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
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 l
OG: 1.138 SG
Ingredients:
------------
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.
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
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 l
OG: 1.138 SG
Ingredients:
------------
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.
