# Trying a mead



## rgecaprock (Aug 27, 2005)

I've been reading some mead recipes and they vary quite a bit so I concocted my own.....If it finishes as great as it smells and taste right now it will be awesome. So as Stinkie does............. Here goes a pictoral of the process.




The ingredients.





Added Texas Cotton Blossom Honey to spring water.





Added 10 Earl Grey tea bags.





Starting a slow boil with the tea and honey and water





Boiling for one hour. The fragrance wasof spices and flowers. Will be so good in the fall! Fall here is November!





Removed from heat and steeped fruit, apple juice,rosemary and spices for half an hour.











Straining out fruit and spices and teaout of must.











must after removing fruit and spice. Added some nutrient and acid blend.





sg


Dissolved yeast in warm water and added to must in plastic fermenter airlocked and just waiting to see what happens next.*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## rgecaprock (Aug 27, 2005)

Working on a label too.



*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## Bill B (Aug 27, 2005)

Very well done. I have not made a Mead yet, but I may try it later this fall.I had my first mead this past July when I visited a winery in upstate NY that onlly made Mead. Quite good. Nice pics and nice label too. Keep us posted


Bill


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## PolishWineP (Aug 28, 2005)

We love our meads. We don't worry about if they're Metheglins or other fancy names, we just call them all meads.


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## Hippie (Aug 28, 2005)

Groovy! I really like the label alot too. I have always read to not boil the honey, but just let it get hot enough to skim off the wax. Who knows? My only attempt at mead a few years ago was disastrous.


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## rgecaprock (Aug 28, 2005)

Well, mine could become a disaster too....but It is worth a try. I'll just keep trying if it doesn't work.I just call it mead too.....have you read all the names it can be called with the different ingredients?? Gets confusing. I'm going to rack the Crushendo Syrah today and that will be a little different because of the pulp.... gotta bottle the White Zin too.....busy day!!!


Ramona


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## masta (Aug 28, 2005)

Looks good and you never know how a new recipe will come out unless you try it! From what I have read boiling the honey does cause some of the floral to evaporate but you certainly have plenty of other flavors with the spices, tea andfruit.


I applaud yourrecipe and wine label talent!


I am lost when it comes tomaking labels andneed some instruction since I have Adobe Photoshop which should work well to make them.I would like to have some nice labels for my meads and fruit wines.


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## rgecaprock (Aug 28, 2005)

Finished bottling the White Zin..















I didn't mean to post this in two places..ooops!*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## MedPretzel (Aug 28, 2005)

*Verrrrrrrry* Nice!!!


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## rgecaprock (Aug 28, 2005)

You can find a little bit of nature in this city.....just have to look!!!


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## Waldo (Aug 28, 2005)

I'm checking out that recipe closely Ramona. I am getting ready to try some mead myself at the request of my daughter. I love your label too. I may put my daughters picture on my label.


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## rgecaprock (Aug 28, 2005)

Waldo.


Don't go by that recipe......unless it turns out great....it is kind of a compilation of several that I've read. I wrote down exactly how I did it just in case it is good.... As for the boiling of the honey, I've read several opinions on it... I did actually simmer it...not a full blown boil.


Maybe Masta will post a couple of his proven recipes. I've actually never had Mead so just experimenting a little. I'll let you all know what is happening as it goes along.


But thank you for the compliments!


Ramona*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## kaizen (Aug 28, 2005)

Tried mead for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Some type
from England. It was awsome. I have 3g of raspberry, 5g of
vanilla. If they turn out anything like the bottle I had,
WOW. Although, from what I have heard, the bottle need to age
from one to two years.


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## Waldo (Aug 29, 2005)

OK Ramona...Let us know how it turns out though


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## Cove Cottage (Aug 30, 2005)

It sounds and looks yummy!


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## rgecaprock (Sep 3, 2005)

I racked the Earl Grey Mead, topped up and now going to forget about it for a couple of months. It tastes very dry and I can detect the spices but not overwhelming. Etoh ended up being 13%






Also started, today, the recipe Masta posted, the Mattioli's Ancient Orange Mead. It is very easy....I'll compare the two in a couple of months...I think Masta's is going to be better since it will finish sweet.






I'll let you all know. Sounds so good for Autumn!!!


Ramona*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## Hippie (Sep 3, 2005)

Wow! It looks very good! How's it taste?


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## rgecaprock (Sep 9, 2005)

Hi All,


Just finished tasting my wines I have going, blueberry, apricot rose and the Earl Grey mead. I'm surprised at how well they taste. All are in the clearing stage. I drew off a little of the Earl Grey mead and it is very dry so I added a few drops of honey to the glass tosweeten it and what a surprise.....the flavor is great! The honey brought out the spices and the oranges and the tannins from the tea.A very unusual tasteand left me wanting more. I imagine it will be quite complex as it ages....veryhappy thatI tried it!


Ramona


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## Waldo (Sep 9, 2005)

Now you have me torn Ramona. I was going to do a plain Honey Mead but after seeing those pictures Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! 


I have a few more days to decide though as currently all of my fermenters and carboys are tied up. Have not even been able to start the Port kit I got from George.


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