Leatherwood honey Mead?

[philistine]

Hi Guys,

I've recently made a foray into "non beer" brewing and taken an interest in Meads.
I wanted to make one using leatherwood honey and I know its been done before, but I cant seem to find much discussion or many recipes around.
Just wondering if anyone here has done it before and what they thought of it?
Im still trying to decide if Im going to do a real basic traditional style recipe (just water honey & yeast & nutrient) or if its worth getting jiggy with it and adding a few spice and/or fruit elements.
Im also trying to work out if a recipe using %100 leatherwood would be too much.... I really want to highlight the the leatherwood aroma without complicating it with other flavours tho...

thoughts anyone?

cheers!

 

[TimT]

Maybe do a strong sweet mead with no additions and then if, on first tasting, you think it'll turn into a nice mature mead, add nothing. If the leatherwood flavour is too much, add herbs?

 

[philistine]

I couldnt resist the urge to add a few extras in the end, but it was still pretty simple.

5L batch

1kg leatherwood honey
400gms orange blossom honey

Both went into fermenter unheated

Then i brought 4L store bought spring water to just under a boil with:
.5gm yeast nutrient
10 cloves
and the juice and rind from one orange

I let it cool with the lid on till it got to around 40degrees and then poured it thru sterilised cheesecloth into the fermenter.
Gave it a huge shake and let it sit overnight.

Pitched 9ml white labs 720 yeast this morning.

Ill update in a couple months

 

[philistine]

Forgot to add, gravity reading is 1.100 exactly

 

[tdog_505]

This is a super-duper post, bit I am really curious to hear how it went! Can you give an update?

 

[SKBugs]

10 cloves!!! That is probably 9 too many i'm thinking.