Mead update, and round 2 (batches 4 - 6).

I brought a sample of the cinnamon mead to my local brew and wine store.  It is Brew-n-Wine of Mankato, MN.  Don Kaiser has been helpful during my last couple of visits.  So, they (Don Kaiser and Gordon Stevens) tried the mead and pronounced it to be (likely) non-fatal and non-blinding.  It was, indeed, mead.  However, it was too acid and too sour.  The good news was that it didn't taste as if it had any contaminants or bacteria.

The sourness reminded Don a bit of bread and we wondered whether the thing to blame was the simple recipe that I had used for batches 1 - 3 and the bread yeast for which it called.  Perhaps if I used a yeast that was meant more for wine, the batches would taste better.  So, we found a champagne yeast that is often used in mead-making.

I decided to keep things simpler this time.  I would make one batch of dry mead (meaning that it starts with less honey, possibly even only enough for the yeast to use to create the needed alcohol).  Another batch would be full or sweeter mead (there would be honey in excess of what the yeast needed to reach the % alcohol that would kill themselves).  The third batch, just for fun, would be an apple wine.  It was little more than apple juice (preservative free), some sugar, and then the yeast.

In summary, the main difference would be that I was using a more select yeast and that I would be adding tannin (instead of using raisins to provide this as in batches 1 - 3).  Before adding the yeast, each batch would be pre-treated with campden tablets.  Briefly put, this would kill off any yeast, bacteria, or other organisms already present in the batch.  After the campden tablet did its duty, I could safely add my champagne yeast with the knowledge that it would be the only living thing in the batch and would be allowed to work its magic unfettered by contaminants.

The fact that I would be using part of the laundry room cupboards to brew more wonderful alcoholic creations brought tears--I assume of joy--to Kim's eyes.

Three new batches of mead (well, one is apple wine).

Mead update.

Since the last racking of the mead, the balloons have remained flaccid.  It seems that the fermenting is done.  I will probably bottle them soon, then.  I found a local brew and wine shop that I want to visit.  Their hours are a bit limited, so I have to try to work it into my schedule.  I expect that my family, friends, and I will be tasting the meads this summer.  Hopefully, there will be limited fatalities.

Racking the mead.

On November 24, 2012, I racked my first batch of mead.  Racking--as noted elsewhere in this blog--is the process of removing the liquid and leaving behind most or all of the sediment (or yeast cake).  Below is the aquarium tubing that I used.  Next time, I would try to get larger-bore tubing as the aquarium tubing took a long time to siphon the liquid.

The mead will be put into a new and clean container for more fermenting.  See below for my siphoning set-up.

As noted elsewhere, the mead should be ready in about June, 2013 or so...