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Mead Journal: Rockbitter Binary batch
Jun. 7th, 2010 11:35 amOk So I finally bottled my rockbitter binary. It has been bulk aging for 6 months in the carboy. I could hava bottled it 6 months ago but I don't have any new honey so I didn't see the point. It is technically ready to drink but could use 6 months more aging. I find it lovely and drinkable. While racking I determined that I am about 13-14% ABV. I think topping up water a bit through off the readings a litte. For those that don't remember, I did 2 batches of my sweet desert show mead that I call my Rockbitter brew for the simple fact of one of the additives that ends up racking out of it. I did it in my first batch of mead and it turned out really good and thus I kept doing it. Hey, keep with what works. I made mention to some of the experts of what I did and they tell me that I accidently did a really good technique. The stone dust I added acts to help clear and slightly stablalize the mead. Yes, I did something instictive that seemed to me to be a quirk or uniqueness to my mead and then it turns out that I am doing something incrediblly correct. The dust that I refer to is sanitized alabaster dust which is chemically: gypsum or calcium sulfate dihydrate. Basically it makes up for a mineral deficiency in the water. In my case bottled spring water and adds a bit of a crisp flavor to the end by adding a little more calcium to the water and adding some negatively charged ions that help in the clearing of the mead in that process. So wow. Cool to know.
Back to the mead. The rockbitter bianary test is doing up 2 batches exactly the same except oaking one of the batches. And then doing a side by side taste analysis. I find that I like both. The Oaked is a little more bitter and a bit tastier for me. The mead stands up a little better. It is almost not noticeable in the final product but now that I did the test I can answer that question in future batches: To oak or not to oak. I also believe that the oaked batch will age better. Now I used lightly toasted oak chips so the change isn't radical. If I used heavy toasted I am sure that I will get a more carmelly smokiness to the flavor. And Medium Toast will be somewhere inbetween. But It will have an effect. I can't wait to see how my test audience feels. Ofcourse I also tasted it warm and I prefer Ice cold mead.
In the final analysis without anybody's input, I think that the standard rockbitter will be oaked from now on but most fruit batches wont be. I think that if I do lime again I will add oak. If the flavor profile relies on a more darker nutty taste and not off of fruits then oaking may be a good thing. I think that I over oaked my Orange Cream, necessitating more orange and vanilla flavor to compensate. I haven't added it yet. Need to get some orange zest for it. I can also added it a month or so prior to bottling.
Volume I ended up with is 4 bottles shy of 2 cases on the none oaked and 2 cases pulse 2 bottles on the oaked side. Hmm, maybe some evaporation was prevented or I just racked it better.
Well that is all for now.
Dave
Back to the mead. The rockbitter bianary test is doing up 2 batches exactly the same except oaking one of the batches. And then doing a side by side taste analysis. I find that I like both. The Oaked is a little more bitter and a bit tastier for me. The mead stands up a little better. It is almost not noticeable in the final product but now that I did the test I can answer that question in future batches: To oak or not to oak. I also believe that the oaked batch will age better. Now I used lightly toasted oak chips so the change isn't radical. If I used heavy toasted I am sure that I will get a more carmelly smokiness to the flavor. And Medium Toast will be somewhere inbetween. But It will have an effect. I can't wait to see how my test audience feels. Ofcourse I also tasted it warm and I prefer Ice cold mead.
In the final analysis without anybody's input, I think that the standard rockbitter will be oaked from now on but most fruit batches wont be. I think that if I do lime again I will add oak. If the flavor profile relies on a more darker nutty taste and not off of fruits then oaking may be a good thing. I think that I over oaked my Orange Cream, necessitating more orange and vanilla flavor to compensate. I haven't added it yet. Need to get some orange zest for it. I can also added it a month or so prior to bottling.
Volume I ended up with is 4 bottles shy of 2 cases on the none oaked and 2 cases pulse 2 bottles on the oaked side. Hmm, maybe some evaporation was prevented or I just racked it better.
Well that is all for now.
Dave