Leap Year Mead 2

[BigKahuna]

I want to point out the ad on this page for vanilla. I think that is where I will get mine, because 1 bean is $12.00 at the grocery store, and I think it's been there since I was about 5.
As far as honey; I think if we all choose the best LOCAL honey you can get. This is of course a relative term. I was thinking about using 1/2 Raspberry honey (Not Actually Raspberry flavored) from Ft. Collins, and 1/2 "Alfalfa" honey from Palisade. That covers 2 corners of Colorado, and doesn't even come within 150 miles of home.
This may create a little too much regionally for some tastes. I think it would be very cool to have the regional part, but if it puts some of you off, we should look at deciding on at very least a verity of honey, or some guidelines.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Well Im saying this before I look into the local supply but I think if we all could manage to find the same type of honey it would be nice. But on the other hand the regional variant thing is pretty awesome too. So I guess it doesnt matter to me much.

 

[BigKahuna]

Just to clarify...and because all the adds keep changing:
www.beanilla.com

 

[nealf]

Recipe sounds great; picked up my honey yesterday!!!! 18 days to go

 

[JustMrWill]

Ouch! Just looked at Whole Foods...and they are selling whole vanilla beans 2 for $12. I think I will be ordering them from the above mentioned website.

Now to complicate it... does it matter what type of bean? Madagascar are only $4.95 for 5.

-Will

 

[BigKahuna]

I'm not very familiar with whole Vanilla beans, but there must be a difference.
I do not have a problem with the Madagascar...at least I don't think I do. And for a buck each, It's better than the $12.00 for the ONE I can get at the local grocer.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

I'm not very familiar with whole Vanilla beans, but there must be a difference.
I do not have a problem with the Madagascar...at least I don't think I do. And for a buck each, It's better than the $12.00 for the ONE I can get at the local grocer.

don't know much either about the beans but anyone that has any thoughts about what we should use should speak up

 

[iamjonsharp]

How does Vanilla Mead taste?

 

[shunoshi]

I think I'm in on this one. I have an extra 1 gallon jug that I can use for this. I'm really curious how vanilla would taste in a mead. I don't know squat about vanilla beans so I'll probably go with that Madagascar deal at beanilla.com myself. As for honey, finding a local source in MN has been quite a challenge. I haven't been able to find much yet. I'm guessing I'll just have to go with the grocery store variety for this one since there aren't any running farmers markets in the winter here.

I do have to say that I think a vanilla mead would probably taste a little better with some residual sweetness. I can't picture a really dry vanilla mead tasting good, so my vote for yeast would be Lalvin D-47.

 

[Tusch]

OK so we definitely need to rope in one or two experienced mead makers. This whole group seems to be relative newbs and none of us seem to know squat about vanilla beans. So who's gonna put out the banners and ask for help? haha

For instance, on the beanilla site, what kind of the 4 or 5 available would be best?

 

[Nurmey]

There is lots of good info on the net about Vanilla beans.
Madagascar is the preferred "gourmet" beans.
Beware of dried out beans.
Beware of beans with little or no aroma.
Best flavor comes from longer beans (7-8 inches or longer). Also much more expensive.
I'm not sure that the prices on the Vanilla Bean ad are the best.
I've always bought my beans from a local Mediterranean store but we have a new spice store here that I will check out so I can see (and smell) them before buying.

 

[bfletch13]

I'm in on this. Don't know crap of vanilla beans either. So pretty much just tell me what to make and I'll make it.

 

[PintOfBitter]

I got a pound of Madagascar prime beans online for $40 last year (over 100 beans). This sounds like a good way to use up 2... I can't describe how great the Madagascar beans are. The beans were very moist, and I've already gone through 750ml of homemade extract.

I'm thinking I may have to try adding some bitter orange to some vanilla mead... mmmm creamsicle...

I'm in.

 

[BigKahuna]

What is everyone thinking about the yeast issue? Do we need another poll?
I'm still voting for using an easily available Montrichet or Pasteur Champagne yeast. We are getting close to our date for completion, and I am headed to the city this weekend. I'd like to know what I'm shopping for.
This is going to ROCK:rockin: ...4 years from now

 

[bfletch13]

SOOOO......

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

This is the recipe I will be following.
I will probably do more than a gallon but you can scale it any size batch.
3 pounds honey (I will be using my VERY local wildflower made right down the road so I encourage the use of wildflower but chose whatever you like.)
yeast nutrient
little over 1 gallon water (accounting for loss to sediment etc)
1 gram Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast
Estimated OG: 1.130
Estimated FG:1.000???
After primary fermentation rack onto 2 vanilla beans

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

looking for feedback
type of bean we have decided on
gravity estimations
what do we do to the vanilla beans before throwing them in the carboy?

 

[Diomedes]

I'm going to be using:

3 pounds of Arizona wildflower honey
Pasteur Champagne yeast
2 Bourbon Vanilla Beans 8 inches + into the secondary fermenter

I wonder how black berry would taste with the vanilla~

 

[beala]

At 3 pounds per gallon, we're cutting it pretty close to that yeast's tolerance. According to this calculator, we'll be at 14.85% abv, while pasteur champange only gets up to 13-15%. That could turn out to be a sweet mead. If we want to make sure it's going to ferment dry, we should use something like ec-1118 or Premier Cuvée.

Calc: http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=745&Itemid=16
Yeast Table: http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=625&Itemid=42

 

[BigKahuna]

looking for feedback
type of bean we have decided on
gravity estimations
what do we do to the vanilla beans before throwing them in the carboy?

All of the best cooking shows have said that you take a sharp knife and split the bean lengthwise, then scrape the goo out of it, then add ALL of that into the recipe.

NOTE: Pull the bean throuth the knife, just poke the tip into the bean, then pull the bean instead of the knife.

 

[BigKahuna]

I am with BuffaloSabres. My recipe will match what he just said. I have ordered beans. Got 13 (10 for the batch, 3 to play with)for just under $16.00 including shipping, and they said I'll have it in 3 to 5 days.
This is a call for the banana.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Im waiting on buying the beans. Its gonna ferment first anyways.

 

[beala]

Uh so you guys did read my post about the yeast, right? Using that yeast, your mead may end up sweet.

 

[BigKahuna]

Beala, Yes. I did. Taking that into consideration, The complete Mead maker says that this yeast is good to 16%, so I'm not real concerned with the yeast crapping out too soon, and I'm ok with any residual sweetness that comes along with this mead. Mostly, I am looking for a fun, easy mead that we can think about for 4years knowing that a handful or 2 of other people are also building. That is not to say that I would not be open to, or that I would be upset if someone uses a different yeast. I think that the most important part is that you brew on the 29th, and save it for 29ths to come.

P.S. what is HefeApfelwein like?

 

[archmaker]

Okay

It looks like things are settled now I need to get the ingredients.

I appreciate the more experienced people chiming in. Going to follow BuffaloSabre's recipe.

Figure I would do a gallon, as this should give me four wine bottle that should last me the next 16 years!

 

[BigKahuna]

Okay

Figure I would do a gallon, as this should give me four wine bottle that should last me the next 16 years!

Didn't think of it that way...I'm doing 5 gallons!! If I get 30 bottles...that is....120 years. Is this too much? Wonder if it'll last that long?

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Didn't think of it that way...I'm doing 5 gallons!! If I get 30 bottles...that is....120 years. Is this too much? Wonder if it'll last that long?

You never know how long people are going to start living so you can never have too much or be too prepared. Im hoping I can do 5 gallons honey is expensive stuff though.

 

[Yet41]

I think I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and make some of this too. But my experience with vanilla is that it fades fairly quickly. Will the vanilla flavor be able to survive that long? I've never made vanilla mead before, so maybe the mead part changes things.

I do like Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast. I've always had good luck with that one.

 

[BigKahuna]

I spoke with 3 "Masters" at 3 different Brew stores yesterday. They all came to the conclusion that if you drink this stuff early, it will have a true Vanilla flavor. They also agree that probably by the first and surely by the second leap year, the vanilla "Flavor" will be gone in lieu of a super complex depth of flavor and nose. I am excited to see what happens with this.

 

[Nurmey]

I expect that the vanilla nose will pretty much dissipate but with two beans per gallon, we should still get a nice complex flavor. I'm planning on buying the longest, plumpest beans I can find. I'm not going to purchase those until closer to racking day.

We don't have a lot of choice around here for "local" honey so I'm pretty excited that I found some produced within 100 miles. The down side is that it doesn't say what those bees were using to make the honey. It's probably co-op honey but that's okay with me.

I still need to pick up some more nutrient but I've got my yeast, honey, and water already. I'm so excited to get this going, I'm having a hard time waiting until the 29th. The good news is that I also bought enough honey to make up a batch of Malkore's Not So Ancient mead so that should keep me satisfied until the big day.