DisturbdChemist's Disturbed Meads #2- Lemon Basil Mead

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DisturbdChemist

I'm drunk 60% of the time, all the time!
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One gallon batch:

Ingredients:
4 lbs Honey (cheap grocery store brand)
1 Bunch of Basil (or 1/2)
4 Lemons

Yeast:
EC-1118

ABV: 13.7% (If you use nutrient it'll go dry and increase ABV)

Steps:
1) Pour 1/4 to 1/2 gallon of water in a pot and heat to boiling
2) During heat up, Clean Basil and cut limes in half.
3) When the water is boiling, remove from heat and add the basil and squeze the lemons and place in water.
4) Let the covered mixture sit in the hot water for 30 mins
5) After 30 mins or so remove the debris.
6) Once you removed the veggies, add the honey and mix well.
7) After honey is fully dissolved add to the fermenter and let cool.
8) Once cool add the yeast and take measurements

"Dry Hop":
After primary fermentation (a few weeks or until clear) move to secondary. This batch the basil was out front and taking over the flavor. So, I cut the basil with a few more lemons to balance it out. If there is not enough basil you can add it to the secondary a week or so before bottling.



Notes:
This was a big hit with my friends and about to make a bigger batch of this. They liked it so much they think its evil because they got plastered on it. :mug:

Tasting notes:
If your a foody you know this combo does work. The flavor of the basil and the refreshing citrus bite of the lemon works extremely well. It is a very refreshing mead with the lemon. Try it out and I cant wait to hear how it turns out for you.

Awards:
Sent it in once and didnt do to well but the Mead Judges are picky and do not know a good mead if it hits them in their face lol

Prosit!
Dustin

DisturbdChemist's Disturbed meads #1 - Jalapeno/Cucumber

DisturbdChemist's Disturbed Meads #3 -Cinnamon Ginger
 
Im going to give this a go tonight. I have a question though, did you put the entire lemon (cut and squeezed) in the water, or did you just squeeze the lemon juice in?
 
Here is what I did for mine:

2 gallons water
1 gallon (12lbs) light amber honey
12 lemons (6 cut in halves, 6 cut in quarters)
3 3/4 Oz bunches of basil, torn in half
1 Pack EC-1118 hydrated into a 1L 1.030 starter about 4 hours in advance

I followed the above procedure, brought on gallon of water to boil, took off heat, let the lemon and basil sit for 30 minutes. I fished the lamon and basil out of the water, and added the honey. I used the other gallon of water to rinse the container the honey was in to minimize waste. I stirred it all in with a sanitized stainless steel spoon, then used an auto siphon to rack to a sanitized 6 gallon Better Bottle.

I tried to use my refractometer, but it doesn't go that high :drunk: I measured 1.143 at 80*F, which adjusts to 1.146 OG.

I plan on letting this ferment until the yeast drops out of suspension, then racking it over to a 3 gallon secondary. At that point, I will sample and see if it needs more lemon or basil, and if it will need to be sweetened. Depending on the adjustments, I may rack one more time, or I may go straight to bottle.
 
Don't have any EC-1118, so I used K1-V116.

But other than that, I went by the book. We'll see :)
 
I made this last night.... my first mead ever! How long has anyone let this age? I'm seeing anywhere from 6 months+ and I'm wondering what everyone has done with this recipe..... Thanks!
 
With my mead they are ready when I think they are ready. Just just wait and taste until you enjoy it. Be careful on the lemon. It can over power but just add until you like it. I havent made this again and need too.
 
So...it's a little over a year later. Two weeks ago I bottled my Lemon Basil, Texas Twang, Cinnamon Ginger, 4 plain meads using different yeasts, a strawberry melomel and a couple other things from last July/August.

The Lemon Basil is a no contest winner of everything that's ever come out of my little lab. I have two bottles and a pair of half-sized bottles that I put tasting caps in. Nothing else I've brewed holds a candle to it.

Mad props to DisturbdChemist for this.

The Texas Twang was a bit overpowering on the jalapeno,so I think the next time I try it I'll back-end it with a bit more cucumber to round it back out.

I DO have to concede that I haven't cracked in to the cinnamon ginger yet.
 
So...it's a little over a year later. Two weeks ago I bottled my Lemon Basil, Texas Twang, Cinnamon Ginger, 4 plain meads using different yeasts, a strawberry melomel and a couple other things from last July/August.

The Lemon Basil is a no contest winner of everything that's ever come out of my little lab. I have two bottles and a pair of half-sized bottles that I put tasting caps in. Nothing else I've brewed holds a candle to it.

Mad props to DisturbdChemist for this.

The Texas Twang was a bit overpowering on the jalapeno,so I think the next time I try it I'll back-end it with a bit more cucumber to round it back out.

I DO have to concede that I haven't cracked in to the cinnamon ginger yet.


Glad to hear everything came out great. I'll put some of the Jalapeno/cucumber into a margarita. That should dissipate the jalapeno and give it a little kick. Thanks for the update!
 
I was just going through some boxes last night that I rescued from my father's cellar and found 2 bottles of this from my initial batch.

I can't wait to see how this aged. *\o/*
 
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