I am bringing this back from the dead lol.
I just made this today for National Homebrew Day.
Slightly modified:
I did 1 full gallon of the apple juice on the stove to a simmer 195F.
While it was getting to temp I added 3 cinn. sticks and I added the apple pie spice.
Once it hit 195F I took it off the burner and added in the 2lbs of dark brown sugar and then I also added in pretty much all 3lbs of honey.
Before hand, I put the other 2 gallons of apple juice into my primary fermentation vessel and I split 2x vanilla bean pods in half and dropped them into the apple juice / primary vessel.
I have never used or worked with real vanilla beans. I thought there would be beans in it? It kinda looked like black dirt inside so hopefully mine were not bad or whatever. So like I said I just split in half and dropped both pods in.
After all the sugar and honey dissolved in my juice I put it in the sink to cool it down to around 80F and I ended up taking out the 3 cinn. sticks I put in.
Then I threw 3 new sticks into the primary.
I am using WLP720 Sweet Mead Yeast and I have it in my closet with the heater wrap on set to 73F w/ a 2F difference. The yeast says between 70-75 for optimal effect.
My SG was a bit over 1.100
I did try a tad bit of it in my hydrometer jar and it is really good like this lol.
I did also add some Yeast Nutrient I don't know if it will need it or not, but I never made Mead before and I thought I read you should use a nutrient because mead does not have all the stuff yeast need to strive well?
My plan is to let this sit for 3 or 4 weeks because I will be on vacation soon and then I will put it into a clear vessel for secondary. Then I was just going to let it sit until December and then I was going to keg some of it.
(Do you guys have any idea what a good PSI might be for something like this?)
Then I was going to bottle it and give it to some family members for Christmas.
I will add some photos.