Frederictonian Sparkling Mead

[Richard]

Re-spin on the Frederictonian Mead based on last batch.

Ingredients:

• 20lbs non-pasteurised honey.
• 1 cup lemon juice - the bottled stuff (ascorbic + citric acid)
• 3 tsp Yeast Nutrient (blend including yeast hulls).
• Enough water to make the above fill a 6 gallon carboy with a few inches of headspace.
• Lalvin 1118.

Method:

• Sanitise 6 gallon "wine bucket", and large plastic spoon.
• Pour honey in bucket.
• Add cold water to make to 6 gallons.
• Stir like crazy until you somehow manage to make the damn honey dissolve.
• Add the yeast nutrient.
• Add the lemon juice.
• Transfer to carboy.
• Pitch yeast.
• Wait until visible fermentation has stopped.
• Rack to secondary onto toasted oak chips.
• Wait a month or two (or more as I'm planning)
• Fine.
• Sugar prime (150g dextrose/22L) + Bottle.

OG should be about 1.120, fg should be about 0.995. Total ABV 14-15%.

[Richard]

Also ended up 1.130 OG.

[Kyle]

Planning to do this soonish, except use 2 lemons, 2 limes for the acids, and the zest because its good. Also planning to add 5# of fresh blueberries, how would you reccomend I sanitize the berries, I'm thinking blender with water, then put in pot, slowly bringing to 170F and keeping there for 15 minutes.

This will give the Lalvin 1118 a run for its money: 5.5 gal batch. I've gone up to about 20% booze-o-hol using that yeast before, and its rated to 21%.

[Richard]

Suspect you'll be looking at a seriously high aging time for that... Would recommend you bring the whole thing down to a final ABV of 17% or less, or you'll get all kinds of nasty flavours. Use the extra honey for braggot instead

[Jmac00]

just curious where everyone gets their honey for meads?

[Richard]

I gave the guy a card; if he doesn't show up in the next couple of days I'll ping him for you. Local bee-keeper does $40/20lbs.

[Jmac00]

I gave the guy a card; if he doesn't show up in the next couple of days I'll ping him for you. Local bee-keeper does $40/20lbs.

nice...that's much better than the normal $7/kg  :roll: ....there's a guy in maugerville as well, but haven't called for prices yet.

*you can delete my posts if you'd like to keep this on topic to your recipe...sorry for going OT.

[Dave Savoie]

The Bee Store I think give a very very good deal they are local

[Jmac00]

The Bee Store I think give a very very good deal they are local

ah yes...that's it....thanks for the name....couldn't remember it but knew it was in maugerville. ph is (506)357-5444 if anyone was interested.

[Richard]

What kinda rates they got?

[Dave Savoie]

well last year it was cheaper than $2 per lbs

[Richard]

btw I did something a little different this time with the nutrients - same 3 tsp to start with, but I put a half teaspoon to a teaspoon (mostly eyeballed) in for five days afterwards, every 24 hours.

[Kyle]

so, the yeast nutrient you rolled in a foil ball for me will be sanitary enough, or should I get other stuff?

[Richard]

Boil it if you're concerned, but it should have only touched the bag and the tin foil.

[Kyle]

will do.