Valhalla - The Meading of Life

It has been a while since I posted and for that I apologize. I could give all kinds of excuses but they ring hollow in my ears. So I simply apologize.

I did bottle the Pumpkin Cyser and named it "Autumn Harvest". I am happy with the finished mead and, so far, everyone who has tried it has loved it. So I entered it in the 5th annual Valhalla - The Meading of Life mead contest. I also entered "Black Stone" which is a dry buckwheat traditional.

I am preparing to brew my next mead sometime this week. I will post the recipe here when it is completed.

Wassail!

-Safari Bob

Chocolate Mead

Tonight, I brewed my first chocolate mead. I have been looking at a few recipes and decided to go for it! The aging process may be the biggest hurdle but here is the recipe:

Batch 4-008
12 lbs Clover Honey
24 oz Nestle Cocoa
2 Lemons
5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
3+ gal Distilled Water
1 pk EC-1118 (hydrated)

Step #1: Boil 1 gal water, add 24 oz Nestles Coca and stir until dissolved; remove from heat

Step #2: Add honey to soften, stir until uniform

Step #3: Add 2 gal water, juice of lemons and yeast nutrient to carboy

Step #4: Add must to carboy

Step #5: Hydrate yeast and add to carboy; add airlock

OG: 1.112 (corrected); Potential ABV: 14.9%

-Safari Bob

Pumpkin Cyser Update

I racked the Pumpkin Cyser yesterday and discovered about 2" of lees in the bottom of the carboy. I also added 4 cinnamon sticks and a whole vanilla bean to the secondary. SG: 1.022.

Also, I am contemplating a new mead project: a chocolate mead. From what I read, the chocolate takes a longer time to age because of "oils" contained in the coca. I can find nothing more specific about this but most agree that the finished product is worth the wait. I hope to have a viable recipe by next weekend.

In addition, I bottled a traditional mead made from blackberry honey. I will post the finished stats soon.

-Safari Bob

Pumpkin Cyser

Today, I finally pulled the trigger and took a shot at a pumpkin cyser. Here is the recipe:

Primary
3 gal Apple Cider (pasteurized)
1 gal distilled water
12 lbs Clover Honey
15 oz Libby's Pumpkin (no additives)
2 lbs brown sugar
2.5 tsp pectin enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient
1 packet EC-1118 (hydrated)

Secondary (Planned)
4 Cinnamon Sticks
4-8 cloves
1 vanilla bean (whole)

Steps
First I boiled 1/2 gal of water, reduced to 170 F, and slowly dissolved the pumpkin while stirring.

Next, I sterilized the carboy, added the nutrient, enzyme and 2 gal cider.

Next, I removed must from heat, added honey and brown sugar slowly until dissolved.

Finally, added must and hydrated yeast to carboy. Topped off with cider to 5 gal.

OG: 1.51 (20.1% ABV).

-Safari Bob