Mead Update

So we got around to drinking a second bottle of the Berry Mead, and it's still quite "hot".  The smell is all harsh booziness.  The taste isn't near as boozy, but looks like we're gonna let the batch of bottles sit in the cellar until next year and see how it mellows.  From what I've read about mead, it usually doesn't hit it's peak until a few years old.

Trial Mead #1 and #2 is Ready

After aging for almost exactly 4 months, looks like the two trial batches of Mead (orange w/ spice, and mixed berry) are ready to go.  They've cleared, and the fruit has dropped to the bottom, along with all of the yeast and other suspended particles.  

 I bottled them in 12 oz beer bottles, each batch 8 bottles, with one bottle that is a half/half mix. 

Once they are chilled, we'll sample and see how successful it was.

Making Mead

I decided to try to make some small batches of mead as an experiment.  Mead is basically wine made from honey instead of grapes.  There are many variations, based on what other ingredients are used. 

 First I sanitized the glass 1 gallon jugs I was going to use for the 2 batches.

 Batch 1 used:

3.5 pounds Clover Honey

6 Mandarin Oranges

Handful of raisins

1 stick of Cinnamon

1 Clove

dash of Allspice

Regular Bread Yeast

  Batch 2 used:

3.5 pounds Clover Honey

2 Mandarin Oranges
1.25 pounds of frozen Mixed Berries - Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry

Handful of raisins

Regular Bread Yeast

 Dissolved the honey with warm water, added the other ingredients, and then filled up, leaving some space for foaming during fermentation

Finally, measured Original Gravity (1.30), added the yeast, and secured the airlocks to each jug.  Off to a dark closet for a few months.