Leap Year Mead 2

Have we selected a final recipe?

I need to know how many vanilla beans for 5 gals of mead...

Late to the party here, but still might try and pull this off.
If there is an agreed recipe, let me know and I can edit it into post 1 or Buffalo can.

I think we all pretty much decided on this recipe:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=550905&postcount=23

#1. I am definitely NOT going to boil. Just warm it up a bit.
#2. My nutrient says 1 teaspoon per gallon...so that's what I'll use.
#3. For a 5 gallon batch, you will need 10 beans. I am wondering when we think it's going to be ready to rack to secondary, as this is when the vanilla will be added.

Does anyone know how to store vanilla beans? Mine came vacuum sealed in plastic, but should they go into the freezer? It could be months before we Rack.

Ollo I posted recipe pretty much identical to kahunas feel free to edit and copy to the first post in this thread. Ill probably start a new thread later with a poll or something to get a count on how many gallon are being made today. Someone can feel free to beat me to this if they like. If this goes well (surely Ill sample in at least a year) I might have to brew a differnt recipe on every leap year!

Added recipe to OP.

Hay...I just had to come back here to the "Leap Year Mead" for my #150 Post..On Leap Year Day.
I guess this explains the pile of paperwork on my desk that isn't getting any smaller.

Thanks to HBT, and everyone for letting me chit chat here.

ARGH!!!

Went to LHBS during lunch and they were out of Champagne Yeast...

Now I am gonna have to leave work early to go to the LHBS a little ways away...oh darn-it.

-JMW

I got the stuff to make 5 gallons, but I have a 3 gallon carboy too. I am thinking that I might be smarter to make 3 gallons. Then make the other 2 into a different batch that I might be able to drink before then.
HELP ME DECIDE!!

I got my 1 gallon under the stopper not 10 minutes ago! Man I am excited... oh wait this excitement has to last me 4 years.

Tusch said:

I got my 1 gallon under the stopper not 10 minutes ago! Man I am excited... oh wait this excitement has to last me 4 years.

Click to expand...

I think You are #1

What else are you going to make today / this weekend...ya know...to tide ya over?

Well I have my 6 gallons of blueberry cider, and a gallon of cider, pomegranate mead, and MAOM fermenting. Plus another gallon of spiced cider that will be bottled tonight or tomorrow. So on top of the other two batches bottled, I should be good for a while. haha

I just finished my 3 gallons of Leap Year Mead.

My OG was 1.12.

about 5.5 gallons done...

OG 1.095

I warmed the water/honey to 90-100 F to make mixing easier...it is sitting in an ice bath to get the temp down to 65-70 ...I got impatient and pitched the yeast at 80...

4 years to go now...

-Will

Starting mine now..

5 Gallons
12 #'s Raspberry Honey (Fort Collins Co)
3#'s Colorado Ambrosia Honey (Parachute Co)
O.G. 1.100
The only thing that went wrong: Yest from 1 corner of the kitchen to the other. Thank god I got 5 packs!

I pitched yeast about 20 mins ago. I changed it up a bit though.

10 lbs honey
1 lb 8 oz Corn Sugar
5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 tsp Citric Acid
Sweet Mead Yeast
Topped off to 6 gals.
Temp: 78
OG: 1.076 + 2 = 1.078
Saving the vanilla for the secondary.

2 Gallons mixed up with 6lb Nova Scotia wildflower honey (last minute).OG pending cooldown (we heated the water to about 160 to mix it in. I hope that wasn't too hot. The water brought it down to ~120)

Stayed with the original recipe and modified for 5 gallons. Used Buckwheat honey. OG 1.102 @ 75 deg.

Guess its a waiting game now!..

Just finished mine, decided late so join in since I got my honey delivered today.

Got One gallon going at 9:15 tonight. Stayed with the original recipe.

Got my 5 gallons in the fermenter. Only have 12 pounds honey in there now im going to add the other three later. I dissolved the honey with a few quarts of cold water and heated to around 145 while I rinsed the carboy. I didnt heat up my nutrient at all just added it in, was that alright?

For a label, I was thinking of incorporating this image. Since this is the year of the rat, and 2012 will be the year of the dragon, I thought it was a cool theme to work with. Not sure if it would be anybody's style, but I thought something zodiac oriented would be cool. This is one of the first images I found that worked on its on, added some text, but I still don't know how to use Freehand yet.

Nice art work. With 5-6 gallons I can use a few different labels!

YEA! We have airlock activity! Started slow...had a burb every minute or so up to about 2 hours ago...now she is burping away 2-3 every couple seconds...

-Will

ps...nice label...maybe we should design an official one...but leave a blank spot for the individual brewer and ABV.

No activity here yet. I never took a starting gravity reading...what did you guys get?

I had 1.115 for SG and it started bubbling within a few hours last night.

My air lock is bubbling at the rate of gunfire in an Al Capone Movie!

No activity yet but I may not have let it cool enough before pitching. Im going to pick up another packet of yeast and if theres no activity tomorrow night Ill repitch.

Did you Re-hydrate your yeast? I forgot on my Apfelwein, and it took like 3 days to get going...I dumped my yeast on about 8 oz of warm water for this mead, and it was less than 12 hours before it was going strong.

O gravity for me was 1.102 @ 75 degrees. Mine started bubbling during the night and is going like a crazy. I now have 10 gallons of mead bubbling like hell !!

Wish I had some to drink!!

Mines going now but pretty slow tomorrow Ill add my remaining honey. This waiting thing is going to suck

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

This waiting thing is going to suck

Click to expand...

I used a 3 ltr wine jug and made a "Sister" to the Leap. I will not be leaving that one alone.

4kgs honey, 12 litres of water, yeast and some stiff arms from frantic shaking!

Initial gravity of 1.110, bubbling within hours - and a few days later my cupboard now smells fantastic...

Good luck everyone!

Gavzilla said:

Good luck everyone!

Click to expand...

Thanks to you Gavzilla. Wasn't this your idea in the first place?

Heh, yeah I guess. I originally didn't even know how it could be done - knowing nearly nothing about mead - but with a bit of advice and interest from everyone, it's taken off!

So when are you starting the log/poll of how many gallons were actually made?

Guess Ill have to do that now!

Well I kept working on my label, its still a bit plain and boring, but if anyone wants to take a shot at it, you are free to go for it.

Edited again, this is my newest try. I have a thread in the label section, but I thought I would include it in this thread as well. If anyone would like me to edit it for their own brewery or anything, just ask. I know its a LONG while away before needing labels, but I've been too excited haha