110 gallons of mead in Applejack barrels

[Bobby_M]

I posted a few months ago that my brew club bought some 400+ pounds of wildflower honey and made a lot of mead. This week we finally transfered 110 gallons of fermented mead into two Laird's Applejack barrels where we'll let it age in cellars until next Summer. This was a very cool project that makes being a member of a brew club really worth it. I have dibs on 5 gallons of the end product. Hope to have some pics soon. I didn't bring my camera but I know others did.

 

[Sean from New Hampshire]

Hot damn! Any pics of it at all?

Sean

 

[MriswitH]

Goodness that is a ton of mead! I'm jealous!

 

[Bobby_M]

I got this so far:

 

[Bobby_M]

Just to wrap this project up; It's been 13 months, 12 of which has been aging in an oak Applejack brandy barrel. I just picked up my 5 gallon share and it is wonderful. It finished up at about 15% ABV but it's not hot at all. Look at this beaut before I keg it.

And to make sure I stay in the mead, here's 15 pound of Basswood:

 

[BigKahuna]

OH MY GOD!

That is Beautiful.

and WHAT...You have Kegged Mead.....I Bow down!

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm rationalizing a keg for this batch for a few reasons. The first is that I want to carb it a touch and I don't want to mess with repitching yeast and potentially making it hazy. I also won't have to dedicate a kegger position since the colder weather is coming up and the garage will sit at about 50F. Finally, I hate bottling.

 

[billtzk]

Now that I've got a conical, I've got four carboys I'll never use again. Maybe I should try making some mead. That mead of yours sure is pretty, Bobby.

 

[BigKahuna]

Now that I've got a conical, I've got four carboys I'll never use again. Maybe I should try making some mead. That mead of yours sure is pretty, Bobby.

Where are you....I'll buy them from ya.

 

[billtzk]

Texas. But I haven't decided to sell them yet. They'd be perfect for the long term conditioning you need for mead.

 

[summersolstice]

That sure is a pretty mead. What kinds of flavors did the oak Applejack brandy barrel impart? Was there much oak flavor left in the barrel?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I posted a few months ago that my brew club bought some 400+ pounds of wildflower honey and made a lot of mead. This week we finally transfered 110 gallons of fermented mead into two Laird's Applejack barrels where we'll let it age in cellars until next Summer. This was a very cool project that makes being a member of a brew club really worth it. I have dibs on 5 gallons of the end product. Hope to have some pics soon. I didn't bring my camera but I know others did.

Hi Bobby_M: "Cool" just doesn't even begin to express the coolness of this project, my highschool English teacher is rolling in her grave now for my use of such terminology, but damn! I would say that you & your fellow club members are rather lucky, but you MADE it happen, luck had nothing to do with it; which makes it even cooler... There she goes, spinning again <LOL> Nice work! Regards to you & your fellow club members, GF.

 

[Brewtopia]

Very nice Bobby! Do you have a 3 gallon Corny? I ask because I think it would be cool to bottle at least a couple gallons. Even if it didn't carb, I think a mead with the complexity that this probably has from the barrel would be very good still and would age extremely well. Maybe try and find some 6oz. bottles. I bottled a Melomel in those a few years ago and they are the perfect size for something like this.

EDIT: I had to come back and say "Damn that looks good!"

 

[Bobby_M]

I don't know how much the applejack contributed because I'm not all the familiar with meads or applejack. I do pickup just a hint of a hard cider apple note but with nearly 16% ABV, it's really hard to tell.

I bottled 4 22oz bombers and 8 12ozer for long term aging or remote sharing but the rest is in the keg under 4psi right now (warm). I like being able to take a 2oz pour for a slow sipping. I have a 3 gallon corny but I didn't have time to bottle 2 gallons at the time so I don't mind using a five.

We took a growler's worth to the last club meeting and based on the tasting, the next 110 gallon mead project sold out that same night. I think it's going to be mostly basswood honey with a little Jananese knotwood (bamboo) to add complexity and color. I didn't get in on that one because I have a few other mead batches planned personally.

 

[purple]

That looks absolutely amazing. What a worthwhile project to pull off. Every time I come on here to browse I get more desperate to get started myself.

 

[z987k]

We did 55 gallons of stout into a bourbon barrel straight from the distillery. Still the best beer I've ever had. Homebrew clubs really do help out in certain cases.

 

[fatbloke]

home brew club or not, that's one hell of a lot of mead.

Well done, VVV impressed (and a little jealous)

regards

fatbloke