Home Brewing

[matrix4b]

 

Well, It has been a long time since I posted.  OGame.org ate my computer time for a while.  

On Laborday I brewed my first batch of Mead.  It turned out great and was such a success that I am doing more and experimenting with other flavors.  I know that my friend Caerensmith does brewing, anyone else.  If so, I would like to hear about some of your batches and how they turned out.  Yes, I also would like to hear about yours to Caerensmith.  Ok, so I may have spelled the name wrong, sorry.  My first batch was friteningly easy.

1st batch:
Rockbiter Brew (Standard still honey mead)

20 Lbs of Madhava brand Alphalfa honey
2 pks of Lavin D-47 yeast
1 tablespoon of yeast energizer
1 tablespoon of yeast nutrient
1 teaspone of sanitized stone sculpture dust, mostly alabaster, filtered out in racking process (not neccessary but hence the name, and that I got a nickname once as a rockbiter, those that know will understand)
4 gallons of Eldorado Sring Water (bottled locally)

Did not measure gravity of it so I am not sure how potent it is, my guess is 12%.  
Mixed 2 gallons water with honey and brought to 160 degrees for 15 minutes.  then cooled down with 2 gallons of chilled water, mixed in energizer, nutrient and yeast that was primed in a bottle of light fruit juice the night before.
Primary fermentation took 1-2 day to start and lasted about 2 1/2 weeks.
Racked about every 1 1/2 months, Started on Laborday and bottled in early January.  Racked until clear, about 6 times.

I found that the Alphalfa honey gave it a very good honey taste and good body.  It was a nice honey with some heft to it.  The honey was made locally and it's brand is Madhava.  Really good honey overall.  The brew turned out to be very sweet and very potent.  But the sweetness was such that it wasn't overpowering.  Alcohol content was too much for one group of friends but most of the people who have tried it want more.  I have even had offers to buy some.  Alas, it only made 6 six packs of 16 oz bottles.  I have decided that I want to continue to bottle in 16 to 18 oz. bottles due to the amount that I drink in one sitting is about the same as one beer bottle and it makes a good sharing size.  

Current projects are a very strawbery, 14 pounds of strawbery and 20 pounds of honey again.  And a Blueberry that is heavy on the blueberry, 12 pounds of frozen organic blueberrys that was pureed and depulped by me.  

The Strawberry took off so fearcely that it blew itself through he vapor lock in the first day and stayed at a furious pace for about 2 weeks.    I have raked it twice so far, and the blueberry was racked once, it is out of primary.   The blueberry did not want to ferment so I dosed it again with yeast and got a little more fermentation then when I just racked it fermentation started up again at a steady pace.   The Strawberry is a pretty rose color and the Blueberry is a wonderful deep purple at the moment.  It may be next year by the time it both are ready to bottle.  Fruit was in the primary on both.

Near Future Projects, I am thinking on a watermellon in July and doing another batch of the above recipy except maybe 2 split vanilla beans in the secondary to give a bit more character.

Other batches I want to do: Peach vanilla, Pear Nutmeg or Pear clove, Plum, Pumpkin, Cranberry, possible crabapple, Lime, Orange vanilla (kinda like a creamcicle, a Hard cider using similar methods to a spiced cider I usualy do in winter, Elderberry, Blackberry, Mango, Pineapple, and most ambitios a Chocholate with a hint of vanilla.  The Chocholate I have heard does take 2 years to age but reportedly will turn out very popular, especially with women.  From what I hear anyway.

So sound off if you brew.  What projects have you done and what are you going to try and what are some of the pitfalls you have run into, especially on the above projects.  I'd like to get a head start on possible problems.  For the record, My tastes in mead are on the very sweet and still side.  I am not much for the actual tast of alcohol.  So all my batches will undoubtably be sweet and if I can help it non-carbonated.  I understand some of the batches above will be tart by nature and may end up being dry.  The Strawberry looks to be a very dry batch at the moment.

Dave.

Comments

[daneelkohvas.livejournal.com]

Hey Dave, i don't brew but i am commenting because i miss seeing you around. I hope life is treating you well!

[matrix4b.livejournal.com]

Hey, Haven't see you around lately. What have you been up to?

[daneelkohvas.livejournal.com]

i finished my fantasy novel, waiting for somoene to proof it for me. Other than that not too much.

[panda-dancer.livejournal.com]

watch out for those cloves. a little will go a long way.

does your chocolate recipe call for actual chocolate bars, cocoa powder, chocolate extract....? Does yours call for adding the chocolate during brewing? or after brewing like in cordial-making?

[matrix4b.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have heard that only one or two whole cloves in a 5 gallon batch is all that is needed.

For the Chocolate recipe it calls for Coco powder to be put in at the secondary fermentation and only for about 2 weeks max, I think. Then is is specific about straining it out as it may become too bitter. The other thing about the recipie is that it takes 2 years to mellow and cure.

[panda-dancer.livejournal.com]

I wonder what effect you would get suspending the chocolate (in the form of 80% cocoa chocolate bars, crushed) in mesh just above the mead. That's how I've sucessfully made some kick-butt crystal clear chocolate cordials, but using white brandy or vodka for the alcohol. not a hint of bitterness

mead may have too low a percentage of alcohol to make it work; not sure.

Good luck - sounds like an interesting set of batches planned

[matrix4b.livejournal.com]

Due to the Low Alcohol content I don't think this will work. The powder mixed in it would if not too long for the research I have done. I have thought of puting a sprig of mint in. The thought I have had is more alcohol content the greater the extraction rate of the flavor. But I haven't made any cordials. Thanks for commenting. Always glad to hear peoples opinions.