urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mik27 Typos are allowed and expected mik27 2007-01-09T23:15:58Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mik27:588 2007-01-09T23:15:58Z 2007-01-09T23:15:58Z First post. Took me a while to dive in.<br /><br />Decided on a new mead recipe and thought what better place to keep a jornal of my mistakes ( it will happen ) then here at live journal...coincidentally now I can I'm registered I can peak in on friends journals...merely a bonus I assure you.<br /><br />Ok so here is the base recipe I will be using...don't be confused..I will be following the recipe very loosely ...which is part of the reason I expect it to blow up in my face...hopefully not litterally...cleaning the ceiling is a pain.<br /><br /> Barkshack Gingermead<br /> <br /> Recipe By : Charlie Papazian<br /> Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00<br /> Categories : Mead - Sparkling<br /> <br /> Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method<br /> -------- ------------ --------------------------------<br /> 7 Lb Honey<br /> 1 1/2 Lb Corn Sugar<br /> 6 Oz Ginger Root -- grated<br /> 1 Tsp Citric Acid<br /> 3 Tsp Yeast Energizer<br /> 1/4 Tsp Irish Moss<br /> Crushed Fruit -- 1 - 6 Pounds<br /> 3 Oz Lemon Grass -- or other herb/spice<br /> 2 pkg Chanmpagne Yeast<br /> 3/4 C Corn Sugar -- for bottling<br /> <br /> Boil for 15 minutes 1.5 gallons of water, the honey, corn sugar, ginger<br /> root, citric acid, irish moss and yeast nutrient. Turn off the heat. If<br /> you are going to add fruit, then take a small strainer and fish out as<br /> much of the grated ginger as possible. Then add your crushed fruit to the<br /> hot of hot liquid (now called “must”), and let it steep for 15-20 minutes.<br /> <br /> Pour the entire contents of the pot into a 6 gallon plastic primary<br /> fermenter and add cold water to make up to 5 1/2 gallons total. About 3<br /> gallons of water. When the must is cooled to 70°-78°F, rehydrate the yeast<br /> according to the package directions, and pour the yeast into the<br /> fermenter. This is called pitching the yeast. Put the lid on the bucket<br /> and install an airlock.<br /> <br /> Afer the specific gravity has fallen to 1.020, or within seven days, which<br /> ever comes first, rack (syphon) the brew into a secondary fermenter,<br /> normally a 5 gallon glass carboy. If you used fruit, remove as much of the<br /> fermented fruit with a sanitized strainer, or carefully manipulate the<br /> siphon hose so that very little fruit passes to the secondary fermenter.<br /> Install and airlock.<br /> <br /> Age 1-1 1/2 months in the secondary fermenter.<br /> <br /> Boil 2 cups of water with 3/4 cups of corn sugar for 10 minutes then cool.<br /> Add this liquid to a 5 gallon bucket (also known as a bottling bucket).<br /> Rack the mead from the secondary fermenter into the bottling bucket with<br /> as little splashing as possible. Stir gently to mix the mead with the<br /> sugar syrup. If herb, spice or tea flavoring is desired, add a strong<br /> strained tea to the finished mead in the bottling bucket.<br /> <br /> Bottle the mead. Beer or Champagne bottles are required. Returnable beer<br /> bottles (not the screwtop type) work very well. Cap or cork and wire the<br /> bottles. Note that beer bottles are less expensive, and less of a problem<br /> to cap up than champagne bottles.<br /> <br /> The flavor of the mead will change with age. Harsh and sharp flavors will<br /> mellow. A tasting after 6 months will give some indication of your<br /> results. It will continue to improve over the next 6 months to a year.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br />First off..I have no interest in a sparkling mead...so thats gone....now I'm thinking of doing away with the fruit in the intial fermentation and just going with the ginger...probably add lemon after I move it to the secondary. Thats off the top of my head...as things change I will update.<br /><br />Well thats my first entry...Stay tuned for my experiences with the double jointed albino gymnast...jk...she wasn't an albino..thats just silly.