Author Topic: time for bottling (Read 11775 times)

Zookeep · « **on:** December 06, 2013, 08:44:45 pm »

24lbs of honey water and yeast in a 6 gallon carboy then as I racked it the 1st time I added 16lbs of strawberrys through a juicer into the mix, after some weeks and another racking (and many taste tests) time for bottling, some going into corked bottle most into mason jars, I find when you make a real good batch of mead, its real hard to have it age (mason jars easy to get into)

G3farms · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2013, 09:23:12 pm »

What is the average alcohol content of mead?

That looks like some pretty good stuff.

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2013, 10:20:17 pm »

Go big or Go home, eh? :lol:

Zookeep · « **Reply #3 on:** December 07, 2013, 07:33:11 am »

G3 it all depends on the yeast that is used, some yeasts will live in a higher alchohol content then others, what I use gives me somewheres between 14% and 16% so yep its a party in a bottle

Ladyleo191 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2013, 08:21:33 am »

MMMMM looks so refreshing! I'll bet it will be good this Spring on the deck with some sunshine and a nice breeze.

apisbees · « **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2013, 11:12:56 am »

What a gorgeous color Zookeep would love to sample I mean Judge (sample) all the different mead being made this year by all the various beekeepers.

blueblood · « **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2013, 12:37:37 pm »

Ef gave me a bottle of his mead when I visited with him in Israel. It was pretty darn tasty. It was my first taste of mead. Zoo, do you keep up with Moonshiners on tv? The whole process of making spirits intrigues me.

Zookeep · « **Reply #7 on:** December 07, 2013, 03:18:43 pm »

I am going to be setting up a triple distiller here withing the next few months Blueblood and cant wait

G3farms · « **Reply #8 on:** December 07, 2013, 06:29:15 pm »

Not a mead maker myself but here is another recipe I found.

HOW TO MAKE "YULE-MEAD"

Recipe for for 5.5 gallons ( A rich spicy and flavorful mead for winter sipping )

18 lbs honey ( I like to use a dark fall wildflower for this recipe )
4 large Oranges use zest and juice.
1 lb. Raisins, Dates or Figs…or a mix of all 3
5- Vanilla beans cut and scrapped.
9 oz. Chopped candied ginger.
0.5 oz. Crushed juniper berries
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon.
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Cardamon
1 tsp. Allspice
5 grams Fermaid -K yeast nutrient added at the beginning of fermentation and 5 more grams added when gravity gets down to 1.093.

Water to 5 gallons ( I have substituted 1 gallon of water with apple cider and other fruit juices in variations of this recipe with great results)

10 to 15 grams Lalvin KV-1116 wine yeast rehydrate in warm water.

I don’t boil so I just mix all this all up in a fermentation bucket and pitch yeast and ferment around 65 to 70 degrees F. Rack after 2 weeks in primary to glass carboy, let clear, age and bottle when ready.
Photo: HOW TO MAKE "YULE-MEAD" Recipe for for 5.5 gallons ( A rich spicy and flavorful mead for winter sipping ) 18 lbs honey ( I like to use a dark fall wildflower for this recipe ) 4 large Oranges use zest and juice. 1 lb. Raisins, Dates or Figs…or a mix of all 3 5- Vanilla beans cut and scrapped. 9 oz. Chopped candied ginger. 0.5 oz. Crushed juniper berries 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon. 1 tsp. Nutmeg 1 tsp. Cardamon 1 tsp. Allspice 5 grams Fermaid -K yeast nutrient added at the beginning of fermentation and 5 more grams added when gravity gets down to 1.093. Water to 5 gallons ( I have substituted 1 gallon of water with apple cider and other fruit juices in variations of this recipe with great results) 10 to 15 grams Lalvin KV-1116 wine yeast rehydrate in warm water. I don’t boil so I just mix all this all up in a fermentation bucket and pitch yeast and ferment around 65 to 70 degrees F. Rack after 2 weeks in primary to glass carboy, let clear, age and bottle when ready.

Zulu · « **Reply #9 on:** December 07, 2013, 06:40:26 pm »

Just a heads up, let's not talk about distilling in the open, not allowed in USA....... Not even for own use.

Beer, wine and mead , no issue .

Happy to Discuss beer making at any level with you all. Have a very solid group of homebrew guys I help online around the country, plus local. Have taught a few classes and often have open brew days, which means visitors welcome.

G3farms · « **Reply #10 on:** December 07, 2013, 06:49:51 pm »

Different types of mead

G3farms · « **Reply #11 on:** December 07, 2013, 06:52:53 pm »

Quote from: "Zulu"

Just a heads up, let's not talk about distilling in the open, not allowed in USA....... Not even for own use.

I started to add, do you know what Dave does for a living.

riverbee · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2013, 07:06:59 pm »

"I started to add, do you know what Dave does for a living."

.........okay dave, one more time you will have to suffer this again.....but lol it is funny......what dave does for a living........and no, he's not a dancer g....... :lol:

now back to mead making!

Zookeep · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2013, 07:58:23 pm »

Florida law change, I can make 50 gallons of shine for personal use

blueblood · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2013, 08:00:30 pm »

Oh, geez River...ha! I will let the shine slide...

Zulu · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2014, 12:53:03 am »

Quote from: Zookeep on December 07, 2013, 07:58:23 pm

Florida law change, I can make 50 gallons of shine for personal use

Not according to state laws

http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2013/562.451

A gallon in your possession will get you a felony arrest.

efmesch · « **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2014, 12:15:18 pm »

Friday I bottled my 2013 yield of mead. I used a mixture of both spring and summer cappings honey for my base ingredient. For the first time I added some apple concentrate to provide some acidity (malic acid). I confess that this time I was very unscientific about the process I followed and the amounts used. [A little of this, a little of that......] After the initial active fermentation, the fermentation process continued slowly for well over three months and I waited about 1 1/2 months after all activity ceased before the bottling.

First taster was my wife, who gave it a good verdict.

Now I'll set the bottles (I got

aside for aging. It gets used slowly in my house so I have a multi-year accumulation that allows me to wait with opening the new bottles for use. It's nicely sweet and smooth and the apple taste is slightly noticeable. I'm afraid I can't estimate the percentage of alcohol produced--the sweetness tends to hide the alcohol taste and I didn't use my hygrometer at all.
I also bottled the sediment from the bottom of the fermenting vessel with the intent of using the yeast cells there as a starter for my next batch when the time comes around.

Perry · « **Reply #17 on:** January 04, 2014, 04:20:45 pm »

All that's left Ef, is to enjoy!

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2014, 06:15:29 pm »

You can get a license to make "shine" Ive been considering getting a license to make alcohol to run in my trucks with the prices of Gas lately. Just not sure its worth the trouble, just worried about the way our govt is. They may remove that ability to insure they get their revenue from Oil if too many people begin doing it.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #19 on:** January 05, 2014, 06:02:40 pm »

My Blueberry Mead.. made with Maine Blueberries from our friends fields.

I used the Blueberries in both primary and secondary fermentation. I also used Lalvin EC-1118 Yeast, and it has around an 18% alcohol tolerance. With about 5 lbs of honey along with the blueberries this stuff Currently tastes of Rocket fuel, and I have NO DOUBT it could be used as such.. It will take a while for it to mellow, but looking forward to when it finally does.
Currently have Blueberry wine fermenting.. it will be drinkable much sooner, and hopefully have less of a BITE a lot sooner. CHEERS!

Edit;
Yes, that is a Captain Morgan Black Bottle, the top was dipped in Blueberry wax from the wifes candle shop