Hi,
I am new to brewing, and I am doing Mead. I took a class and they started the Mead for us. It is one gallon, with about 1.25 pounds of honey, and cherry juice was used. I let it ferment for about two and half weeks. Added the energizer five days after fermentation started. Put in the Sodium Metabisulfite to stop the fermentation. I have the starting gravity and ending at home, but it was about 11.5% ABV when I did the calculations (hopefully Correctly) with the hydrometer. When I rack it, the alcohol smell and taste was strong. I back sweeten it with a pound of honey and 10 strawberry to help the flavor. It has been Clarifying for 4.5 weeks and the alcohol taste has went down, but you can still taste it, which I would assume so at 11.5% and I can taste the flavor more. My question is and hopefully i have given enough information so you can give me some guidance. It seem to not have the thickness that Mead usually does, but I am not sure if putting it that happens after bottling, and after being in the refrigerator before serving. Or did it develop into a more dry Mead? Would it be OK, for me to bottle this weekend (5.5 weeks Clarifying), and if so how long should I keep it bottle. I was hoping for us to drink a bottle Christmas eve. Thanks for any guidance and assistance.
I am new to brewing, and I am doing Mead. I took a class and they started the Mead for us. It is one gallon, with about 1.25 pounds of honey, and cherry juice was used. I let it ferment for about two and half weeks. Added the energizer five days after fermentation started. Put in the Sodium Metabisulfite to stop the fermentation. I have the starting gravity and ending at home, but it was about 11.5% ABV when I did the calculations (hopefully Correctly) with the hydrometer. When I rack it, the alcohol smell and taste was strong. I back sweeten it with a pound of honey and 10 strawberry to help the flavor. It has been Clarifying for 4.5 weeks and the alcohol taste has went down, but you can still taste it, which I would assume so at 11.5% and I can taste the flavor more. My question is and hopefully i have given enough information so you can give me some guidance. It seem to not have the thickness that Mead usually does, but I am not sure if putting it that happens after bottling, and after being in the refrigerator before serving. Or did it develop into a more dry Mead? Would it be OK, for me to bottle this weekend (5.5 weeks Clarifying), and if so how long should I keep it bottle. I was hoping for us to drink a bottle Christmas eve. Thanks for any guidance and assistance.