Mazer's Log - 1.0011
Started the large batches on Wed., April 1st.
Both batches were about the same, though they were mixed independantly, so there will be slight differences. Most likely I will mix at the end, to ensure uniformity, and then bottle.
Each batch:
~21 lbs. Orange Blossom honey (based more on starting gravity, less on actual lbs. amount of honey)
6 Moro blood oranges
6 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
6 small handfuls of raisins (didn't feel like counting out 150 raisins, so went with the small handful method instead)
Whole Foods spring water to 6 gallons
3 packets of Fleischmanns bread yeast
Mixed honey and water in buckets, to starting gravity of around 1.124 (got to use my handy dandy new stainless steel lees stirrer attached to a power drill). Cut up blood oranges, put them and the spices and yeast into the carboys, then siphoned the must in after. Both were airlocked and are bubbling away nicely, though the temps are a little low due to the size of the batches. Topped them up a bit with leftover must today (4/3/09).
So I now have 13 gallons of happily bubbling mead in my closet (which I cleaned out and organized a bit to house the brews) in preparation for the festivities in November. :-)