specifically, mead (honey wine)...10 months in making, 8 months in aging (so far)

it's at about 15% alcohol, and came out pretty well, all things considered...it bubbles like beer (though it really is wine), and the alcohol taste is a BIT strong...the honey tones are strong, as are the spices i made it with (cloves, cinnamon, chile pepper, among others)...it's VERY clear, especially since i didn't use any clearing agents...you can taste hints of pear and apple (it's actually a melomel)

really, i'm very impressed and very proud of myself...i think i'll set up another batch, but this time with sourwood, instead of clover

i'm also thinking about picking up another carboy or two, and trying my hand at beer (wheat or oat beer, i think)

4/8/2008 10:18:44 PM

happy 21st, quag

4/8/2008 10:24:03 PM

a lot of people said that to me nearly 5 years ago, too!

that said, i rock

4/8/2008 10:28:42 PM

sounds p. cool. Whats the process for making it?

4/8/2008 10:31:16 PM

post the recipe if you don't mind, sounds kinda good, I'd like to try it.

4/8/2008 10:31:26 PM

My strawberry wine is almost ready to be bottled- I R excite ktn!

4/8/2008 10:35:19 PM

^^^ & ^^ no problem!

10lbs. honey
1 gallon apple/pear juice (cut and freeze the fruit 24-48 hours earlier, then blend to get fruit puree)

1tsp nutmeg (or 1 whole nutmeg) 2.5g
1tsp ginger (or 1 medium ginger root) 2.5g
1tsp cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick) 2.5g
10 whole cloves 1g
sprig of rosemary 1g
crushed hot pepper 1g
1/4c green tea leaves (fresh or used – for tannin)

about halfway through the racking period, i added a half pound of cane sugar to boost...if you're not sure of the process (must, fermentation, and racking), let me know and i'll send you the guide i wrote myself

^ awesome! let us know how it turns out...i'm thinking of doing some wine, too, but it'll probably be something that i can get for free from my parents' farm (where i got the honey, since they have bees)...so that's pretty much raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples, peaches, cherries, or pears

[Edited on April 8, 2008 at 10:41 PM. Reason : .]

4/8/2008 10:37:40 PM

YOU DONT HAVE TO YELL ABOUT IT

ps isnt mead making a skill in everquest?

4/8/2008 10:39:19 PM

^ BUT I'M EXCITED

and i don't know...i've never played everquest...or wow...or any of the other MMORPGs...though i suspect i would probably enjoy them...oblivion still keeps me entertained

[Edited on April 8, 2008 at 10:41 PM. Reason : .]

4/8/2008 10:40:32 PM

That is something that I would try to drink.

4/8/2008 11:06:24 PM

you're a filthy alcoholic

4/8/2008 11:08:11 PM

mead is awesome.

4/8/2008 11:09:15 PM

don't know the process

<------needs more info


also whats the deal with the juice/fruit. Do I buy juice & fruit and then blend?

4/8/2008 11:11:21 PM

Quote :

"you're a filthy alcoholic"

i'm working on it!

Quote :

"don't know the process <------needs more info"

see below...i'm copying it from the word doc that i recorded everything in, so it may not paste well on here...we'll see

Quote :

"also whats the deal with the juice/fruit. Do I buy juice & fruit and then blend?"

well, i didn't buy fruit juice (though, in theory, you can...just realize that it's watered down)...i got the fruit from my parents' orchard, cored/seeded them, cut them into pieces, and then froze them (it breaks down the cell walls and releases sugar)...after they were frozen for 24 hours or so (though i suppose overnight is long enough), i blended them into a puree...it all gets filtered out with each racking, so don't worry about the sludge-looking stuff at the bottom

Quote :

"MUST (for 3-5 gallon batches) • Spice Preparation 1. Measure out the appropriate amount of spices 2. Tie them up in several layers of cheesecloth 3. These can be added at any point during fermentation – remove after 24 hours • Fruit Preparation 1. All fruits should be cored or have the seeds removed 2. These can be added at any point during fermentation and are left in • Honey/Water Preparation 1. Add the honey to 1-2 gallons of water in a pot 2. Pasteurize the mixture by heating it up at approximately 150-190°F (65.6-87.8°C) for approximately 15 minutes 3. Allow it to cool (about 100°F or 37.8°C), then transfer the mixture to the carboy 4. Add the rest of water (cold) to the mixture in the carboy (increases dissolved oxygen) 5. Add nutrients and/or acid blend • Starter (Dry Yeast) Preparation 1. Add the following together in a glass jar, and heat up until warm (not hot!) ? 8 ounces (1 cup) water (or 1/2c water and 1/2c fruit juice for nutrient) ? 1/2tsp yeast nutrient (if using powder and no juices) ? 1tbsp honey or sugar ? 1/8c lemon juice ? Yeast for 5 gallons 2. Shake the mixture well 3. Allow to sit, covered by a cloth, for at least 30 minutes (several hours is preferable) • Final Directions 1. After the mixture has cooled to room temperature (70°F or 21.1°C), add the starter 2. Take a specific gravity and pH reading 3. Add the stopper and airlock FERMENTATION • Primary fermentation should only take about 7-10 days • Full fermentation can take anywhere from several weeks to several months RACKING • Racking is the siphoning of the clearer mead from the sediment into a new container • The first racking generally takes place after primary fermentation is complete • There is no set schedule, but racking should take place when there is a relatively significant accumulation of sediment at the bottom of the carboy – once a month is a good rule of thumb NOTES • Pasteurizing the honey kills wild yeasts, but preserves the flavor – boiling destroys both • Sanitizing with sulfite is preferred when making mead with fruit – it improves the final clarity • Leaving spices in for more than 24 hours may cause bitter flavors – extracts can be made and used • Tap water may be used, but especially chlorinated water may cause the final product to taste off o Chlorinated water can be boiled to remove excessive chlorine o Distilled water does not contain enough nutrients for the yeast o Bottled/spring water is preferred, though well water will work just fine • Fruits added at the beginning of fermentation can reduce/remove the need for yeast nutrients, but sometimes those flavors are lost with CO2 production – fruits added towards the end of fermentation contribute their flavors more prominently"

4/8/2008 11:18:16 PM

i want to try some!!!!

4/8/2008 11:22:11 PM

^ because you posted in my thread, and i'm not going to google it - is it okay to have alcohol while nursing? part of me figures yes, as long as the alcohol is out of your system before nursing...just curious

4/8/2008 11:24:03 PM

sounds tasty.

4/8/2008 11:26:45 PM

I can...the only thing that has bothered me is beer. The yeast made me have some cloggs in my milk ducts. That sucked!

4/8/2008 11:26:48 PM

4/8/2008 11:29:06 PM

Quote :

"is it okay to have alcohol while nursing? part of me figures yes, as long as the alcohol is out of your system before nursing...just curious "

She just needs to pump and dump if she drinks to excess.


and this making of your own mead is both interesting and impressive

4/8/2008 11:33:17 PM

it was definitely fun...i gotta say, though, that mead is a bit easier (from what i've read) than traditional fruit wines, mostly because, since honey doesn't spoil, it's difficult to ruin a batch...adding fruit to the mix does increase the chances, but overall, honey wine is the safest to start with

not the cheapest, though...buying 10lbs of honey would be pricey compared to what it would take and cost for a fruit wine

4/8/2008 11:35:36 PM

can I have some?

4/8/2008 11:39:44 PM

honestly? if someone really wants some, they're welcome to it...i made 7 gallons and they're all bottled...they've aged now for 8 months

the only problem is that they're not here in raleigh...i kept them at my parents' because 1.) i didn't have the space here and 2.) i needed some place cool and dark, and i can't think of any places in an apartment that would suffice that didn't have cleaning chemicals or clothes in it

4/8/2008 11:45:00 PM

Honestly?
I would try some. But I don't really have the motivation to go get it. I'm in CLT now, not raleigh anyway.

4/8/2008 11:46:34 PM

it's even farther for you than raleigh

4/8/2008 11:51:03 PM