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Ok, Stopped off at Costco for some supplies.
Got 8 pounds of Raspberries for the raspberry thyme mead. The consulting mead. I have frozen the berries as they are not needed until I am ready to have it racked to the secondary. Racking is the process of moving the mead from one vessel to another and leaving the dead yeast and sediment from the primary fermentation behind. The yeast and sediment is called lees.
For ease of use of the berries I recomend rendering the berries to juice and using some pectin enzyme to break down the cell walls to get more juice. It is also recomended to sanitze the juice via flash pasturizing or campden tablets. This is not always needed. I don't think that I will need to sanitize the juice. Basically the process that I use to render to juice is to freeze (which also helps to break down the cell walls, that's why frozen fruit get's mushy when you thaw it) and then run through a blender. Then pour through a fine screen. The screen should catch the very small seeds in the raspberries. Then the resulting pulp and the juice I plan on dosing with the pectin enzyme as mentioned. Then Let the pulp sit and the enzyme take effect, maybe blenderize once more and pour through the screen again. Also pour through the juice through the screen again. Once that is complete I should have some very fine pulp that comes out in lees and juice. The phrase "Rack onto the fruit" Is simply putting the juice/fruit in the new fermenter vessel and then transfering the must over to that. When I do so I will take two thyme leaves bruise them up and put it in too. The bruising is important to open up the leaf's juices and provide an avenue of escape for the essential oils and juices that will be extracted via the alcohol that was just created and incorporated in the flavor profile.
So, When the Primary Fermentation (that's the very active fermentation that happens at the start of it, the yeasties die and slow down a lot once it get's crowded for air space and for sugar and the like) So once the primary fermentation slows down to maybe a bubble every minute I will need to rack onto the juice and slip in the thyme (hee hee, I am adding time to it, ok bad pun is done) that officially starts the secondary fermentation. The secondary fermentation is typically slower. Basically there is less yeast, oxygen and resources for the yeast. But the introduction of the sugar via the fruit juice does make things speed up a little. The secondary fermentaion is nearly unnoticable by watching the air lock.
At this stage the thyme should only be left in for about 1 month, same if you are using whole fruit. This way you can get the flavor in and remove the particulate matter sooner. Some fruits are sponges and need squeezing. This is why I use fruit juice when possible.
After I remove the Thyme leaves, Jut rack when there is some sediment. About every 2 months. Some say it is important to top volume up when you rack, I don't find it neccessary but lately I have been getting too high of alcohol content so I think I may. The mead will become steadily more clear as the yeast die and drop down out of it and any pulp that was in the fruit juice fall out. Gravity does it's job. You rack every 2 months until you can read newspring through the carboy. This usually takes about 3-5 rackings and about 6-8 months. Once it is clear you can bottle or bulk age in the carboy just like it is. Many say that for most consistent flavor bulk aging is the best way. But I prefer to bottle age, so It is bottling/labeling and then age 6-9 months. Longer aging is not required but like wine it gets better with time. I have found a minimum of 1 year of aging is best. That's it.
Once I have new labels, I will post them.
But on to my shoping trip.
Got Raspberries, 5 flats of 36 oz total. 4 are needed for the raspberry mead. I may use it all though.
I got 10 pounds of frozen blueberries. going to do another bluberry mead, might just end up being a blueberry lemon mead.
I got 2- 5 pound bags of lemons for like $2.79 a bag.
I got 1- 5 pound bag of limes for Like $2.99 or so.
I am going to do a light lemon lime mead. I may end up putting 2 leaves of fresh basil in it too. Ziz told me that they have plenty of Fresh basil. And basil being a nice light flavor that might still be sweet but bring down the raw acidity of the lemon-lime. Plan on using the ratio of 2 lemon to 1 lime and thining down on the alcohol content with a more controled fermentation watch on the gravity. I want around 10-12% max and for the mouth feel to be lighter.
I also cut and packed away into the freezer the rest of the peaches. I have enough for a second batch and I may just do it in the spring when carboys open up again.
Things to buy yet: Pumpkin and Almonds for a toasted pumpkin/almond/spice mix. Mangos? I really want to do a Mango. I was also thinking for variety sake doing a Carmelized Mango and carmalizing 1/2 the mangos I use to do a unique flavor profile. For the life of me I can't think on what I would want to pair, spice-wise, with mango. Mango Ginsing? Ginsing being a anti-microbial doesn't help so it would have to be a late addition. Possibly at the oaking stage 1-2 rackings prior to bottling, just as it is nearly cleared out.
If I don't do Mango then I may do a chocolate mead to see how it comes out, this one I may split into 5 test batches to see a variety of tastes to see what I like to make a full 5 gal batch.
So, Carboy Plan: I have 7 carboys.
1. Raspberry Thyme (consult job)
2. Peach Spiriment
3. Lemon Lime Sage
4. Blueberry-Lemon
5. Toasted Pumpkin Almond
6. Carmelized Mango or Chocholate
Currently in Carboys:
1. Pineapple Lime Mint (almost due to Bottle)
2. Orange Creamcycle (almost due to bottle)
3. Primary 1
4. Primary 2
(labels to make: Rasberry Thyme, Oaked Rockbitter, Pinapple Lime Mint (need good name), and Orange Creamcycle)
Leaving the 7th carboy for racking purposes.
I know for the secondary I will need the bigest brew bucket I have for the pumpkin as I am going to see about 3 pumpkins and toast 2 of them, toast 2 pounds of almond too. I need the space for all that pumpkin meat in the nylon bag so I can strain it.
Wow, that's a log longer than I intended to post, sorry ya'll. Just explaning some terms too.
That's all for now,
Dave
Got 8 pounds of Raspberries for the raspberry thyme mead. The consulting mead. I have frozen the berries as they are not needed until I am ready to have it racked to the secondary. Racking is the process of moving the mead from one vessel to another and leaving the dead yeast and sediment from the primary fermentation behind. The yeast and sediment is called lees.
For ease of use of the berries I recomend rendering the berries to juice and using some pectin enzyme to break down the cell walls to get more juice. It is also recomended to sanitze the juice via flash pasturizing or campden tablets. This is not always needed. I don't think that I will need to sanitize the juice. Basically the process that I use to render to juice is to freeze (which also helps to break down the cell walls, that's why frozen fruit get's mushy when you thaw it) and then run through a blender. Then pour through a fine screen. The screen should catch the very small seeds in the raspberries. Then the resulting pulp and the juice I plan on dosing with the pectin enzyme as mentioned. Then Let the pulp sit and the enzyme take effect, maybe blenderize once more and pour through the screen again. Also pour through the juice through the screen again. Once that is complete I should have some very fine pulp that comes out in lees and juice. The phrase "Rack onto the fruit" Is simply putting the juice/fruit in the new fermenter vessel and then transfering the must over to that. When I do so I will take two thyme leaves bruise them up and put it in too. The bruising is important to open up the leaf's juices and provide an avenue of escape for the essential oils and juices that will be extracted via the alcohol that was just created and incorporated in the flavor profile.
So, When the Primary Fermentation (that's the very active fermentation that happens at the start of it, the yeasties die and slow down a lot once it get's crowded for air space and for sugar and the like) So once the primary fermentation slows down to maybe a bubble every minute I will need to rack onto the juice and slip in the thyme (hee hee, I am adding time to it, ok bad pun is done) that officially starts the secondary fermentation. The secondary fermentation is typically slower. Basically there is less yeast, oxygen and resources for the yeast. But the introduction of the sugar via the fruit juice does make things speed up a little. The secondary fermentaion is nearly unnoticable by watching the air lock.
At this stage the thyme should only be left in for about 1 month, same if you are using whole fruit. This way you can get the flavor in and remove the particulate matter sooner. Some fruits are sponges and need squeezing. This is why I use fruit juice when possible.
After I remove the Thyme leaves, Jut rack when there is some sediment. About every 2 months. Some say it is important to top volume up when you rack, I don't find it neccessary but lately I have been getting too high of alcohol content so I think I may. The mead will become steadily more clear as the yeast die and drop down out of it and any pulp that was in the fruit juice fall out. Gravity does it's job. You rack every 2 months until you can read newspring through the carboy. This usually takes about 3-5 rackings and about 6-8 months. Once it is clear you can bottle or bulk age in the carboy just like it is. Many say that for most consistent flavor bulk aging is the best way. But I prefer to bottle age, so It is bottling/labeling and then age 6-9 months. Longer aging is not required but like wine it gets better with time. I have found a minimum of 1 year of aging is best. That's it.
Once I have new labels, I will post them.
But on to my shoping trip.
Got Raspberries, 5 flats of 36 oz total. 4 are needed for the raspberry mead. I may use it all though.
I got 10 pounds of frozen blueberries. going to do another bluberry mead, might just end up being a blueberry lemon mead.
I got 2- 5 pound bags of lemons for like $2.79 a bag.
I got 1- 5 pound bag of limes for Like $2.99 or so.
I am going to do a light lemon lime mead. I may end up putting 2 leaves of fresh basil in it too. Ziz told me that they have plenty of Fresh basil. And basil being a nice light flavor that might still be sweet but bring down the raw acidity of the lemon-lime. Plan on using the ratio of 2 lemon to 1 lime and thining down on the alcohol content with a more controled fermentation watch on the gravity. I want around 10-12% max and for the mouth feel to be lighter.
I also cut and packed away into the freezer the rest of the peaches. I have enough for a second batch and I may just do it in the spring when carboys open up again.
Things to buy yet: Pumpkin and Almonds for a toasted pumpkin/almond/spice mix. Mangos? I really want to do a Mango. I was also thinking for variety sake doing a Carmelized Mango and carmalizing 1/2 the mangos I use to do a unique flavor profile. For the life of me I can't think on what I would want to pair, spice-wise, with mango. Mango Ginsing? Ginsing being a anti-microbial doesn't help so it would have to be a late addition. Possibly at the oaking stage 1-2 rackings prior to bottling, just as it is nearly cleared out.
If I don't do Mango then I may do a chocolate mead to see how it comes out, this one I may split into 5 test batches to see a variety of tastes to see what I like to make a full 5 gal batch.
So, Carboy Plan: I have 7 carboys.
1. Raspberry Thyme (consult job)
2. Peach Spiriment
3. Lemon Lime Sage
4. Blueberry-Lemon
5. Toasted Pumpkin Almond
6. Carmelized Mango or Chocholate
Currently in Carboys:
1. Pineapple Lime Mint (almost due to Bottle)
2. Orange Creamcycle (almost due to bottle)
3. Primary 1
4. Primary 2
(labels to make: Rasberry Thyme, Oaked Rockbitter, Pinapple Lime Mint (need good name), and Orange Creamcycle)
Leaving the 7th carboy for racking purposes.
I know for the secondary I will need the bigest brew bucket I have for the pumpkin as I am going to see about 3 pumpkins and toast 2 of them, toast 2 pounds of almond too. I need the space for all that pumpkin meat in the nylon bag so I can strain it.
Wow, that's a log longer than I intended to post, sorry ya'll. Just explaning some terms too.
That's all for now,
Dave