop in secondary for a few weeks.

In terms of hop varieties, I'd think that either English hop varieties such as East Kent Golding or Fuggle or a continental hop like Hallertau would work with cinnamon. I'd stay away from the more citrusy American hops on this one...

How do you plan to "add cinnamon to taste"? Are you going to add cinnamon sticks to secondary and then just serially sample every few days/weeks? Make an extract and add a certain volume based on taste testing samples?

I would suggest that if you can, save room in the primary container, and just add the additional fermentables directly to the primary vessel before transferring to secondary. Why create a whole new mess of lees following a transfer designed to allow the mead to clear, and get it off the lees and sediment that have already been created?
 
As far as adding cinnamon to taste I'm not really sure the best way to do this. I have ground cinnamon but it seems as if everyone recommends sticks. I will go with that recommendation. How many I should I start with? If I add all the fermentables in the primary, if I understand the post from thebrewingmedic there will not be a lot of flavor added. Am I understanding that correctly?
 
As far as adding cinnamon to taste I'm not really sure the best way to do this. I have ground cinnamon but it seems as if everyone recommends sticks. I will go with that recommendation. How many I should I start with? If I add all the fermentables in the primary, if I understand the post from thebrewingmedic there will not be a lot of flavor added. Am I understanding that correctly?

Cinnamon sticks are probably easier to control if you're going to add in secondary then sample until you get where you want. Once you feel like the flavor contribution is there, you can pull the sticks (if you add in a muslin bag, for example) or rack off them.

TheBrewingMedic is correct that if you add the brown sugar right from the start ("in primary," so to speak), it will contribute less flavor. However, if you add it later, still in the same container that the "primary" fermentation occurred in, after the main bulk of the fermentation has slowed or almost stopped, you will get a renewed fermentation that will be far less vigorous, and will be less likely to blow off aromatics. This will preserve much more of the flavor compounds in the sugar, and is effectively the same thing as "adding in secondary" (you would get the same re-fermentation regardless of what container to add additional fermentables to, assuming your yeast is still capable, and hadn't reached limits of ABV tolerance). However, the added benefit is that you will keep all your fermentation in once container, so when you finally do rack, you will have much less clearing that has to occur.
 
I actually just started, about 3 weeks ago, a maple and cinnamon mead. I have no idea how it's going to turn out, but I tasted it before I pitched it, and it was delicious. I only made a 1 gallon batch, and used about 4 teaspoons worth of cinnamon. Most of it is currently stuck to the top of the bottle, from when it bubbled up.
 
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