Honeysuckle mead

[CrealCritter]

I racked the buchet off it's lees and took it's gravity of 1.000 on the nose. I added more honey straight from the jar to top up. When I was done the gravity increased to 1.050. So now the starting gravity is 1.120 (original gravity 1.070 + .050 racking increase) if this finishes out dry at .990 it'll be like 17.7% ABV alcohol by volume . And will surely jack my wife right up.

I did taste it at the 1.000 gravity and it had an interesting flavor profile of sour on the frontend with a hazelnut finish. It smells of faint honeysuckle. I also tasted it after adding honey at 1.050 gravity and it tasted like sweet honey hazelnut. So I guess hazelnut is going to be the base flavor at least for now anyways.

It's now back on the fermenting shelf for racking and tasting another day...

 

[wyoDreamer]

Wow, no wonder bees are happy buzzing around the honey suckle bushes.

If you would stop adding honey, maybe it would stop fermenting ...

 

[CrealCritter]

Wow, no wonder bees are happy buzzing around the honey suckle bushes.

If you would stop adding honey, maybe it would stop fermenting ...

I stopped adding honey long ago, after it stopped dropping in volume. I just checked and It's still fermenting, good grief, charlie brown!

 

[CrealCritter]

The day has finally arrived, 103 days since pitching the yeast, it finally stopped fermenting. I'm very interested to give it a little taste test when I rack it into another clean and sterile gallon jug. Amazing it was a super clean secondary ferment with just a thin layer of lees on the bottom of the secondary fermenter.

Pictured next to a gallon of active fermenting pear cider wine and a gallon of clearing white grape wine.

Lees on the bottom of the secondary

 

[Mini Horses]

Wow! So the Vikings went into battle too drunk to know? Or care?

 

[CrealCritter]

Wow! So the Vikings went into battle too drunk to know? Or care?

Or apparently feel pain

I really do need to kill off the yeast and let it clear out. I mean 524 days now, should be enough time don't you reckon? I'm thinking about bottling this mead in demi's which is 375ml instead of the standard 750ml.

 

[Cecilia's-life]

this is the most incredible mead story I've read- I need to try this. Drinks anyone?

 

[CrealCritter]

this is the most incredible mead story I've read- I need to try this. Drinks anyone?

Interesting you would ask...

I just calculated, 750 days since I began this mead. We infrequently "sample" the gallon jug when special guests show up. We sampled about 3 weeks ago. My wife's best friend, never had mead before said "wow 😳 I want to be a viking" she wanted a second shot but I declined because I have no idea what the ABV is, plus I don't brew to make anyone drunk. I brew because I know naturally fermented live yeast food and drink is good for me.

All I know at this point, It's some powerful stuff... No more than a shot glass at a time is all anyone needs. It tastes like a very mild hazelnut honey sweet bourbon and it's way to easy drinking.

I draw samples with a clean and sanitized turkey baster. Then I top the gallon back off with honey. The air lock plunger is still a floating tight against the lid, so that means IT'S STILL FERMENTING.

Here's the dusty gallon jug kept in the dark unless we sample it (very infrequently)

Here's looking through the jug so you can see it's true color and clarity. Albeit the jug is dusty.

It's so good, I need to watch myself closely. I really don't want to kill off the yeast and bottle it, potentially messing it up. I'll need to proof and talley it to see it's true alcohol content. But I know it has to be upwards of 18% ABV or more. I may just leave the yeast alive and bottle it in thick swing top glass bottles, instead of corking. That way if it develops to much pressure it could vent off, instead of blowing the cork or worse breaking the glass bottle.

Recipe is on the first post, you won't be disappointed, that I can guarantee. Let me know if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

I wanted to add... I have about 20 lbs cored and sliced bartlett pears and a lot of elderberries in the freezer. I'm going to pick some autumn olives this evening. I can't decide which mead to make next. I may do more than one. Since I have about 5 lbs of local honey just waiting for me to make up my mind, I have enough honey to start 2 gallons. I am feeling the need to mead again.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[Cecilia's-life]

Interesting you would ask...

I just calculated, 750 days since I began this mead. We infrequently "sample" the gallon jug when special guests show up. We sampled about 3 weeks ago. My wife's best friend, never had mead before said "wow 😳 I want to be a viking" she wanted a second shot but I declined because I have no idea what the ABV is, plus I don't brew to make anyone drunk. I brew because I know naturally fermented live yeast food and drink is good for me.

All I know at this point, It's some powerful stuff... No more than a shot glass at a time is all anyone needs. It tastes like a very mild hazelnut honey sweet bourbon and it's way to easy drinking.

I very much do (namely myself 🤣 ). I don´t currently have anything brewing and this seems like the perfect brew for a nine month wait.