Took the plunge and started my first mead.

Well, yesterday I went and bought a new 3 gallon carboy while at my LHBS solely for the purpose or tying a mead. I have 2 beers (sorta) under my belt now as one is bottled and the other is in the primary. (So far so good!) Well today at wallyworld I got a wild hair up my ass and decided to totally deviate from any advise that Yooper gave me with the JAOM (sort of)

Here is what I used -

9 lbs of clover honey stirred into some warm water to thin it out and make it pourable.
2 lbs of chopped pineapple cut small enough to fit into the carboy. (****, I totally didnt think about preservatives and such they might put on the precut stuff - hope for the best?)
I didnt have any cinnamon sticks, or any whole cloves so I improvised (half assed) and used ground cinnamon and clove. It kinda stuck to the neck of the bottle... Oh well.
I rehydrated and pitched some ale yeast (I think its ale yeast) that I picked up at the LHBS.

Initial impression is it smells WONDERFUL! Very fragrant and delicious smelling! Hopefully this comes out halfway decent and doesnt get any nasties in it due to my slapstickishness.

We shall see! Ill keep yall updated!
-Me

Update (not even a few hours later) Well, my dumb ass didnt put a blowoff tube on it even though I swore from here on out new brews of any sort would get a blowoff regardless of whether they need it or not.

Well needless to say, I just opened my closet to a filled airlock. (Yeah with all of those powered spices I threw in) So like the smarty pants that I am, I rigged up the blow off tube and commenced to pull the now full airlock. I pulled the plug on a very violent brew and it spewed like a geyser in the corner of my closet. Now my closet smells very fruity and spicy. I love this!
-Me

good luck and be patient...I'm working on my first mead and it's interesting, yet frustrating, to think about how long it's gonna take!

LOL Yeah, Im thinking that the first real 'tasting' of it will be around this time next year! Its just really angry with me right now and I cant wait til it mellows a bit. I dont think Im going to rack as often with this guy. Think I might wait for the fruit to fall before I rack (or bottle) Its still new... Chances are my thoughts will change again and again! Besides, if I DO plan to rack - this brew is in a 3 gallon carboy. Will I need another 3 to rack it to?
(Maybe I shoulda done this one in a bucket to start)

It does smell really really good! I cant wait to see how it ultimately tastes! (Ive never had mead before)
-Me

ya know what I've done is rack from my 3-gallon to my bottling bucket; cleaned the fruit out of the carboy, gave it a quick cleaning, and then racked back to the same 3-gallon carboy...

Mead rules! I would suggest making more ASAP!

LakeErieBrew said:

Mead rules! I would suggest making more ASAP!

Click to expand...

+1, because once you crack open that 1 year+ bottle, your looking to buy as many carboys and honey as you can.