Post you expiremens here. The good, the bad, and the do not do again.

I am new to here and would like to see what people have been up to. So if you could post your recipes and if it came out well or not.

Wabber you are asking people to summarize the hard work we have shared in the threads. Get busy with reading! LOL

But seriously, is there a particular type of mead you are seeking?

No there is not a particular mead I am looking for. I just thought it might be a good idea to see what was out there and get ideas from that. I started a few different gallon batches back in december, so I thought I would see what is floating around out there so I might try some for my next batches.

I am new also, Kinda looking for a strawberry mead? Or any fruits, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, Cherry. Any would be appreciated of course. Also a vanilla one

So far I have done Joes Quick Grape (2 batches), Apfelwein, and Joes Ancient Old Mead. Just search them on the forums. Shows recipe and all

Well, I did a Pineapple Lime Mint Mead. I get many requests to reproduce it. I don't think it turned out as good as it should have but it was unique.

I also have my Mojito Mead going: Lime Vanilla Mint.

I did a Hydromel that was a Lemon Lime. Now to me that was good but not as good as the sharp Lime Mead I did.

Matrix

I currently have several flavours with very high ABV intended to be dessert meads, hibiscus, vanilla, orange cinnamon, pomagranite, strawberry and dark chocolate. These are only a couple months old, so tasting now will not give me any indication of what they'll be like in 2 years. Smell good though.

I also have a JAOM going as well and 5 gallons of raspberry melomel a week into fermentation.

Plans for many more experiments to come.

I love my raspberry melomel & make at least 5 gallons each year, may up that to 10 this year. I have made chocolate mead, pumpkin chai, dandelion, hibiscus, elderflower, elderberry, garden chocolate mint, peach mango, mango, pear vanilla, prickly pear cactus, fig, raspberry galengal, cherry, cherry vanilla--and a variety of blends. I have yet to experience a failure with mead...maybe the JMAO was the closest but I turned it into a chocolate version and saved it! Branching out to some sparkling this year, starting off with a caramel apple mead.

saramc said:

I love my raspberry melomel & make at least 5 gallons each year, may up that to 10 this year. I have made chocolate mead, pumpkin chai, dandelion, hibiscus, elderflower, elderberry, garden chocolate mint, peach mango, mango, pear vanilla, prickly pear cactus, fig, raspberry galengal, cherry, cherry vanilla--and a variety of blends. I have yet to experience a failure with mead...maybe the JMAO was the closest but I turned it into a chocolate version and saved it! Branching out to some sparkling this year, starting off with a caramel apple mead.

Click to expand...

when making a chocolate mead what do you use for the chocolate? i tried it once but soon realized that i f'd up and waisted precious honey. also i was thinking about make a jack fruit mead does anyone have anything to say about that? and if you don't mind do you think you could send me your recipes for your peach mango, mango, and hibiscus meads?

I am enjoying my Maple Meade (not sure specific type). 2lbs each of quality maple syrup, honey and brown sugar (blasphemy) ( could just sub more honey and maple) with 2 gallons water. Used sweet Meade yeast. I did use a light toast oak spiral in the secondary, but would either not use it again or would go with a higher toast. The light toast gave it a saw dust taste for a long time.

The bad: i tried a Chardonnay yeast in a mead once. 6gal down the toilet.

saramc said:

I love my raspberry melomel & make at least 5 gallons each year, may up that to 10 this year. I have made chocolate mead, pumpkin chai, dandelion, hibiscus, elderflower, elderberry, garden chocolate mint, peach mango, mango, pear vanilla, prickly pear cactus, fig, raspberry galengal, cherry, cherry vanilla--and a variety of blends. I have yet to experience a failure with mead...maybe the JMAO was the closest but I turned it into a chocolate version and saved it! Branching out to some sparkling this year, starting off with a caramel apple mead.

Click to expand...

A Sweet Raspberry is really great. I did a Raspberry Thyme once. The smell was incredible. You could smell both the Thyme and the raspberry. I did a 6 gal batch and about 1 teaspoon of that was fresh thyme leaves in the secondary. Raspberry likes to go dry though. I got another batch where I am doing a raspberry thyme cinnamon. Using just a touch of cinnamon.

But for those that do try a raspberry, be prepared to use like 14 pounds of raspberry. Get's expensive.

Matrix

wabber said:

when making a chocolate mead what do you use for the chocolate? i tried it once but soon realized that i f'd up and waisted precious honey. also i was thinking about make a jack fruit mead does anyone have anything to say about that? and if you don't mind do you think you could send me your recipes for your peach mango, mango, and hibiscus meads?

Click to expand...

Wabber,
Will PM the recipes this weekend. Message me and remind me if I forget, please.

For chocolate mead, I make my mead base--traditional or fruit---and then add 4oz by weight per gallon of a dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder to the must. Droste is my favorite, but I have even used Hershey Special Dark. You end up with a thick chocolate cap and dense fudge lees, but with time the mead turns crystal clear and golden. You can also go another route and add 1 cup Hershey Syrup per gallon to your finished and clear mead. The syrup infuses the mead and drops clear in about two weeks.

Photo of chocolate mead..



This was chocolate strawberry in my fancy primary. The first chocolate batch I made.

Lemongrass hefeweisen: brewed a traditional hefe then added 2 oz chopped fresh lemongrass at flameout. Added 2oz more into secondary for 3 weeks. Beautiful! Bright, citrus, slightly herbal and a dry, slightly spicy finish. My standard summer beer...