Search results

Just thought I would update, since the original recipe I quoted used A LOT of back-sweetening. I used a little less than 1.5 lbs of honey to bring the SG up to 1.016 and that's where it has stayed for the last ten days. I might back-sweeten up to 1.020 later, if it seems it needs it. Before...

The valve popped out on me once, while cleaning some gunk out of the end. It didn't seem like it would go back in from the bottom of the tube, so I approached it from the top of the outside tube. First I removed the inside tube. Then I used a dot of honey to stick the valve on the end of a...

Just an update that I racked my melomel off the black currants today. The specific gravity was .998. Strong black currant flavor, but not overly acidic -- I confirmed this with a friend who is also into wine. I'll back-sweeten up to 1.015 - 1.020, semi-sweet. So far I'm pretty happy with my...

Mine is bulk aging in a keg, with a CO2 blanket over it. Hoping to avoid oxidation issues that way. Reconditioned soda kegs are pretty cheap and don't take up a lot of room.

You might want to take a look at pg 65-66 of "The Compleat Meadmaker" for the section on pH and then fermentation problems. Anyway, it recommends adding 1/2 tsp of calcium carbonate at a time to the must, stir, and retest, until the pH is up to ~3.8 Other possible culprits the author...

Going slow and adding more is probably sound advice. You'll probably have to stabilize it though if you add more juice. In the discussion I read (from 2007) containing the original recipe I quoted, the poster said he liked his results and was planning to double or triple the juice next time...

Funny timing. I've been planning a black currant mead ever since I saw a recipe for it on the Northern Brewer website. The recipe: 12 lbs honey 1 can Vintner's Harvest Black Currant juice water to 5 gallons 2 packs K1V-1116 Montpelier yeast back sweetened with 6 lbs honey and two months on...

Buy a book of clone recipes, like "Clone Brews". Most of the recipes in "Clone Brews" use DME. If you see a recipe using LME, convert it to DME. The conversion I've seen used is 6 lbs DME for 6.6 lbs LME.

I was reminded yesterday that it helps to use the approximations 60 drops = 1 teaspoon, 3 tsp = 1 tbs, when scaling a tasting sample that was flavored with one or more drops.

What a great idea! I'm sanitizing a 3 gallon keg right now to try this. Should save us a lot on lime seltzer.

I put the spices into the vodka at the same time that I brew -- that way the infused vodka will be ready when I bottle. Just a teaspoon or so of spice for 1/2 to 1 small spice bottle of vodka. But the amount is going to depend on how strong your spices are. Let them soak at least a couple of...

Yes -- what rockfish42 said. Easiest to soak the spices in vodka, in a small spice bottle, while the beer is fermenting. Adjust the flavor by adding very small amounts of the spice-infused vodka.

Yes, the price is no doubt very dependent on who's doing the shipping and whether it crosses borders. Atlanta to Santa Fe (nearest city) is about 1400 miles and coast-to-coast is about twice that distance, so $19 flat rate Priority Mail within the US is still pretty cool. I think the original...

I'm curious -- I thought if you heat the fruit then pectic enzyme is needed. But I don't see any in either your Blackberry or Schramm's "Mambo in Your Mouth" melomel recipes. I'd think that blackberries have lots of pectin, but maybe not? Pectinase sure helped with my apricot ginger cardamom...

Hmm, not wanting to hijack this thread. I'm sure if you do a search, you can find honey from Georgia or Florida online, at good prices. I just wanted to mention that shipping USPS is very quick and economical. Priority Mail uses a flat rate on their boxes: "if it fits, it ships for one low...

Just got about 60 pounds of honey shipped across the country, because I wanted a specific variety. Shipping was $19, USPS. I have no complaints. The quality of the honey is great and it arrived about 3 days after I ordered it.

Maybe try a different yeast, make sure your must is mixed and aerated, and keep it a bit cooler. The White Labs Champagne Yeast says 70-75 deg, so you're at the top of its range. With heat from fermentation, it's even warmer in the bucket. Also, if the honey was not mixed, the yeast may...

Yeah, we bought a case of Sam Adams summer sampler not long ago, and every single bottle was awful. I've never had a bad bottle of beer or wine from this store before, so I'm inclined to believe they take good care of their merchandise. But clearly these beers were mistreated somewhere up the...

Midwest posts the ingredients in the product details for the kits. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/irish-stout.html http://www.midwestsupplies.com/superior-strong-ale.html Using their kits, I purchase exactly as much of each ingredient as I need. I'm starting to really appreciate that fact...

I made the Irish Stout kit in early June, and kegged half and bottled half. The half batch that I kegged is long gone. We're trying to let the bottles age a few months to see what it can become, but really it was delicious right after kegging. I suggest that you try the Superior Strong Ale...