Next Mead Recipe

[Nossie]

So, I have a recipe I've written, and the idea of making it my next mead sounds so exciting that I'm really fixed on it. I just want opinions on it in terms of feasibility, flavor etc.

I wanted a strong, spiced mead that might remind me of some fond spicy beverages, with backsweetening of additional honey to balance against the strength.

5 Gal Spring Water
22 Lbs. Organic Clover Honey
3 packets K1-V1116
1 Tablespoon Yeast Nutrient
1 Tablespoon Yeast Energizer
4 oz. Lightly Crushed Organic Juniper Berries
6 oz. Organic Cinnamon Bark Sticks
1 oz. Crushed Organic Lavender
2 Lbs. Organic Buckwheat Honey

The idea was to carry out the primary fermentation as a dead serious, high gravity brew of mead. Within a month (give or take possible weeks) I would transfer this to my secondary.

I would add to the secondary a lovely assortment of spices, and finish off the fermentation in there for a final 8 months, backsweeten, then bottle the whole deal.

I feel like I might have a real mess on my hands, with my limited experience, but I'm more than excited at the thought of sharing the idea (as it is so far) with all of you. Let me know what you think.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

At 4.8 lbs honey per gallon of volume, that's some seriously high gravity. I'd recommend step feeding and staggered nutrient additions along with tight temp control. K1-V1116 can be pushed past it's rated 18%, I've pushed it to 18.75% and Jack Keller claims it will go to 20%; but I think you will have a tough time pushing it past 19%. You'll need more nutrient, follow the directions on the pkg & do the math for SNA. You may end up with a sweeter mead than you thought & might not even need backsweetening. Either way, it's going to take a while to age with that high ABV.

I know you said you wanted something strong, I'm guessing you want a strong flavour as well as high ABV. The amount of spice you list seems like a lot to me. 6 oz cinnamon sticks? I think you might want to cut that back to around 2 or 3 four inch sticks. As for the juniper berries, I'm guessing you're using dried. Juniper is pretty strong, I've never used it, but I work on the premise of "You can always add more later." Start with smaller quantities of spice & see how it tastes, add more later if needed.

As for the lavender, I haven't a clue as to how much to use. I don't use lavender as it tates like soap to me, so I cannot advise you on that. With all spices, you can use more for a shorter period of time, or you can use less over a longer period of time. The longer you leave it in, the stronger the flavour profile in the finished product. Just be sure to contain the spices in a hop sack or something similar, so you can easily remove them when your desired flavour profile has been reached.

Just my 2 cents worth. Regards, GF.

 

[Nossie]

Many thanks! I will continue to do my research in refining this recipe. I really appreciate the tips on the yeast, gravity and feeding.

As for the spice, I tried to look at what I'd use in one gallon and multiply it from there on. My girlfriend looked at the recipe and said with her quizzical, loving grin "I love my Indian boyfriend and his spice-immune tastebuds." She often comments on my spicy creations being so intense because of my familial background.

Alas, I really do appreciate the two cents. I'll keep you and any other advisers posted.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Just reread your recipe Nossie, and realized I misread it before. I thought you meant 5 gal batch size, but you said 5 gal. of water AND 24 lbs honey, which will give you a volume of 7 gallons. One gallon of honey is approx 12 lbs. With a new volume of 7 gallons, it comes out to 3.4 lbs per gallon. Lower gravity & easier to deal with, but I'd still suggest everything I listed before. Regards, GF.

 

[WVMJ]

I read it as you are going to make a 5 gal batch, bringing it to 5 gal not 5 gal of water. Drop some dried elderflowers in there to give it a good nose. You might also appreciate a few cardomon pods and some ginger root for a bit of spiceness. The step feeding and staggered nutrient advice will work well with K1V1116. I like to start at like 1.095, let it go down to about 1.01, then bump it up to about 1.02 and let it eat the honey, repeat until the yeast gives up. This way the yeast gets a good start, you are feeding it nutrients and building up strong healthy yeasts. If you do step feeding in small steps like this you wont end up with a stuck ferment that is way to sweet. You being in Indian guy you should be giving us advice! Good luck. You next mead has to be a capsicumel!! WVMJ

 

[Nossie]

You're right on my intent to raise the volume (using the mentioned water) to 5 Gal. That's a bit of uncertainty to the recipe, for sure. I hugely appreciate the feeding tips. That's not usually my concern, especially when doing a melomel, but in this case, it's nothing to be overlooked.

I love elderflowers. That might just replace my lavender outright. Now, I do appreciate cardamom and ginger, but I'm only so fond of the two, and I really wanted a clear balance of chilling juniper berries and warming cinnamon, to form a sort of basis for an aroma and aftertaste of perfume-rich flowers. Lavender was just a quick thought, but thinking back to an old favorite, a belvoir elderflower presse, a delicious mixer by far, I have to look into the other florals.

 

[WVMJ]

What is a belvoir elderflower presse? We grow elderberries for elderberry wine, mead, we have tried most ways to brew with elders. We made a nice elderflower mead last year, so much pollen the lees were yellow. WVMJ

 

[Nossie]

It's a perfumy, premium "soft drink," I suppose, but goodness is it light (in terms of flavor) enough and sweet enough to make a fun mixer. I'm a little uncreative, and so I mostly drink it with vodka; rose vodka mixes well, at that.

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/images/large/QWOP2878.jpg

 

[fatbloke]

What is a belvoir elderflower presse? We grow elderberries for elderberry wine, mead, we have tried most ways to brew with elders. We made a nice elderflower mead last year, so much pollen the lees were yellow. WVMJ

Another, apparently "British" product I've never seen or heard of......

From the look of what the label says, it's a carbonated, pre-mixed elderflower cordial Jack.

If you could either make, or buy elderflower cordial then water it down to "drinking strength" with carbonated water, I suspect you'd have something similar........

Personally, I don't like using the flowers, I much prefer to let them set as fruit.......

 

[bernardsmith]

Personally, I don't like using the flowers, I much prefer to let them set as fruit.......

Elderflower wine is among my favorite. I lived in London in the early 80s and used to eat at Cranks Restaurant (vegetarian) and they would serve elderflower wine. Incredible! It's a wine I routinely make and have around. It's hard to beat IMO.

 

[WVMJ]

Hey Bloke, we are waiting to see if the new pest spotted drosophila shows up again this year and wipes out the crop. Last year we made a great elderflower mead with light spring honey. This year we dropped some elderflowers into a carboy of spiced cider, thats going to be pretty good. We are hoping to get berries this year. Our flowers are just about done, we missed making an elderflower mead this year. This presse sounds like something fun to save for next year. WVMJ