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So it has been a long while since I last posted here. I apologize for not keeping up. In the time I was not on HBT, I have developed a pretty awesome meadery in Oregon with a college friend of mine. The latest completion of mine was a Spiced Chai Mead, and is absolutely fantastic. :tank...

Sparkolloid works really well for me...although I usually let my mead clarify on its own. Be sure you use the proper amount, and boil the heck out of it (per package instructions). Add it and wait; which can take up to a month. The difference should be noticeable within 7 hours (take before and...

I'll be starting a test batch soon, I hope I don't get spoiled mead, but to be honest, as long as we maintain a CO2-rich atmosphere, it shouldn't oxidize or go rancid. To be honest, juice is juice, fruits contain electrolytes, nutrients, and proteins for the development of seeds.

Sounds like you're making a cordial or something. Correct me if I'm wrong. I know cordials would just be something sweet and a distillate of some kind, but never really knew how a mead blended with a distillate would be classified. Just sounds like a mixed drink, imo.

Awesome, I can't wait.

Ingredients so far: 16 lbs Tropical Blossom Honey 10 lbs Champagne Mangos Enough Fresh coconut water to fill 5 gal. (from young coconuts) Any thoughts as to which yeast I should use? My goal is a high ABV, semi-sweet melomel. Also what nutrients I should use of any, and possibly any other...

Thanks, folks. That helps out a lot. Cheers

Have you tried clarifying with sparkalloid?

So I soaked my corks for about 30-45 mins before bottling, and after about 3 weeks I get little bits of cork floating in my beautiful Cyser. Not that its totally detrimental, but it is rather annoying. Should I have soaked longer? Soaked at a specific temp? What did I do wrong?

I've used wax with crowns, no problems. It can be a little annoying if the wax you're using is brittle after it cools. I'm not sure of the variation, but there are waxes that are somewhat flexible after cooling that works much nicer.

Cyser. My baby.

Mead will clarify on its own during secondary fermentation. However, if you're impatient like me, I use sparkalloid. It's not an animal based clarifying agent, and it makes your final product crystal clear.

Wax adds a nice touch and completely seals the cork up from losing any moisture when bottle aging. Personal preference, though, I haven't used wax or shrink wrap just yet, but i maintain a cool temp to keep the cork from drying out and crumbling.

Are you working with just the nibs, or are you grinding them to a specific consistency? Pure cocoa will have a very pronounced flavor, so a little goes a long way. I started a small batch with 5 oz of nibs to 1 gal, and finished nicely. However, that was with a lot of experimentation and...

I always like using frozen fruits because its one less step you need to take. Fresh is nice, but need to be frozen so that the ice crystals break down cell walls so that more of the fruit can be utilized. I've taken a load of fresh fruit and tossed them in a magic bullet blender, froze it...

Cyser turned out better than expected. Bottled after being clarified. Pretty tasty, still needs to age a couple more months before the honey and Apple flavors are more distinct.

Ok, I've added the inoculate and aerated the bejesus out of it. I'll post when I see improvements. I pulled the chilies out when I racked out all the gross lees after the first attempt. I'm anxiously waiting for the final result, which is likely going to need a nice and long aging to let the...

Thanks for the expertise. I didn't think about the actual color of the LED not being white. I just assumed the different wavelength would make my illuminated view truer.

I'd say its safe to assume I do not know how to read a hydrometer...input pls as to the actual SG or if you need a different view of the hydrometer. The tip of my thumb is where the liquid sits. As far as the taste is concerned, it is still insanely sweet and spicy.

Here is a breakdown of my recipe: 16 lbs light agave 12 chopped Thai chilies 8oz 100% pure cocoa (liquified) 1/8 cup Pure vanilla extract (imported from Mexico by a nice friend of mine) 5g Lalvin EC-1118 5g Fermaid K Filtered water to fill a 6.5gal carboy Unsure of OG. Designed to be a personal...