BrewN00b
Well-Known Member
I'd just like to preface this all with a nice .
Just over a month ago I started on my first mead. I used 15lbs of fairly cheap Smart & Final honey (a discount grocery store in CA), and about 6 oz of grated ginger root, and fermented it with 2 packets of Lavlin 1118. Its OG was 1.104.
Today, I decided it was time to rack it off the lees, and so I did. When I did a FG check it was down to .996-.998. I didn't want to just WASTE that precious test sample, so I did what any good homebrewer would do; I drank it.
My first sip tasted somewhere between a dry white wine, with a nice mellow floral of honey, and slightly bitter-sour aftertaste from the ginger, followed directly behind a freight trains worth of fire and heat. WOW! I didn't know a drink just under 14% could burn like that!
Now, let me say that I had no intention of drinking that mead anytime before Christmas of this year. I know this stuff will mellow out and become wonderful ambrosia of the Gods if given enough time, time I am more than willing to give. I know you can tell there is "but" coming soon. But, I didn't know just how rough and tumble that stuff can be when young. Damn, a single 12ox bottle of that stuff would set you spinning! Well, maybe not spinning, but it would be like drinking to shots of 80 proof whiskey.
So, in short; new batch brewed up and transferred to secondary, I tasted it and drank fire.
Just over a month ago I started on my first mead. I used 15lbs of fairly cheap Smart & Final honey (a discount grocery store in CA), and about 6 oz of grated ginger root, and fermented it with 2 packets of Lavlin 1118. Its OG was 1.104.
Today, I decided it was time to rack it off the lees, and so I did. When I did a FG check it was down to .996-.998. I didn't want to just WASTE that precious test sample, so I did what any good homebrewer would do; I drank it.
My first sip tasted somewhere between a dry white wine, with a nice mellow floral of honey, and slightly bitter-sour aftertaste from the ginger, followed directly behind a freight trains worth of fire and heat. WOW! I didn't know a drink just under 14% could burn like that!
Now, let me say that I had no intention of drinking that mead anytime before Christmas of this year. I know this stuff will mellow out and become wonderful ambrosia of the Gods if given enough time, time I am more than willing to give. I know you can tell there is "but" coming soon. But, I didn't know just how rough and tumble that stuff can be when young. Damn, a single 12ox bottle of that stuff would set you spinning! Well, maybe not spinning, but it would be like drinking to shots of 80 proof whiskey.
So, in short; new batch brewed up and transferred to secondary, I tasted it and drank fire.