Batch 6-002: Cream Soda Mead

Today I finally got around to brewing a new batch of mead. I was inspired after Nancy and I were at the local grocery store and she confided that she loves Frostie Blue Cream Soda which happened to be on the shelf. I thought, "Hey! I could make a mead like that!"

The real question is whether or not to add blue food coloring. I have never used anything like this in any of my meads. Does anyone out there have experience using food color in mead? I have heard of green dye used for St. Patrick's Day but I have never sampled any. In any event, here is the recipe:

6-002

Primary:

• 15 lbs Clover Honey
  
• Juice of 1 Lemon
  
• 5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
  
• 1 pkt K1V-1116
  
• Water to 5 gal
  
• OG: 1.120
  

Secondary:

• Cream Soda Extract
  
• 1 Vanilla Bean
  
• Blue Food Coloring?
  

-Safari Bob

Racking Fun with 6-001

Today I racked 6-001 into a glass carboy. I lost quite a bit of the must due to the strawberry puree but I took a reading (SG: .994; ABV: 18.1%). The mead tastes bitter with distinct lemon and strawberry flavors. I may add another 3 lbs of honey and see what happens. I did add 2 vanilla beans to the secondary.

-Safari Bob

Batch 6-001: Strawberry Melomel

I just brewed my first batch of mead in 2010; this dissertation is getting in the way of the more important things in life! I have never (until today) brewed a strawberry melomel and I have heard some horror stories about strawberry mels fading or oxidizing so I had to give it a shot.

Here is the recipe:

6-001

• 12 lbs clover honey
  
• 8 lbs strawberries (pureed)
  
• Juice of 1 lemon
  
• 1 gal apple juice
  
• 5 tsp yeast nutrient
  
• 1 tsp pectin enzyme (all I had left)
  
• 1 pkt K1V-1116 (hydrated)
  
• Water to 5 gal
  
• 2 vanilla beans (secondary)
  
• OG: 1.128

I chose to puree the strawberries for 2 reasons: (1) more surface area for the yeast and (2) the seeds should add tannins for a more complex mouth. Also, I added apple juice in order to (hopefully) darken the color of the final melomel.

-Safari Bob

Summer Knight: 5-002 Bottled

I bottled the 5-002: Summer Knight. This batch is a blackberry vanilla cyser that is red-golden in color with distinct berry and honey aromas. The flavor is smooth, dry with subtle sweet/sour berries, and a distinct creamy finish. Although it is good now, I can't wait until it ages some.

I recovered:

• 12 750 ml bottles
  
• 1 1.5 l bottle (to Mr. Roper)
  
• 3 1 l Flip top
  
• 1 2 l growler

OG: 1.136; FG: 0.996; ABV: 18.7%

-Safari Bob