Batch 8-002: Root Beer Mead

I started a new batch of root beer mead the other day! I have loved root beer ever since I first visited an A&W when I was a boy. Back then A&W was a drive-in eatery that poured root beer (and root beer floats) in frosty glass mugs and served salty, greasy hamburgers with even saltier, greasier onion rings on the side. Ah yes... the good ole days!

My first attempt to make root beer mead was a crowd-pleaser, but I hope to improve on the finished product this time. My previous attempt was still and I now think that a carbonated mead will better open up some of the flavors. Also, I added some citrus to further curb the cloying aspects of the extract. In addition, I used wildflower rather than clover honey in order to keep more complexity. Hopefully, this batch will better match that flavor of root beer out of the bottle (while delivering a kick) rather than a root beer flavored still mead. Here is the recipe:

8-002

Primary

• 1 gal wildflower honey
• 2 oz Gnome Root Beer Extract
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• 5 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Lavlin EC-1118
• Water to 5 gal
• OG: 1.102

Secondary

• 2 vanilla beans

Bottling

• 3/4 cup priming sugar

Wassail!

Safari Bob

2012 Arizona Mead Cup

Oh yes! Competition season is starting and it's time to get in gear. This year I am sending a couple of entries to the 2012 Arizona Mead Cup sponsored by the Brewmeisters Anonymous homebrew club in Phoenix Arizona and is taking place 31 March & 1 April. This contest is part of the Great Arizona Homebrew Competition.

I love homebrew contests although I did not do so well last year (only one ribbon). Still, my goal is to win at least one ribbon in some cider category this year and I will hopefully snag a couple for mead as well. Of course, each contest seems to privilege different kinds of entries and I am trying to adapt my strategy accordingly. For instance, sweeter meads did well at the Cactus Challenge last year while dry meads scored higher at the Bluebonnet.

In any event, it is always fun to see what others think about your homebrew. What are you sending this year? What competitions are you going to enter?

-Safari Bob

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UPDATE: 8 April 2012

Kokopelli, a hard cider with habanero, won silver in the 28D: Special Cider & Perry - Other category with a score of 40!

Cranberry Pomegranate Cider

So I am really enjoying making ciders. Wal-Fart continues to sell Musselman's Apple Cider for $1.50/gal so it is cheap and easy to make as well as simply delicious. Still, it is about time to get back to making mead.

In any event, I made a new cider a while ago with cranberry and pomegranate juice. I am hoping that it will be done by Christmas but, if not, it will be well aged for next year. I think the cranberry/pomegranate flavor will make an excellent holiday cider. The question is whether to carbonate!

Here is the recipe:

7-010

• 5 gal Apple Cider
• 2 cans Welch's Cranberry Concentrate
• 48 oz Pom 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 3 tbs pectin enzyme
• Lavlin EC-1118

Wassail!

-Safari Bob

Mead I have Known: Golden Delicious

One of my favorite meads to drink is batch 3-004: Golden Delicious. This cyser embodies Autumn for me and is smooth, sweet without being cloying, and oh so tasty with a lovely touch of cinnamon.

In addition, this cyser won silver at the 2010 Cactus Challenge and took less than four months from brew (6.16.07) to bottle (10.6.07)! The only downside to this cyser is that I am almost out and I need to hoard the few remaining bottles in my cellar. Perhaps I need to start a new batch--soon. Here is the recipe; please let me know if you start a batch of your own.

3-004

• 1 gal clover honey
• Apple juice to 5 gal
• 1 lb dark brown sugar
• 1.12 oz apple pie spice
• 1 vanilla bean (secondary)
• 3 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pk K1V-1116
• OG: 1.138
• FG: 1.014
• ABV: 17.1%

Wassail!

-Safari Bob