Recent content by bushpilot

2 gallons of chokecherry melomel 1 gallon sack mead 1 gallon dry traditional 2 gallons of cyser 1 "Welch's white grape" payment = 7 gallons 109.75 + 7 = 116.75

Mixed up my first meads of 2024. 1.5 gallons of cyser, and 2 gallons of traditional (one will likely become a raspberry melomel).

Not today, but last Saturday I taught a mead class to 21 people. It went well, hopefully their meads will turn out fine. I need to get going on this winter's meads, I always do my brewing in the winter.

I add acid to taste for any wine or mead.

I have a few bottles of 18% sweet mead aging. It is about 15 months in the bottle right now, and I resisted opening any so far. I will certainly open one or more this year, probably in the Fall or Winter. The anticipation is killing me.

It does include sanitizer. Thanks for the thoughts, they are appreciated 👍

Thank you @madscientist451 for your thoughts. I think we differ significantly on the goal of the class. What you are proposing could be done by simply sharing a YouTube link. Not wrong or bad, just not my goal. I want people to leave with an understanding of basic processes and the equipment...

The one thing that bothers me about that Homebrew Ohio kit by itself, is its single secondary. I like to rack a couple of times for clearing. That said, for the class, I am thinking of $100 as the sweet spot for cost. Adding another fermenter (such as the one @madscientist451 suggested above)...

Thank you. Are you suggesting that I add this to the kit, perhaps for secondary/bottling? Or use it instead of the kit, and purchase all the additional supplies separately? That Homebrew Ohio kit that I linked is a very decent starter kit.

Piggybacking ... I am planning a mead class for my beekeeping association. It would be a beginner class, but one which should result in a decent mead, and teach solid beginner level practices. I am thinking that the class would cost $100, and would include the mead making kit from Homebrew...

I am surprised by the silence. I think it should add some nice character and structure to the cider.

Never done it, but watching thread!

Do you have a spouse, partner, or good friend you could talk with about this? I would suggest starting there, perhaps they could talk you away from the cliff.

If you back sweetened without stabilizing, it is a pretty good chance that fermentation restarted.

Cherries have never worked out well for me, they always taste like cough syrup. I might try again someday with tart cherries.