Agave Lime mead

[grrickar]

So I tried a product by B Nektar called Tuco-style Freakout, and the website (and bottle) list the ingredients as honey, agave nectar, lime and lime zest.

Here's the thing - this stuff was very clear and almost colorless save for a slight twinge of pale green.

If this is honey/agave then how did it come out with almost no color? It looks more like a white wine or pyment, but no mention of grapes or juice.

Anyhow, I am wanting to recreate it - it is about 6% alcohol, so thinking of making a 5 gallon batch and using 5lbs of honey and 2lbs of agave, then squeezing some fresh limes in the secondary, and adding some lime zest and maybe another cup of honey. I would guess this may shoot past the 6.5% and land me in the 7% range. I am ok with that, I just want the taste of the original.

My wife typically will not drink beer, save for lambics and a few sours. She loved this mead, and it is fairly hard to locate locally. We tried it at a beer tasting festival.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Deafmeadmaker]

Anyhow, I am wanting to recreate it - it is about 6% alcohol, so thinking of making a 5 gallon batch and using 5lbs of honey and 2lbs of agave, then squeezing some fresh limes in the secondary, and adding some lime zest and maybe another cup of honey. I would guess this may shoot past the 6.5% and land me in the 7% range. I am ok with that, I just want the taste of the original.

My wife typically will not drink beer, save for lambics and a few sours. She loved this mead, and it is fairly hard to locate locally. We tried it at a beer tasting festival.

Any other suggestions?

I tried making a batch with agave and it didn't work. I tried to save it, but the yeast never took off. The only advice I could give is to make a starter solution of nutrient and agave/honey in order to acclimate the yeast to the
batch. Let us know how it goes.

 

[grrickar]

I tried making a batch with agave and it didn't work. I tried to save it, but the yeast never took off. The only advice I could give is to make a starter solution of nutrient and agave/honey in order to acclimate the yeast to the
batch. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks! Any theory on why the yeast disliked the Agave? The stuff I am using is supposedly raw and should not have any preservatives to interfere with the yeast propagation, but good call on the starter. I will definitely do that.

What was your ratio of honey to agave?

 

[jradams76]

I'm also very interested in trying to make this as well but as a one gallon batch. I wasnt sure if you start with a plain mead and then add agave and lime to the secondary or do you add agave with the honey in the primary?

definitely interested in how it goes for you.

 

[grrickar]

I got the agave today, and I may give it a go as early as this weekend. I'll definitely post up on the outcome.

 

[Deafmeadmaker]

In my experiment, I simply substituted Agave for honey and continued as if it were a traditional batch. Viscosity, Aeration, Ph level could all be factors. When the yeast didn't begin fermentation, I thought to start again with 50% honey and agave. The yeast did not smell stressed, but it never took hold. I was and still am at a loss to explain.

 

[grrickar]

I think I will go 60/40 honey to agave. I want some taste from agave, but not too strong. Maybe 70/30 even.

 

[madscientist451]

They probably use a base Mead and add the agave, lime and lime zest in small amounts as flavor additives after fermentation is complete and the mead is stabilized. Just a guess, I have no way of knowing what their methods are, but other commercial mead makers use the base mead+ flavor additions model becasue its very predictable and repeatable.
UPDATE:
I checked out the B Nektar website and it says they use orange blossom honey. If you want to make a clone you need to get the orange blossom.
Also, in their tasing comments thet said there is a sweet combination of honey and agave. I'm thinking they are adding some honey along with the agave, lime and lime zest after the mead is done and stabilized.

 

[jradams76]

They probably use a base Mead and add the agave, lime and lime zest in small amounts as flavor additives after fermentation is complete and the mead is stabilized. Just a guess, I have no way of knowing what their methods are, but other commercial mead makers use the base mead+ flavor additions model becasue its very predictable and repeatable.
UPDATE:
I checked out the B Nektar website and it says they use orange blossom honey. If you want to make a clone you need to get the orange blossom.
Also, in their tasing comments thet said there is a sweet combination of honey and agave. I'm thinking they are adding some honey along with the agave, lime and lime zest after the mead is done and stabilized.

Thats what I was thinking when I was going to try making this. My wife loves it and was planning on trying to tackle this one soon and I was going to start out with a Base mead (was thinking a BOMM) and then back sweeten with agave while adding some lime juice or zest.

 

[grrickar]

Already have the agave, ordered the orange blossom honey today

 

[grrickar]

I read in another forum to not put more than 50% of the recipe in agave, as it 'thickens' the liquid too much and makes it seem slimy. I am pretty much settled on this:

RO water boiled, to make 5 gallons after additions
10lbs Dutch Gold Orange Blossom honey
5lbs Madhava Organic 100% blue agave
2 packs Lavlin 71B-1122
Lime zest and juice in secondary

Boil RO water, burner off. Add honey and agave at flameout, no chill - pitch into carboy, 2 packets of Lavlin 71B-1122 when temp is down to 70F. Primary until airlock activity sharply decreases, rack off lees to secondary, add lime zest and juice, secondary for 10-14 days, then .25lb agave at bottling.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Deafmeadmaker]

Two packs of 71B for five gallons. That's a lot. I usually use one packet and step feed it over the course of a week with nutrient and energizer.

 

[jradams76]

Just checking to see how this is going?

 

[grrickar]

Just brewed it Saturday 8/20, but it is bubbling nicely. I will update the thread once I bottle/keg it

 

[jradams76]

Hows it going?

 

[grrickar]

Fermentation is very slow now, it is still cloudy so still some activity. Temps are low so that is a factor. I will pull a sample and let you know. At this point I have not added the lime zest and juice, so first sample will be straight mead/agave flavor.

 

[grrickar]

I have not added the lime juice nor zest, but it is very tasty. Not sure if the agave simply leaves a hint of sweetness or not, but the airlock hasn't been bubbling at all and the sample was definitely sweet, but not overly so. I am very pleased so far, but now I want to make sparkling mead so any suggestions on how to package it? Seems like champagne bottles are suggested, but then I need a corker also...

Would swing tops work?

 

[jradams76]

Nice to see that it tastes good! How does it compare to the B-Nektar Tucos?

What I have done in the past to add carbonation was to use carbonation tabs and just drop one in each bottle. You do need to make sure that fermentation is done before you drop them in otherwise it could explode due to over carbonation. I take a measurement and if it holds for a couple days I will bottle and then add a drop (they look like cough drops) in each bottle and then wait a couple weeks before opening. I know others measure out the simple sugar needed.

Hope this helps.

 

[grrickar]

I'd say the taste is close, but I have not added the lime nor lime zest to it. My wife liked it so much as it was, she begged me not to change it. I may brew another batch and add the additions to it.