Cool cucumber mead

[Arpolis]

When I dumped the lees and cucumber matter from the primary the cucumber was white. You may be absolutely right on the cucumber bits. If they all sink to the bottom in the next few weeks then we should know.

 

[harveydent]

so maybe a faster racking if the cucumbers didnt last? Or off setting with added nutrient with cucumber water? (still looking if this can be purchased).

What about fruit with the cucumber? Like a melon? More nutrients less sour?

 

[vahallasbrew2]

Hmm maybe, are you looking for cucumber water? I don't think it's sold cause I've never seem it ever, and I loooovvvvveeeee cucumbers I'd would seek out cucumber water but I've never found any

 

[CreamyGoodness]

valhalla, you might already know this as an aside, but SWMBO learned from Martha Stewart that if you add slices of cucumber to a pitcher of water and let it sit in the fridge, you have a nice cucumbery summer beverage... may be easier that actively seeking it out to buy it?

I love cucumber too, up to and including cucumber sandwiches. Really looking forward to getting OPs take on the finished product.

 

[vahallasbrew2]

Yeah I've had that I call it cucumber koolaid

 

[CreamyGoodness]

hehe. I dont know if they still make it, but for a while Pepsi was making a cucumber 7up that sold in Japan. I would have bought it if it was here... Actually, I know we have some Japanese and Americans-in-Japan transplant brewers here, can anyone confirm?

 

[Arpolis]

Hey since this thread came back up I'll let you know this. I sniffed the mead yesterday and it was still sour but did not make me want to vomit!!!!! More of a spicy undertone but I bet that is all alcohol hot.

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

totally unrelated to mead, well maybe could be used for it, but I am big on juicing and make a cucumber limeade y'all would probably like, 4 cucumbers, 3 limes, a tiny slice of fresh ginger all juiced, mix with water at a 1 part juice to 2 parts water ratio and sweeten with just enough sugar to taste but not overpower the rest of the flavors, personally I like the lime to be the main flavor but it's easily tweaked to bring the cucumber forward, add some ice cubes maybe some fresh mint, great on a super hot day

 

[vahallasbrew2]

That sounds freaking amazing I'm gonna give that a whirl!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

totally unrelated to mead, well maybe could be used for it, but I am big on juicing and make a cucumber limeade y'all would probably like, 4 cucumbers, 3 limes, a tiny slice of fresh ginger all juiced, mix with water at a 1 part juice to 2 parts water ratio and sweeten with just enough sugar to taste but not overpower the rest of the flavors, personally I like the lime to be the main flavor but it's easily tweaked to bring the cucumber forward, add some ice cubes maybe some fresh mint, great on a super hot day

Now that does sound pretty tasty, I'll have to try it this summer.
Regards, GF.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I am officially hereby Prosting this thread. Between the mead and the cucumber beverage ideas its becoming a favorite.

Glad the mead is de-barfifying btw!

 

[Bhunter87]

totally unrelated to mead, well maybe could be used for it, but I am big on juicing and make a cucumber limeade y'all would probably like, 4 cucumbers, 3 limes, a tiny slice of fresh ginger all juiced, mix with water at a 1 part juice to 2 parts water ratio and sweeten with just enough sugar to taste but not overpower the rest of the flavors, personally I like the lime to be the main flavor but it's easily tweaked to bring the cucumber forward, add some ice cubes maybe some fresh mint, great on a super hot day

Add a bit of mint next time

 

[harveydent]

Haha on the cucumber kool-aid

I recently tired this:

4 cucumbers sliced in spears like pickles, juice of one lemon and 1/2 gallon of spring water, left it over night and going to pitch yeast today, thinking 1118 Lalvin.

I cut up a whole Honey dew froze it and put in my honey to cool it off after i heated to about 100 to move easy ( got from a local maker had to strain still ) so hope this works out if so when i rack i will top off with more "cucumber kool-aid" and maybe toss cantaloupe in the secondary with it

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Interesting you chose cantaloupe rather than honeydew. *Edit* I just reread... DOH! Nevermind.

Haha on the cucumber kool-aid

I recently tired this:

4 cucumbers sliced in spears like pickles, juice of one lemon and 1/2 gallon of spring water, left it over night and going to pitch yeast today, thinking 1118 Lalvin.

I cut up a whole Honey dew froze it and put in my honey to cool it off after i heated to about 100 to move easy ( got from a local maker had to strain still ) so hope this works out if so when i rack i will top off with more "cucumber kool-aid" and maybe toss cantaloupe in the secondary with it

 

[Arpolis]

Haha on the cucumber kool-aid

I recently tired this:

4 cucumbers sliced in spears like pickles, juice of one lemon and 1/2 gallon of spring water, left it over night and going to pitch yeast today, thinking 1118 Lalvin.

Great another adventurous soul to try out the cucumber. Any honey in the brew or just cucumber, lemon & spring water? Keep us informed on the progress. I have been planning on a couple more meads and I think I want to do one more experimental 1/2 gal batch of cucumber mead where I make a traditional mead and put the juiced/pulped cucumber in secondary to see if I get better results.

*edit*. I think I was reading the two paragraphs as seperat brews. If not then I think it all sounds great.

 

[vahallasbrew2]

Yeah the recipe I have follows with the traditional honey mead and added cucumber juices to it then a bit of spear mint or that "cool" taste in the cool cumber brew. If you make a batch, could you keep me on tab I'm writing down how my recipe does
I'm super stoked I've got a lot of followers thanks everyone for the helping hand and ideas
Vahallasbrew2 HUZZAH to all

 

[Arpolis]

Just a quick update on my cucumber mead. Good news is the things floating around look to be cucumber bits. Last night I racked onto two small cucumbers and juice from one lime. I can post pics after work if people want. Smelling the mead it almost smells spicy. A lot of sour is gone but untill I know most all that bread yeast is gone I am not confident enough to taste it. When people say that bread yeast does not flocculate well they are not kidding. We will see what happens.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Just a hint, I have been using a little gelatin to keep the shmutz down with some success. Might be worth trying...

 

[Arpolis]

Just a hint, I have been using a little gelatin to keep the shmutz down with some success. Might be worth trying...

Ok then, I looked up how to use geletin and seems pretty strait forward. I will wait till this mead hits over 3 months and if it needs it then I will give that a shot.

 

[vahallasbrew2]

I'm curious to see how its come out, I would totally taste it if I could I'm gonna start a couple of batches this weekend and this ones gonna be on the list.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Hey not for nothing but you guys on this thread are my kind of people. *sips more scotch*

 

[Arpolis]

I did take a new picture on day 50 when I added the lime and extra cucumber to the cucumber mead so here is a quick side by side comparison of my top 5 favorites of the progression pics:

 

[vahallasbrew2]

Dang it's color has changed a lot since day 1.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Do you think having thinner cucumber slices would provide extra surface area and thus up the cucumbery goodness extraction ratio?

 

[hazegray77]

What's the alcohol content? With those juice bottles I would be concerned about plastic being leeched into your mead by the solvent characteristics of alcohol.

 

[hazegray77]

But cucumber mead does sound very good!

 

[hazegray77]

Puree them and throw em in a hop sock! prob the best surface area you'll get!

 

[vahallasbrew2]

.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

So how is this progressing?
Regards, GF.

 

[Arpolis]

It has cleared really well with no finnings. I smelled it the other day & it it's smell is really weired. Imagin a jar of pickles with no sour vinegar at all. I know that's an oxymoron since you cant have pickles without vinegar but that's the best description I got.

The mint is non-existent I think so future recipes should have mint in the secondary only and in a larger proportion. At the 3 month mark I will take a taste test an probably bottle.