Moving from AAA to AA: 5-gallon batches
I went over to the local homebrew shop for some supplies and another 1-gallon jug for use as a secondary. While I was there I decided to take a few minutes and look around some more. I was scheming my next batch, having seen some interesting fermentables available at Fiesta again.
I'm glad I went window shopping. I happened to notice a 5-gallon glass carboy with a lovely pattern cast in the bottom. It turned out that someone was giving up the hobby and had sold two of these to the shop. The person who rung up my order mentioned that you don't run across these anymore but that the glass blowers used to make the carboys with all sorts of patterns. Given that it was marked as half the cost of a new carboy I grabbed the thing right there and added one o' these as well.
I then set out to complete my supply run. Having augmented my stock of equipment I also started immediately dialing up my recipe. I decided to go with a Wyeast smack pack of ale yeast instead of the Lalvin KV-1116 this time, hoping to get a quicker fermentation and more of a beer style than a wine style out of this batch. I don't recall which ale it was, but it was either a British or a Belgian ale yeast. I then headed over to Fiesta and picked up a bunch more honey since 12 pounds (i.e., 1 gallon) is the minimum amount of honey recommended for 5 gallons of mead.
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24 Apr 08, 04:00 CDT
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Heat 1 gal water to boiling
Sanitize necessary equipment
Add 4 teaspoons loose tea (or 1 tea bag)
Transfer tea to secondary (or remove tea bag)
Add 1 lb orange blossom honey
Add 2 lb clover honey (as raw as is available)
Simmer
Stir constantly to avoid scorching
-> honey is denser than water and will sink to bottom of pot
Skim white pearly material that rises to top
Add zest of 1 lemon
Add juice from 1/2 lemon
Pound 1 package of fresh mint with mortar and pestle
Add mint
Add 2 sticks cinnamon
24 Apr 08, 20:30 CDT
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Re-sanitize equipment (including strainer)
Hydrometer reading -> O.G. 1.106
Pitch 1 packet Lalvin L1116 wine yeast
Skip primary, load straight into secondary (based upon information gleaned from mead hobbyist list archives online)
Attach sanitized bubble lock, load with vodka
Begin waiting
25 Apr 08, 02:30 CDT
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Oh my. Sanitize spare bubble lock.
Fit secondary with second bubble lock (vodka not really necessary, given the positive pressure being developed, but hey, I did it anyways as a precaution)
Sanitize first bubble lock, which from the looks of it will be needed when I wake up...
08 May 08, 10:40 CDT
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Sanitize racking equipment and a 1-gallon secondary.
Remove bubble lock and deposit into cup of sanitizer.
Rack [this] batch of mead.
Re-cap with bubble lock.
Hydrometer reading -> O.G. 1.024
Bring 1 quart of water to boil, add 1 cup sugar, boil at least 5 minutes
Let sugar solution cool to temp that won't scorch the yeast.
Top off secondary up to neck with sugar solution (up to neck).
18 May 08, 11:30 CDT
----------
Mead is clarifying beautifully!
Sanitize racking equipment and a 1-gallon secondary.
Remove bubble lock and deposit into cup of sanitizer.
Rack [this] batch of mead.
Re-cap with bubble lock.
Hydrometer reading -> O.G. 1.015
Bring 1 quart of water to boil, add 1 cup sugar, boil at least 5 minutes
Let sugar solution cool to temp that won't scorch the yeast.
Top off secondary up to neck with sugar solution (up to neck).
I'm glad I went window shopping. I happened to notice a 5-gallon glass carboy with a lovely pattern cast in the bottom. It turned out that someone was giving up the hobby and had sold two of these to the shop. The person who rung up my order mentioned that you don't run across these anymore but that the glass blowers used to make the carboys with all sorts of patterns. Given that it was marked as half the cost of a new carboy I grabbed the thing right there and added one o' these as well.
I then set out to complete my supply run. Having augmented my stock of equipment I also started immediately dialing up my recipe. I decided to go with a Wyeast smack pack of ale yeast instead of the Lalvin KV-1116 this time, hoping to get a quicker fermentation and more of a beer style than a wine style out of this batch. I don't recall which ale it was, but it was either a British or a Belgian ale yeast. I then headed over to Fiesta and picked up a bunch more honey since 12 pounds (i.e., 1 gallon) is the minimum amount of honey recommended for 5 gallons of mead.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 Apr 08, 04:00 CDT
----------
Heat 1 gal water to boiling
Sanitize necessary equipment
Add 4 teaspoons loose tea (or 1 tea bag)
Transfer tea to secondary (or remove tea bag)
Add 1 lb orange blossom honey
Add 2 lb clover honey (as raw as is available)
Simmer
Stir constantly to avoid scorching
-> honey is denser than water and will sink to bottom of pot
Skim white pearly material that rises to top
Add zest of 1 lemon
Add juice from 1/2 lemon
Pound 1 package of fresh mint with mortar and pestle
Add mint
Add 2 sticks cinnamon
24 Apr 08, 20:30 CDT
----------
Re-sanitize equipment (including strainer)
Hydrometer reading -> O.G. 1.106
Pitch 1 packet Lalvin L1116 wine yeast
Skip primary, load straight into secondary (based upon information gleaned from mead hobbyist list archives online)
Attach sanitized bubble lock, load with vodka
Begin waiting
25 Apr 08, 02:30 CDT
----------
Oh my. Sanitize spare bubble lock.
Fit secondary with second bubble lock (vodka not really necessary, given the positive pressure being developed, but hey, I did it anyways as a precaution)
Sanitize first bubble lock, which from the looks of it will be needed when I wake up...
08 May 08, 10:40 CDT
----------
Sanitize racking equipment and a 1-gallon secondary.
Remove bubble lock and deposit into cup of sanitizer.
Rack [this] batch of mead.
Re-cap with bubble lock.
Hydrometer reading -> O.G. 1.024
Bring 1 quart of water to boil, add 1 cup sugar, boil at least 5 minutes
Let sugar solution cool to temp that won't scorch the yeast.
Top off secondary up to neck with sugar solution (up to neck).
18 May 08, 11:30 CDT
----------
Mead is clarifying beautifully!
Sanitize racking equipment and a 1-gallon secondary.
Remove bubble lock and deposit into cup of sanitizer.
Rack [this] batch of mead.
Re-cap with bubble lock.
Hydrometer reading -> O.G. 1.015
Bring 1 quart of water to boil, add 1 cup sugar, boil at least 5 minutes
Let sugar solution cool to temp that won't scorch the yeast.
Top off secondary up to neck with sugar solution (up to neck).