Meadtacular Day-2X Meads! (Lessons learned)

Hello all!

So today SWMBO and I started two, one gallon batches of Mead. Taking inspiration from "The Complete Mead Maker" and "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" books...we made these adapted Recipes.

**Please feel free to comment on them, however...I guess now is too late! Ha!

1) Joel's Cyser of Joy. :cross:

OG:1.125

** 2.8 Liters Apple juice-Super nice organic from our wine growing region.
**1.6 LBS//0.74 KG Wild Flower Honey-Local, and smelled amazing.
**1 Tsp Nutrient-(with DAP + B1..)
**0.5 Cups Dextrose.
**1/2 tsp Pectic enzyme (to help with the super unclear Apple Juice)
**10 Raisins chopped in half.
**Lalvin 1118 Yeast.

NOTE: After reading all the "heated" debates on heating honey.....I said **** it. I could not bring myself to do it after smelling how wonderful it was. I believe in the natural antibiotics of honey...as well as the posting regarding many meaderies that dont boil. Also Lalvin 1118 is tough..and should out compete any other bacterial crap..
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2) Who you callin a Ginger?-Ginger Mead.

OG=1.115

**1.6 KG wild flower honey
**60 Grams peeled and grated ginger root -(boiled for 5 mins) and placed right in the primary...water and all.
**10 Chopped raisins
**1 tsp Yeast energizer-(DAP, B1...)
**1.5 cups Dextrose.
**Lalvin 1118 Yeasty

NOTE: Covered these with a sanitized piece of tin foil, as per the debates of not fitting an airlock for 24-48 hours.
*Im most worried/unsure about the ginger...because I took a ginger recipe from one of the books and scaled down to a 1 gallon batch. I was really worried about the ginger being too powerful. who knows!?

**The only thing I did not have was Gypsium or irish moss...so I am a little worried about it not clearing. Could I add something in the secondary fermentation phase?**

Problem-After aerating...it was impossible to get an accurate OG reading. There was a think layer of foam, and so many bubbles I could not even read the numbers. How do you guys get good reading after airating?
-Do you use a turkey baster/wine thief to grab from the bottom?
-Do you take your OG just before pinching yeast?

you take OG before pitching yeast. I let it settle in the hydrometer tube and spin the hydrometer so no bubbles stick. Meads i have brewed over the years never made use of irish moss or gypsum. When its ready to clear it will clear- just takes time. Mine usually sit about a year. Also if your worried you can add something like isinglass after secondary. You can get a refractometer to take OG and then you dont have to worry as much about bubbles or reading numbers but the downside is there slightly more expensive.

I think I remember reading somewhere that it's not technically a cyser unless it's contains at least 51% honey.

Yes, you know I thought about that....but is it 51% honey by volume? Weight?

I am for sure going to buy a refractometer...I want my must to be aerated, and also to have an accurate reading.

Any comments about the recipe itself friends?

EDIT! Typo-I added 2.8 liters of apple juice NOT 3.8. Therefore I think I am closer to the Cyser definition....even though I dont understand if its by volume or by weight...

I think it's by percentage of fermentables, but I could be wrong.

ChshreCat said:

I think it's by percentage of fermentables, but I could be wrong.

Click to expand...

That would be correct

OK this may be a very very stupid question. I still dont understand the percentage of fermentation. Would that mean in a one gallon jug that 51% of the entire jug/content must be honey..? (Thats seems like a freaking ton) **Or is it by weight?

Sorry for th redunancy...im just not getting it. **in a one gallon batch with 2.8 ltr of honey, and .80 KG of honey...does mine qualify as over 51%?

Thanks everyone.

Percentage of fermentables would mean that if your honey had 30 grams of fermentable sugar and your juice had 29 grams of fermentable sugar, then the majority of fermentables came from the honey. Honey has much more sugar ounce for ounce, so you wouldn't have to actually have more honey than juice to make up more of the fermentables.

Hey Everyone,

Just an update for those who are interested! The 2X meads have been in for exactly one month.

The Cyser is amazingly clear when compared to the Ginger mead. This is really interesting given that the Cyser had organic apple juice instead of water...so you think it would need tons of more time to clear...perhaps with the sugar and proteins from the apple juice that it was a healthier fermentation...?

I plan to rack into a secondary until crystal clear (adding some Sparkaloid perhaps)

Any one have lots of experience backsweetening? Any tips/ procedures that work well for you?

THANKS!

Joel.