I bottled some metheglin tonight and was surprised that it smelled and tasted exactly like cinnamon rolls! I was attempting to formulate a recipe for "Chai Spice Metheglin", but now I am definitely calling it "Cinnamon Roll Metheglin".
3 lbs orange blossom honey
Lavin 71B-1122 5g in 6.25g GoFerm in 125mL (not warmed) water
Walmart "Spring" water to 1 gallon
(1/4 tsp DAP/Urea / 1/4 tsp Fermaid K) x3 at 24 hours, 3 days, 5 days
Starting gravity 1.117
1 month in. Gravity 0.995 (lower than expected).
Racked onto 12 whole cardamom pods
One about 6 inch cinnamon stick
2 small cloves
One large/split vanilla bean
The mead became very cloudy at this point. I believe it was the cinnamon stick producing some kind of mucous like material in suspension.
About 1-2 weeks later racked onto 1/2 tsp K-sorbate and 1 crushed K-Meta tab. The mead was still quite cloudy.
About 6-8 weeks later the haze had settled out completely, and the mead was perfectly clear.
Racked and back sweetened with 5/8 cups orange blossom honey to FG: 1.011.
I usually like my meads around 1.015-1.020, but this seemed plenty sweet at 1.011.
I think the key is that the cardamom pods gave kind of a savory/almost bread-y component. I think if you blindfolded someone and had them smell it they would say cinnamon roll, not mead/alcohol. Tastes great without any fusel alcohol flavor. Perfectly clear. I thought I'd share as it was such a surprise to me. I expected "Chai Tea" flavor!
3 lbs orange blossom honey
Lavin 71B-1122 5g in 6.25g GoFerm in 125mL (not warmed) water
Walmart "Spring" water to 1 gallon
(1/4 tsp DAP/Urea / 1/4 tsp Fermaid K) x3 at 24 hours, 3 days, 5 days
Starting gravity 1.117
1 month in. Gravity 0.995 (lower than expected).
Racked onto 12 whole cardamom pods
One about 6 inch cinnamon stick
2 small cloves
One large/split vanilla bean
The mead became very cloudy at this point. I believe it was the cinnamon stick producing some kind of mucous like material in suspension.
About 1-2 weeks later racked onto 1/2 tsp K-sorbate and 1 crushed K-Meta tab. The mead was still quite cloudy.
About 6-8 weeks later the haze had settled out completely, and the mead was perfectly clear.
Racked and back sweetened with 5/8 cups orange blossom honey to FG: 1.011.
I usually like my meads around 1.015-1.020, but this seemed plenty sweet at 1.011.
I think the key is that the cardamom pods gave kind of a savory/almost bread-y component. I think if you blindfolded someone and had them smell it they would say cinnamon roll, not mead/alcohol. Tastes great without any fusel alcohol flavor. Perfectly clear. I thought I'd share as it was such a surprise to me. I expected "Chai Tea" flavor!
