I found this on another site, some time ago, but got it up and running before Christmas (mid november I think).
Anyway, I racked it for a final time yesterday, so I thought I'd post the recipe.
So, what's it like ?
Well, I don't recall which yeast I used, plus as I've often forgotten to take SG/OG readings I can't say how strongly it's worked out. Though I suspect reasonably strong i.e. I don't recall what it was that I did between making the recipe/finishing fermentation, but I ended up with 4 demijohns full (with about 1 to 1.5 inches of air space). When I racked it last night, I aimed at getting 3 full DJ's, with as little airspace as possible. This has meant that I had a bit left over on the lees/sludge of the fourth. So I had a bit of a "sample" (about a pint or so), this morning I've ended up with a hangover, which I don't normally get when I've drunk a bottle or so of wine.
In colour, it's a nice rose looking, that in some light shows a slight orange.
It has a pleasant mouth feel, not too heavy, but not too light.
It has a nice fruity flavour, I can't detect any of the apple or spices particularly but it has retained some of the astringency that can be noted with fresh, unsweetened cranberries (as well as the gallon of cranberry juice, I used about 700gm's of frozen cranberries that I'd been given). I'd guess that it would be described as "medium sweet".
All in all, it's drinkable now, but I'm gonna age it to see what happens.
regards
JtFB
p.s. Oh and the only diversions I made from the original recipe, are the addition of the frozen cranberries mentioned above. I used ground allspice as I couldn't find any whole ones. The juices used were cheap supermarket apple juice and "Ocean spray" classic cranberry drink (no preservatives and about 25% juice from concentrate). Which might be why the original author of the quote said it came out deep red, while my effort came out like rose.
Anyway, I racked it for a final time yesterday, so I thought I'd post the recipe.
Winter Mead (melo-meth)
Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: See below
Yeast Starter: 1 quart
Batch Size (Gallons): 3
Original Gravity: ??
Final Gravity: ??
Boiling Time (Minutes): 00
Color: deep red
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days/70
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 56 days/70
Additional Fermentation: 6 days/70
Here's the recipe:
6 to 9 lbs honey - I used 9 lbs of clover
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice (crushed)
3 2-inch cinnamon sticks
1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon cranberry juice
water to top off
I actually got this recipe from a newsletter I used to get and had it laying around with plans to make it someday. Last September I decided it was time. I got real anal about the juices, since that makes most of the fluid, and I don't know how much of the flavor to account to those juices or not. I went to the local Whole Foods Market and got pure, not-from-concentrate, cranberry juice, which was surprisingly hard to find, for about $7 per quart. I also got the apple juice, same way from the same market.
Yeast:
The original recipe calls for Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast but I used the White Labs Sweet Mead yeast.
My method:
I heated the honey enough to be able to pour easily, no, I don't pasturize or boil, and some water to put in the container for the remainder. I filtered the juices into the carboy, again, no heating, and added the spices and honey. I then added water to top off the carboy, checked the temp, and pitched the yeast. The recipe says let sit for two weeks and top off with water but I racked it here and topped it off. Then after another 2 months I racked it and added wine conditioner to kill the yeast and resweeten some. I let that sit for another week and bottled it. When I bottled, I got a taste and, unlike all other meads I've made, it was good right then. I've had several people try it after that and they all liked it. My wife and I had a bottle with Christmas dinner.
After this experience, I will make this recipe quite regularly since it is my favorite so far.
Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: See below
Yeast Starter: 1 quart
Batch Size (Gallons): 3
Original Gravity: ??
Final Gravity: ??
Boiling Time (Minutes): 00
Color: deep red
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days/70
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 56 days/70
Additional Fermentation: 6 days/70
Here's the recipe:
6 to 9 lbs honey - I used 9 lbs of clover
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice (crushed)
3 2-inch cinnamon sticks
1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon cranberry juice
water to top off
I actually got this recipe from a newsletter I used to get and had it laying around with plans to make it someday. Last September I decided it was time. I got real anal about the juices, since that makes most of the fluid, and I don't know how much of the flavor to account to those juices or not. I went to the local Whole Foods Market and got pure, not-from-concentrate, cranberry juice, which was surprisingly hard to find, for about $7 per quart. I also got the apple juice, same way from the same market.
Yeast:
The original recipe calls for Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast but I used the White Labs Sweet Mead yeast.
My method:
I heated the honey enough to be able to pour easily, no, I don't pasturize or boil, and some water to put in the container for the remainder. I filtered the juices into the carboy, again, no heating, and added the spices and honey. I then added water to top off the carboy, checked the temp, and pitched the yeast. The recipe says let sit for two weeks and top off with water but I racked it here and topped it off. Then after another 2 months I racked it and added wine conditioner to kill the yeast and resweeten some. I let that sit for another week and bottled it. When I bottled, I got a taste and, unlike all other meads I've made, it was good right then. I've had several people try it after that and they all liked it. My wife and I had a bottle with Christmas dinner.
After this experience, I will make this recipe quite regularly since it is my favorite so far.
Well, I don't recall which yeast I used, plus as I've often forgotten to take SG/OG readings I can't say how strongly it's worked out. Though I suspect reasonably strong i.e. I don't recall what it was that I did between making the recipe/finishing fermentation, but I ended up with 4 demijohns full (with about 1 to 1.5 inches of air space). When I racked it last night, I aimed at getting 3 full DJ's, with as little airspace as possible. This has meant that I had a bit left over on the lees/sludge of the fourth. So I had a bit of a "sample" (about a pint or so), this morning I've ended up with a hangover, which I don't normally get when I've drunk a bottle or so of wine.
In colour, it's a nice rose looking, that in some light shows a slight orange.
It has a pleasant mouth feel, not too heavy, but not too light.
It has a nice fruity flavour, I can't detect any of the apple or spices particularly but it has retained some of the astringency that can be noted with fresh, unsweetened cranberries (as well as the gallon of cranberry juice, I used about 700gm's of frozen cranberries that I'd been given). I'd guess that it would be described as "medium sweet".
All in all, it's drinkable now, but I'm gonna age it to see what happens.
regards
JtFB
p.s. Oh and the only diversions I made from the original recipe, are the addition of the frozen cranberries mentioned above. I used ground allspice as I couldn't find any whole ones. The juices used were cheap supermarket apple juice and "Ocean spray" classic cranberry drink (no preservatives and about 25% juice from concentrate). Which might be why the original author of the quote said it came out deep red, while my effort came out like rose.
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