Peppermint mead help

[Inc88]

Hello everyone, i was planning on making a peppermint mead tomorrow and while i have an ideal of what ill do and what im using as ingredients i would like any input and advice especially on quantities of my ingredients and what i should add at what time for a 1 gallon batch

Here's what im currently planning to make it with...

Blueberry honey (local) [trying to use it up]
EC-1118 yeast
Carrington peppermint tea (bags)
Bobs sweet stripes peppermint sticks

Im not sure how many sticks i should add and same goes for tea bags and if i should add it while in the primary or not

Also i got the ideal because its my favorite when i make peppermint tea with the sticks and a generous amount of honey lol

 

[biochemedic]

I can't give any specific advice, but I'd advise using less, and adding more later (if needed, to taste after fermentation). Maybe 1-2 bags of tea, and one or two sticks to start?. Presumably this will go dry w/ EC1118, and you may want to eventually consider stabilizing and backsweetening...I can imagine that mint is a flavor that probably comes across better with some residual sweetness to complement it...

 

[calicojack]

when i did my 1 gallon batch i used 13 bags.

My exact recipe:
Size: 1 gallon
OG: 1.10

Ingriedients:
1 quart honey
13 packets peppermint tea
1 gallon water
1 packet montrachet champagne yeast

Add 1 gallon water and 13 bags of "tea" to a large stock pot. Heat till ALMOST boiling. Note: if you've ever made sweet tea (the correct way) you know what point i'm talking about.
Steep for 15 minutes over low heat
Remove to cold bath till room temp.
Remove tea bags into strainer over your mixing bucket (it is important to use a bucket to mix because this is going to make OVER 1 gallon)
Pour 1 gallon of tea OVER the tea bags (flushing them)
Squeeze tea bags to get out as much liquid as possible
Add honey and stir till dissolved.
Pour Must into 1 gallon bottle
pour remaining into something you can put in the fridge (i used my quart jar that the honey came in). Seal and refrigerate until racking

At racking you will loose some due to sediment. Use what's in the fridge to top off your secondary.

When I racked it to secondary it had a pretty nice flavor but needed to age for a while. still very yeasty. it is currently in the secondary. i'm giving it at least six months before i bottle/try any more of it. I started it on 11/4, racked on 1-7 and it was at 1.013 down from 1.10

 

[biochemedic]

I'm glad someone with actual experience using peppermint tea chimed in...I'm still surprised at using that many packets for a 1 gal batch.

 

[Inc88]

yeah im surprised also...but im very thankful cause now i have a better ideal of how much tea i need...but unfortunately i wasn't able to make my mead today so ill have to try another day soon.

Now i just need to figure out how many peppermint sticks but ive never worked with anything candy like and with the EC-1118 yeast idk if i should add a lot to keep it sweet or what

 

[calicojack]

i love how 1118 handles "sweet" meads. i've never had one turn out "to sweet" but there again i haven't really pushed that particular strain.

to back up the quantity:
I tested my strength to begin with. What i did was mix a quart of honey in a gallon of water. Then I Used a measuring cup to measure out 1 cup of water. Then i added 1 tea packet per the directions. The peppermint came through the honey with flying colors. So if you figure 16 cups = 1 gallon that would technically be 16 packets. because it over powered the honey as much as it did i wanted to tone it down some, so i subtracted 3 packets.

again, I tasted it at racking and it was very pleasant but needed to age. it's got a little while longer till i bottle it.

 

[SCOdoubleT]

Hmmm...great idea. Not sure i could use 13, because of my OCD, but I might give this a try with 12, or 14 bags!
I got an extra pack of 1118 just hanging around begging to be used...

 

[Inc88]

Just made the 1 gallon batch today!

OG:1.102

2lbs blueberry honey
1lb generic honey [only thing left]
14 peppermint tea bags
5 peppermint sticks
water to 1 gallon
EC-1118 yeast

Did everything calicojack did but added the peppermint sticks after i dissolved the honey...was also considering adding more sticks when i rack to the secondary for added sweetness and hopefully get more of a red color to the mead

--withing an hour it started to bubble--

Ill also be sure to post here when i rack and when i can get a taste :]

 

[calicojack]

don't think your going to get an accurate OG with those sticks as it's only getting the sugar from the outter layer and those things are PURE spun sugar. this might end up higher than what your expecting

 

[Inc88]

i dissolved the peppermint sticks 1st in a little bit of water then stirred them in before the yeast

 

[Strangebrews_2]

I made mine with peppermint candy... check out the recipe in this video:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzSaBoXS-yg[/ame]