Cinnamon vanilla mead?

[Gerac-Beast]

I recently decided to make a 1 gallon batch of mead. For my mead I am using Saigon cinnamon sticks and Madagascar vanilla beans. The Yeast I’m using is Lalvin EC-1118 (thoughts?). I was planning on leaving it in the primary for about a month, and then racking to secondary for 2ish weeks.

How many cinnamon sticks should I put in the primary? I’m thinking 2 at most, and one split vanilla bean for the secondary?

Also has anyone tried back sweetening with brown sugar?

 

[Seamonkey84]

I would add both to secondary, and put them in a bag or bags to pull them when you do taste tests and feel it’s good. As for back sweetening with brown sugar, that is to taste, but would mask any honey flavor and aroma left. It’s a mead, so most would sweeten with honey, usually the same honey they started it with or a variety that they want the flavor to stand out for. Then age for a while to let flavors blend and not be so raw.

 

[Gerac-Beast]

I always thought that the more delicate flavors were for secondary, and the more robust ones in the primary. I don’t want the vanilla to be too muted by the cinnamon

 

[Seamonkey84]

Cinnamon in primary is fine, but I would still put it in a bag of some sort so you can pull it out when the flavor is where you want it. Leaving it in for a month may be too much, so you need an easy way to remove it.

 

[Jag75]

I've not used cinnamon in a mead but I have in beer . Spices go a long way as I found out.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

2 Cinnamon sticks is a lot in 1 gallon, 1/2 a crushed stick and the flavor will be noticeable a full stick and the flavor is pronounced and 2 sticks you've got a heavy cinnamon flavor in your mead. Vanilla beans come in all different sizes your probably again not going to want a lot in 1 gallon 2 good sized beans can flavor a 5 gallon batch of beer no problem and your at 80% less volume. Of course the time you leave them in contact with your mead will also make a difference. Good luck with it

 

[Seamonkey84]

https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Spices/