# Experiemental Mead



## machalel (8/3/12)

Here's my first batch of "experimental" mead (i.e. not following a recipe).
It was a very vigorous ferment (spilled over everywhere), and has dropped down from 1.138 to 1.030 so far (14.6%). I've just racked it for the first time after 3 weeks, as there was a lot of dead yeast (about 1cm) and all the "pulp" from the fruit had dropped about a week ago. Here is the recipe:


Recipe: Ironblood Mead
Style: Sweet Mead

Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 l 
OG: 1.138 SG

Ingredients:
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Amt Name 
1.50 l Canberra (Tuggeranong) 
1.00 kg Natural Iron Bark Honey 
0.50 kg Natural Yellow Box Honey 
0.50 kg Dark Dry Malt Extract 
0.20 kg Fruit - Orange 
0.45 kg Fruit - Blood Plum 
0.25 kg Fruit - Prune 
0.20 kg Fruit - Raisins 
1.00 Cup Early Grey Tea 
3.00 Items Cloves 
2.00 g Cinnamon Powder 
1.00 g Cardomom Powder 
0.50 g Fennel 
1.00 Items Vanilla Bean (dried & sliced) 
1.0 pkg Sweet Mead/Wine (WYeast #2046) 
5.00 g Yeast Nutrient 



Start of ferment - it was bubbling out the airlock in under 48 hours!









This thing is really dark... I tried shining one of those super-powerful-spotlight-style torches through and I couldnt see anything at all. 








I had a bit of a sample as well, and there is a definite alcoholic aroma, but it's actually not as "hot" tasting as I was expecting... There are a wide range of very distinct flavours in this one, and they havent melded / mellowed together yet (as expected) but it's not as bad as I was worrying it would be. 

It starts off sweet, smooth, and syrupy, then transitions through orange / dates / fig, then gets a bit peppery / hot / acidic, before going dry(?) and a tiny bit astringent aftertaste.


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## machalel (26/3/12)

Quick update:

Racked again due to massive build up of lees and sediment.

Still really dark!


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