New Mead...I would like a recipe.

[MzAnnie]

To EVERYONE who gave me the great advice in my mead search, thank you so much. I have started 5 gallons of the Carmel Apple Mead, posted in this forum. Now, being known as the "Honey Hater", I would just like to let you all know, I actually DID taste the starter, when it was put together in the primary. I have to say, much to my chagrin, it tasted quite nice. I REALLY LOVE the Crystal 60L grains. I ate quite a few of those and put them in the freezer to use in bread. WHAT are those things anyway, barley and wheat? AnyWho, after much thought, and swallowing my pride, I would like to tell you that I was Wa-Rong, and I might like 'honey' in it's alcohol state, after all. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm working on getting the honey that's in the 5 gallon bucket (about 46# in there still) more fluid so that I can make more mead. I have two more 1/6 bbl sanke kegs that I'll be converting into fermenters soon (waiting for fittings to arrive). I also need to at least pull a sample of my maple mead to see how it is. Been almost a full year since it was made. If the flavor is where I want it, it goes to bottles. If not, I'll add some more maple syrup and give it a week (or so) and sample again. Should be at 14%, and not dry. :rockin:

 

[MzAnnie]

I'm working on getting the honey that's in the 5 gallon bucket (about 46# in there still) more fluid so that I can make more mead. I have two more 1/6 bbl sanke kegs that I'll be converting into fermenters soon (waiting for fittings to arrive). I also need to at least pull a sample of my maple mead to see how it is. Been almost a full year since it was made. If the flavor is where I want it, it goes to bottles. If not, I'll add some more maple syrup and give it a week (or so) and sample again. Should be at 14%, and not dry. :rockin:

The only thing I did different in this recipe, is not use the same types of honey. The Honey Man brought over the dark stuff that no one will buy, so I used that exclusively. The type of honey we get is a crap shoot, what ever the bees are eatin & spittin, is what goes in the 5 gallon bucket, we purchase 4 times a year. I doubt if husband will let this age out once it is done. I have never tried making anything with maple syrup before. We moved to the south (from Michigan) before I became interested in wine and mead making. The only maple syrup down here, is the sugar water with chemically added maple flavoring. However, I just learned about cane syrup and might be able to do some bartering to see how that works out.

 

[Golddiggie]

You can get it from Amazon... That's the stuff I ordered, and have some left over of (used enough to make the maple mead, and have 10 containers left, I think)... It's the only maple syrup I'll use now.

 

[Halbrust]

The Honey Man brought over the dark stuff that no one will buy, so I used that exclusively. The type of honey we get is a crap shoot, what ever the bees are eatin & spittin, is what goes in the 5 gallon bucket, we purchase 4 times a year.

Dark honey is a "boom or bust" case in my opinion. Good tasting dark honey is the warmest, richest, comforting flavor imaginable. Bad tasting dark honey tastes like poop. That's poop as in feces, not slang for bad. I sure hope you got the good stuff!

 

[Golddiggie]

Dark honey is a "boom or bust" case in my opinion. Good tasting dark honey is the warmest, richest, comforting flavor imaginable. Bad tasting dark honey tastes like poop. That's poop as in feces, not slang for bad. I sure hope you got the good stuff!

I typically go for late harvest wildflower honey. GREAT stuff there. I also only get local/regional honey. No shipping costs really helps. Plus, I'm doing my part to support a local/regional apiary.

 

[Arpolis]

AnyWho, after much thought, and swallowing my pride, I would like to tell you that I was Wa-Rong.....

Wa Wa Wa Wa.................. Not exactly correct!

Lol MzAnnie, stick around the guys and gals on this site long enough and anyone can be converted.

 

[MzAnnie]

Dark honey is a "boom or bust" case in my opinion. Good tasting dark honey is the warmest, richest, comforting flavor imaginable. Bad tasting dark honey tastes like poop. That's poop as in feces, not slang for bad. I sure hope you got the good stuff!

I can not tell you the difference between any honey. It all smells like wet dog to me. The husband grabbed a big ole spoonful as soon as it was delivered, and gave me the thumbs up. The Honey Man just can't sell much of it because of people's preconcieved notion of what honey should look like. He, too, likes mead, so between the two of them, they make sure I get premium quality!!! I was wondering, however, being the second cheapest woman on the planet, if I could substitute pure mexican vanilla, for the vanilla beans in the recipe? Thanks again, even though I am set in my old timey ways, I always find new and interesting threads in this forum. I actually bought an auto siphon, and almost bought airlocks, but then remembered I still have half a bag of balloons, so maybe, just maybe when they are gone, I might rethink using airlocks!

 

[Golddiggie]

I only use premium Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans. Completely different than the cheap Mexican beans. Look at Amazon for really great prices on the vanilla beans. You can usually get about a quarter pound of great beans for what you pay for one at the grocery store.

 

[Halbrust]

I use the big bottle of Mexican vanilla whenever I need vanilla.

2 things to remember:
It may be hard to get the quantity correct if the recipe is calling for actual pods.
The "pure vanilla" is usually 80 - 100 proof

 

[Golddiggie]

I use the big bottle of Mexican vanilla whenever I need vanilla.

ICK!!! I suppose you would also go low end on other things.

It may be hard to get the quantity correct if the recipe is calling for actual pods.

Not so... Typically 1 teaspoon of extract equals 1 vanilla bean/pod... Pretty easy to convert that way.

BTW, you can get a half POUND of vanilla beans (Premium Bourbon-Madagascar beans) for ~$27. The same source sells smaller amounts too. I paid about $7 for 7 beans the first time I got some from them. They also have 16 beans for $12, or 1/4# (27 beans) for ~$16.

I've made my own extract from some of the beans I got (1/2#) that beats the pants off the Mexican extract. Just be sure to use REALLY CLEAN vodka when you make your own. I ended up using Skyy vodka due to the filtering and distillation counts it goes through. Pretty inexpensive stuff too.

 

[saramc]

I use the big bottle of Mexican vanilla whenever I need vanilla.

2 things to remember:
It may be hard to get the quantity correct if the recipe is calling for actual pods.
The "pure vanilla" is usually 80 - 100 proof

True mexican vanilla cost my grandmother a kidney. Just so happened due to lack of regulation the mexican vanilla usually contains coumarin (think coumadin, blood thinner). Developed a bleed within two weeks, she used the vanilla with half n half in her coffee and miscellaneous baking. She had used just three ounces. I know, because I was with her when she bought the bottle in Tijuana, and tossed out her empty McCormick's bottle...and I also took mexican vanilla bottle to hospital because the her clotting times were off the chart and they asked if she took coumadin. I said NO, but there is a bottle of mexican vanilla (that had coumaRin on label)...I got no further and they sent me out the door to go get it. By the time I got back they had stabilized her clotting times, and discovered her kidney was destroyed due to internal bleeding. Upon analysis vanilla had more than 300 times the accepted amount of coumarin that the US would allow. Hospital said there did not seem to be a standard level in the vanilla and the highest they had seen was 900 times higher and a two year old boy died in his sleep of a brain bleed after drinking half an ounce. Mom was baking, son wanted a taste, so she put some in a glass. He drank it. I was told it has to do with how some companies in Mexico process the bean and makes their vanilla. Sister-in-law went to Juarez last Summer, brought back several 'coumarin vanillas'. We destroyed them and she called everyone who went with her. So, please know what your mexican vanilla is made of.

 

[Golddiggie]

IMO, if you're going to use vanilla extract, make it yourself. Use the best beans you can get (as I posted earlier, they're NOT expensive) and you'll love the results. I used about 2oz of beans in a pint mason jar, filled it with Skyy vodka and let it go about 8 months. Gave a bottle to mom the other weekend, had her smell it (I've not used the extract so much, so wanted her take on it)... She lit up with a smile. It's far better than any of the others she's used. Including a bottle she got from her boss, who's so cheap it hurts.

I'll have to have her check the big bottle she's been mixing with other extract. If it lists coumadin on it, I'll have her dump it all... Thanks for the 411 on that.

 

[MzAnnie]

True mexican vanilla cost my grandmother a kidney. Just so happened due to lack of regulation the mexican vanilla usually contains coumarin (think coumadin, blood thinner). Developed a bleed within two weeks, she used the vanilla with half n half in her coffee and miscellaneous baking. She had used just three ounces. I know, because I was with her when she bought the bottle in Tijuana, and tossed out her empty McCormick's bottle...and I also took mexican vanilla bottle to hospital because the her clotting times were off the chart and they asked if she took coumadin. I said NO, but there is a bottle of mexican vanilla (that had coumaRin on label)...I got no further and they sent me out the door to go get it. By the time I got back they had stabilized her clotting times, and discovered her kidney was destroyed due to internal bleeding. Upon analysis vanilla had more than 300 times the accepted amount of coumarin that the US would allow. Hospital said there did not seem to be a standard level in the vanilla and the highest they had seen was 900 times higher and a two year old boy died in his sleep of a brain bleed after drinking half an ounce. Mom was baking, son wanted a taste, so she put some in a glass. He drank it. I was told it has to do with how some companies in Mexico process the bean and makes their vanilla. Sister-in-law went to Juarez last Summer, brought back several 'coumarin vanillas'. We destroyed them and she called everyone who went with her. So, please know what your mexican vanilla is made of.

Wow, I have used mexican vanilla for 20 years...it did have coumaRin on the label, I will have to go a check my last two bottles. Thank you so much for that info, I had no idea whatsoever. I would have never even thought to read the bottles. I will also begin to start making my own extract, because that is what my lifestyle is about...the fewer ingredients the better. It never dawned on me how inexpensive vanilla beans would be, online, and the thought never crossed my mind to make vanilla extract. Thanks, this is why I love this site! -Annie