My first serious mead, 3 years old :)

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

So, enjoying the last bottle (that I have) of my first batch of mead. Made it with no experience and it was pretty high alc% ~16. Actually used two different yeasts because I was worried about it, fussed with it constantly, and in the end it came out fantastic. So long down the road I'm drinking it and reflecting on how I felt and what I wanted to achieve and also the first taste of a good final product I was proud of that sparked my absolute passion for the hobby and launched a whole new field of personal expression and knowledge. I figured I'd post the recipe from what I remember

17#'s Orange blossom honey
nutrient
DAP
Worry and nightmares
2 sticks of cinnamon (~6' scrolls, not cassia, cinnamon)
1 packet red star pasteur champagne yeast

Do primary for 1 month, adjusting and constantly messing with Ph etc. Taste it and worry, worry, worry.

Rack into secondary on top of
3# Mesquite honey
1oz lavender(muslin bag)
2oz chamomile(muslin bag)
8-9 baby rose buds (the kind for tea, not garden variety)

let sit for a month clearing on 1 oz of Hungarian oak cubes med+, use KC Super-cleer and bottle nervously, blanketing the batch with a homemmade CO2 device consisting of a plastic condiment bottle with plastic tubing running to the top of the fermenter with dry ice and water in it to generate a nice oxygen free layer on top of it. Wait three years and revel, cracking a bottle every now and then until you reach the last one.

 

[fatbloke]

A lot of faffing about for a first batch !

Yet, if it came out good, well, that's good, if it taught you a fair amount about technique/method, even better.

If you're enjoying it, then bloody marvellous :rockin:

Now just a further 3 years to repeat it

 

[Cyclman]

Wow. I have been anxious to do my first mead, maybe this'll inspire me to just do it.

 

[WVMJ]

RBA, bet you never thought it would make it, congrats. Now you are wondering what if you wanted 10 years for one of those bottles to be ripe There is always the next batch to make and dream of stowing away a few bottles to age forever, but unless you forget about having them its hard to let them set for so long but its worth is just for the fun of it. WVMJ

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

I have a case of multi-berry melomel stashed away that's at a year old, but it's in such an inconvenient place that I don't think about it much, That one will probably get really old. I have another batch turning 3 in November as well that I have a good few bottles of, we'll see how they are.

 

[GuldTuborg]

How did you ever get two 6-foot sticks of cinnamon in a carboy?

There's clearly a lot going on in that recipe. I'm glad it worked out, despite the stress.