What I did for/with Mead today

[MightyMosin]

Wouldn't that be a melomel?

There is certainly overlaps in these categories... what would it be if I had caramelized the honey as well?

 

[Maylar]

There is certainly overlaps in these categories... what would it be if I had caramelized the honey as well?

I don't think that matters. A Cyser is with apples, a pyment is with grapes, other fruits are melomels.

 

[MightyMosin]

Today I measured SO2 and pH on a Pinot Noir must. It's looking good for a pyment must, though I need some suggestions on this much of a raw must.

 

[Lampy]

I've been making tepache and have used honey for sweetening/priming (I add it and let the bottles carbonate overnight, then put them in the fridge). It is essentially non-alcoholic (NA), but can have trace amounts and I did use a little honey. So, it got me thinking: when is a drink mead? How much honey is required? Can there be NA mead? BJCP lists the low end for hydromel as 3.5%ABV, but also says that deviation is not disqualifying.

 

[MightyMosin]

Racked my Marshmallow v3 mead off of last(?) sediment and into a keg. Might even get to bottling this weekend.
Racked a concord grape mead (first part of my PBJ attempt).
Moved a carboy to the table to rack soon.

Cleaned a keg and two carboys and a brew bucket.

 

[MightyMosin]

Tested my new pump and equipment for CIP. Pump is plenty powerful and CIP works well. The fermenter is all sanitized.

The 1" hose I have is too flexible and collapses under pump pressure on the inlet... that's no good. I ordered some new reinforced hose.
The clamps don't close down quite tight enough to deal with the pump pressure and leaks some. Those clamps are being returned and slightly smaller ones are on the way. I ended up ordering some more shut off valves as well as a 90 that I believe will make the dump port more useful. I also ordered a 1.5" TC blukhead connector to add to a bucket as that will make priming the pump easier.

Meads have been brought in from garage as the weather is warming... which isn't so good for the new Pinot Noir pyment that will be starting up on Sunday... but hopefully the new connectors and hose will work for an improvised temp control in the new fermenter until I et a chiller or some other alternative.

I also just worked out my new Pinot Noir pyment recipe tonight... and hopefully I allowed enough headspace for the grapes that will be brought up to the top while fermenting. 6.5 gallon batch in a 7.76 gallon fermenter... 1.126 gallon head space.

 

[MightyMosin]

Made my newest batch of Pinot Noir pyment from a full grape must. All new experience for me.

Lots of cleaning today.

Nice weather today so a blended Strawberry Margarita with the wife once I was mostly done with the mead stuff.

 

[SixShooter]

Bottled a gallon of apricot melomel. I'm surprised how dark it got, but it is quite pretty.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Bottled a gallon of apricot melomel. I'm surprised how dark it got, but it is quite pretty.View attachment 871709

Fresh apricots oxidize, trust me, it’s not pretty in a wheat beer.
I minced a fresh banana to make a tincture with dark rum. The goal is banana Fosters mead made with bochet.

 

[SixShooter]

Made a 3 gallon batch of a raspberry, orange, mango habanero pepper melomel. It was a quick turnaround as a 1 gallon batch last year. Hopefully, it will be ready for a brew club event in August.

 

[Maylar]

Started a 4 gallon batch of cyser. Apple Blossom honey and grocery store frozen concentrate.

1.045 OG for 2 gallons of apple juice. Honey and water to 4 gallons, with total OG at 1.090. I chose White Labs WLP715. It's still in the 60's in my basement and this yeast wants 70-75, so I only need a heater, no cooling.

Trying Fermaid-K this time, I'll add it at the 1/3 sugar break per instructions.

I love my new Tilt -

 

[Dan O]

Started a 4 gallon batch of cyser. Apple Blossom honey and grocery store frozen concentrate.

View attachment 872331

1.045 OG for 2 gallons of apple juice. Honey and water to 4 gallons, with total OG at 1.090. I chose White Labs WLP715. It's still in the 60's in my basement and this yeast wants 70-75, so I only need a heater, no cooling.

View attachment 872332

Trying Fermaid-K this time, I'll add it at the 1/3 sugar break per instructions.

I love my new Tilt -

View attachment 872333

Where did you find the apple blossom honey, please?

 

[Maylar]

Where did you find the apple blossom honey, please?

Honey

 

[MightyMosin]

Racked ~6 gallons of Viognier pyment. It was clear, but I mostly needed the wide mouth carboy.

Cleaned and sanitized said carboy. Placed ~5 Lb of cut and frozen strawberry's into sanitized bag and then into carboy. Racked 5 gallons of a finished session mead into carboy to eventually have a carbonated strawberry session.

 

[Dan O]

Honey

Thank you

 

[Maylar]

Where did you find the apple blossom honey, please?

I ordered two 5 lb jars and when I got to checkout the shipping cost came up as $69. Ouch. I added a WTF note and placed the order. They got back to me and refunded $20. When I got the package, I could see why it cost so much. Glass jars, not plastic, packaged really well...

And the honey is delicious.

 

[Dan O]

I ordered two 5 lb jars and when I got to checkout the shipping cost came up as $69. Ouch. I added a WTF note and placed the order. They got back to me and refunded $20. When I got the package, I could see why it cost so much. Glass jars, not plastic, packaged really well...

View attachment 872480


And the honey is delicious.

Awesome!

 

[Maylar]

Added some Fermaid-K to my cyser. The yeasties must like it, the bucket is bloopin' up a storm!

 

[MightyMosin]

Removed strawberries from mead and racked to new vessel. Tested Free SO2 level and its close to optimal.
Strawberry mead to refrigerator to cold crash.

 

[MightyMosin]

Bottled a gallon of apricot melomel. I'm surprised how dark it got, but it is quite pretty.View attachment 871709

I LOVE the clarity and color on this.

That's exactly the kind of thing that I shoot for when it comes to presentation. Great job on that!

 

[SixShooter]

I LOVE the clarity and color on this.

That's exactly the kind of thing that I shoot for when it comes to presentation. Great job on that!

Thank you!

It's tasty too. Although it ended up with a higher ABV than planned. 14.7%. I ended up putting it away for 6 months as it was quite HOT!

 

[007]

Bottled 6 gallons of traditional. Changed the recipe on this batch. gallon and a half of honey and added sugar. Not quite as good as two gallons of honey. Won't do that again.

 

[Maylar]

I think my cyser is done...

 

[MightyMosin]

I think my cyser is done...

Liking that Tilt?
Any particular negatives?

 

[Maylar]

Liking that Tilt?
Any particular negatives?

This is the new Tilt Pro Mini. Bluetooth range is way better than the original Tilt. You have to be aware that it can float in foam with top fermenting yeasts, which can give an error. But I think it's cool - start your batch and the next day after lag phase it shows a higher SG than when you started because of the foam. Once the surface calms down the thing has been right on the money.

 

[MightyMosin]

Racked ~ 5.75 gallons of my 2025 XMAS mead.
Drinking a cyser fermented with Blueberries.

 

[Maylar]

Drinking a cyser fermented with Blueberries.

Apple juice and blueberries?

 

[MightyMosin]

Apple juice and blueberries?

Yep!!

BTW, it is a nice combo. Much better with cider than juice.
I have to imagine that fresh pressed would be even better.

 

[007]

Started 6.25 gallons of traditional.

 

[Maylar]

Started 6.25 gallons of traditional.

What kind of honey?

 

[007]

Good question, don't know. Bought the honey from a local bee keeper in N.E Nebraska. I will ask.

 

[MightyMosin]

I did nothing with/for Mead today... but I was reminded twice today by the local wine shop proprietor that I still need to bring some in for them to try... so I guess I thought about it today

 

[007]

Drank another bottle.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Racked 2 gallons of bochet prepared the mead in the mason jar to be packaged for competition.

 

[Maylar]

Took a taste sample of my Tupelo traditional yesterday. It's been 2 months on oak now.
Light golden color. It'll get a bit darker with another month on oak.
Some legs are evident.
Slightly floral aroma. Not yet honey.
A bit of acid is also evident.
Still off-dry, about 1.005. Doesn't need more sweetening at this time. Will check again in a month.

 

[MightyMosin]

Today I bottled ~5 gallons of a session strawberry melomel.

 

[Maylar]

Racked my cyser to secondary. Got about 3-1/2 gallons from 4. Used the pump on my wine filter as a transfer pump and it worked well.

This batch was cleared with pectic enzyme pre-ferment and Super Kleer post ferment. It has a lovely golden color

Aroma has slight apple and honey. It tastes a lot sweeter than the 0,996 FG would suggest. Now it's a waiting game.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Last Wednesday I flavored and back sweetened nearly a gallon of bochet in a way that I trust will be perceived as banana Fosters. Then filled 2 7oz bottles for BJCP judging, the remainder will be served for a popular vote in June. I’m going to age what’s left on cherry wood. The sticks don’t appear to have any toast, so I’m thinking I should torch them lightly.

 

[007]

What kind of honey?

Clover, alpha honey. A little darker color.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

My traditional sack, sweet bochet scored very nicely in competition this past weekend, though it didn’t win. We had one mead table with 11 entries and one very good entrant sweeping the table. Congrats to him. Short on judges, it was a challenge even with just over half the max entries received.