Lake Pedder Wildflower Mead

[Deep End]

Greetings
As the title suggests this post is about my latest brew; a mead based on some Lake Pedder Wildflower Honey I got at a local show earlier this year.
Its a basic mead; honey, water, yeast, tannin, acid, nutrient. I used cy17 yeast as it was the most suitable variety I had at hand. I'll be keen to find out how it goes, really been getting into small scale mead and wine making of late.
Must put another cider down soon, warm weather approaches and the fridge is getting low!
Cheers
Deep End

 

[Deep End]

In the middle of making another batch with the same honey, bit more honey this time. The first one will be dry, going to aim medium to sweet with this one if there is enough honey to do the trick, also going to drop some sn9 in to this batch and maybe fiddle with the acid tannin mix. Then its time to do the Winnie the Pooh and go find some more honey as I'll be out. Thinking about investing in a larger glass vessel with a tap as well so gravity readings can be taken easier and more mead can be brewed. Can't be a bad thing!
Cheers
Deep End

 

[Airgead]

I've gone away from acid and tannin additions. The aim of those is to give the mead a more wine like character and feel... but its not a wine, its a mead. These days I just let the honey (and fruit if you are using it) come through.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Deep End]

Just testing some recipes in an old brewing book I have, see how they go, was nearly tempted to make a methylglin, but just stuck to the recipe at hand, mainly due to lack or a variety of fresh herbs or spice at hand, have some but not enough variety. But tthats next on the list a herb methylglin and a spice methylglin, then maybe cyser and pyment. Just building a range of different products to age and compare really, have some that are nearly 2 years old sitting now, nearly time to crack em.

 

[Airgead]

Just testing some recipes in an old brewing book I have, see how they go, was nearly tempted to make a methylglin, but just stuck to the recipe at hand, mainly due to lack or a variety of fresh herbs or spice at hand, have some but not enough variety. But tthats next on the list a herb methylglin and a spice methylglin, then maybe cyser and pyment. Just building a range of different products to age and compare really, have some that are nearly 2 years old sitting now, nearly time to crack em.

I've done spice methyglyn before. They work really nicely. I find that the old brewing recipes (the really old ones anyway) are very heavily spiced though so you might want to watch that. It may be too much. I prefer my spice pretty subtle but as with all things, YMMV. Add a little, taste, add more... its easy to add more, its really hard to take some out.

Cyser is beautiful. I make it each year with leftover juice from my cider. Pyment is on my list of things to do.

Cheers
dave

 

[Not For Horses]

Where abouts in Tas are you? We have a very accomplished mead brewer at the club in Launceston who would probably be very keen to chat.

 

[Deep End]

I'm down Hobart way lol

 

[Deep End]

Well just racked both batches for the first time a few days ago, might of let them sit on the lees a little to long, but it was a long slow ferment at around 15c and I wanted to be sure they were finished. Don't imagine it will be too detrimental to the finished product, time will tell.

 

[Macca81]

This reminds me, I need to bottle my mead soon! Been aging in secondary for about long enough now I reckon...

 

[Airgead]

This reminds me, I need to bottle my mead soon! Been aging in secondary for about long enough now I reckon...

Taste it and see. I'm sampling 3 batches even as I type. The raspberry is ready for bottling buty the orange blossom and spotted gum both need a little longer on the oak.

A wine thief is a great investment.

 

[Macca81]

The wine thief only fits in one of my carboys! It's about half a mm too big for my other ones

But yes, I will be having a little try a bit later

 

[Alex.Tas]

any tips on bulk (cheap) honey in and around hobart?

 

[Macca81]

Don't remember price, but eumarrah (sp) have it on tap. Take your choice of container.

 

[philmud]

any tips on bulk (cheap) honey in and around hobart?

My mother in law buys honey off a bloke in Blackmans Bay for $10 per litre. Can get details if you like.