Honeysuckle mead

CrealCritter

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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 o_O. 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...
 
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CrealCritter

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Working on a label, I thought this would be funny.
IMG_20190908_130522.jpg
 

CrealCritter

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Want to know what's crazy? This gallon of mead is still fermenting, it's been 87 days since I started it. When will it stop and clear, who knows... Surely the yeast has got to give up the ghost sooner rather than later. I mean at 17.7% abv it's got to be getting close now
IMG_20191119_223952543.jpg
 
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wyoDreamer

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

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

CrealCritter

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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!
 

wyoDreamer

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I was just kidding you - I saw that you added honey at the beginning of Sept. and was impressed that it was still fermenting.

You will need to add a "Butt Kicking Strong" warning to your label for this one, lol. And keep it away from Baby Bear...
 

CrealCritter

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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.
IMG_20191207_180952002_HDR.jpg


Lees on the bottom of the secondary
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CrealCritter

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So I totally forgot about this mead (honeysuckle buchet bumetheglin)
after I racked it to clear Dec 7 2019. Until my son in law text me and said he just racked some mead he made. So at 241 days since I begun this mead, I decided to give it a little taste test :)

Here's the dusty 1 gallon jug with full air lock thankfully.
IMG_20200422_214644519_TOP.jpg


A sniff, smells like sweet flowery orange blossoms. A sip was really good, very alcoholic but smooth as silk. Absolutely no bitter or harshness what's so ever. So I got a mouthful, wow it tastes like alcohol honey, just slightly sweet, very good. I still can't believe i made this. Most definitely worth the wait.
IMG_20200422_220706.jpg


Now I'm debating about bottling or racking again. Decisions decisions, boy I have such a tough life, don't I? 😂

Edit... Well the airlock popped back up, so, the yeast is still alive o_O. I topped it off with more raw honey. If I remember I'll check it again on a month or so and decide what to do with it then. My mead theory... More honey more better :)
 
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CrealCritter

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Well it's been 523 days since I pitched the yeast and remembered I should pull this gallon out of my closet and fill up the air lock. Yep you guessed right... The yeast is still alive and producing alcohol. I have no idea if this yeast will ever die off naturally. What is the alcohol content? It's anybody's guess at this point, I have absolutely no idea.

It's most definitely taking on a darker more mature tint. Get your Viking On!
IMG_20210128_231519433.jpg
 
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