Autumn Hearth Takes Bronze

I just received word that Autumn Hearth, the pumpkin cyser, took 3rd place at the Valhalla - The Meading of Life! Woo Hoo! This mead was entered in the "Other Mead" category described as:

Other Mead (26C) - a honey-based beverage that either combines ingredients from two or more of the other mead sub-categories, or is a mead that does not fit into any other category.

-Safari Bob

Prickly Pear Mead?

I am working on the recipe for my next mead and I have decided to brew a Southwestern-themed elixir. Here in West Texas, one can walk around and pick the fruit from the prickly pear cactus all day. I am still working on the specific recipe but I think that I will incorporate some pepper native to the region as well.

Mmm... Southwest Cactus Mead...

-Safari Bob

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