# Carmel Apple Mead



## VitruvianMan (Mar 31, 2013)

Im starting a batch of the carmel apple mead tomorrow and it says in directions to Pitch yeast starter directly into the primary which is fine, but it doesnt say whether to do so right away or if I should wait a day like I have in the past with wine recipes. No one has replied in the Carmel Apple Mead section, so Im hoping someone here with some information can give me some insight on whether to add it right away or wait a day.


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## fatbloke (Apr 1, 2013)

VitruvianMan said:


> Im starting a batch of the carmel apple mead tomorrow and it says in directions to Pitch yeast starter directly into the primary which is fine, but it doesnt say whether to do so right away or if I should wait a day like I have in the past with wine recipes. No one has replied in the Carmel Apple Mead section, so Im hoping someone here with some information can give me some insight on whether to add it right away or wait a day.


*Carmel Apple Mead section* - WTF ?

Anyway, the only time you wait to pitch yeast, is if you've had to sulphite the mixed up must for some reason or other i.e. if it's got fruit in it and you've sulphited to stun any wild yeast that might be on the fruit - or of course, if the mixed must is hot and needs to cool to pitching temperature.

If none of that has been done/or is necessary, then your must should be ready to go.

Just rehydrate (with or without GoFerm) and pitch. I would suggest that as there's some fruit in it, then wait to see some signs of fermentation before adding any nutrients/energiser etc (unless the recipes says to add it before pitching yeast - though I wouldn't add it up front irrespective of what the recipe says).


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 1, 2013)

Ok makes sense, thanks for the help. Thats what I figured, I just wanted to make sure with someone else. I appreciate it!


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 3, 2013)

Oh man I have this in primary now doin its thing and damn does it smell good! Even tasted it when I put it all together, definitely going to be a hard one to not drink prematurely


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## fatbloke (Apr 3, 2013)

VitruvianMan said:


> Oh man I have this in primary now doin its thing and damn does it smell good! Even tasted it when I put it all together, definitely going to be a hard one to not drink prematurely


Wanna bet ?

I reckon it'll still taste a bit barf when young and all the sugars are gone, but it'll probably be excellent when aged......


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 3, 2013)

Lol, yeah of course now its fermenting and smells less pleasing, but once done it will be amazing. Id def recommend making it.


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## fatbloke (Apr 7, 2013)

VitruvianMan said:


> Lol, yeah of course now its fermenting and smells less pleasing, but once done it will be amazing. Id def recommend making it.


Well all seem to make the same presumptions about meads. We mix them up and get the yeast going, often taking a little taste on the way.

It invariably smells good during the ferment.

Yet it tastes nothing like we imagined once the ferment is complete.

People forget, or don't initially work out, that the fermentation part is just a stage. there's many things that can be done to modify the finished ferment, so that we do end up with something that tastes good.

Whether it's back sweetening, adding fruit or spices, maybe a little acid, or just aging it. Personally I've found the biggest changes are produced by ageing it.......


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## YourCaptain (Apr 7, 2013)

Caramel Apple Mead! 
I think I just felt a wave of pleasure rush through my body... YES PLEASE!
The moment I have a free fermenter I'm doing it


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 8, 2013)

Ok well it started out sg of 1.130 and was flying down to 1.030 then just stopped and hasn't moved down in a few days I'm worried its stuck and not sure how to get it going again as I've never had this issue


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## saramc (Apr 8, 2013)

VitruvianMan said:


> Ok well it started out sg of 1.130 and was flying down to 1.030 then just stopped and hasn't moved down in a few days I'm worried its stuck and not sure how to get it going again as I've never had this issue



What yeast did you use? You may be close to threshold depending on what you pitched. But, mead is notorious for taking a few weeks to eat up those last 10-30 points. I had one take a full six months.


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 8, 2013)

Oh I used kv1-1116 or whatever, yeah the first week it flew own to 1.030 and now not moving, so Im hoping its gonna continue as they say it stops around 1.012 so im not tooooo far from it


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## saramc (Apr 8, 2013)

Yes, you should be fine. I will be making this soon too...I drank all my stashed juice/cider when I had the flu for the past week.


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 8, 2013)

I hope so its said to be amazing when done, Id hate for it to go to waste now


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## VitruvianMan (Apr 12, 2013)

Ok its slowly going down now which is good. Its down to 1.024 so its moving slowly, but surely. I was worried there for a bit, but looks as if its back on track. Gonna be racking into carboy in the next week I assume.


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## CoastalEmpireWine (May 23, 2013)

What was your recipe for this mead?


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## fatbloke (May 25, 2013)

VitruvianMan said:


> Ok its slowly going down now which is good. Its down to 1.024 so its moving slowly, but surely. I was worried there for a bit, but looks as if its back on track. Gonna be racking into carboy in the next week I assume.


just remember, as long as it's moving down, that's fine. you say you used K1V-1116, and that's an 18% yeast, so with a starting gravity of 1.130 and given that 18% ABV equates to a 133 point gravity drop, this could go dry so you'd need to think about back sweetening etc.

Apple isn't a hard flavour to improve, but caramel is, as it relies on the sugars being in a certain state to give that flavour - and more often than not, the "caramel state" sugars are still fermentable, which is one of the main reasons it's a hard flavour to transfer over.......

Don't be in a rush to rack it to a carboy, unless you're gonna give it a gentle stir and then rack the whole lot, sediment and all. You don't want too leave all the yeast colony in the bucket....


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## VitruvianMan (May 25, 2013)

I found it in the mead section of the forum


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## FloridaWino (Jul 13, 2013)

I just finished bottling this mead up. I cant wait for a year to try it!


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## fatbloke (Jul 13, 2013)

Well done. I hope it turns out as you hope.

Plus that's a fine job with the labels and waxing.....absolutely classic.


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## FloridaWino (Jul 13, 2013)

fatbloke said:


> Well done. I hope it turns out as you hope.
> 
> Plus that's a fine job with the labels and waxing.....absolutely classic.


Thanks! I tried to go with something classic and old looking. I even burned the edges of the labels to age them.


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## beardy (Jul 13, 2013)

FloridaWino said:


> Thanks! I tried to go with something classic and old looking. I even burned the edges of the labels to age them.



I love that look!!!


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## CoastalEmpireWine (Jul 27, 2013)

Wow that looks awesome! What did you use for your wine labels? What program?


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## saramc (Jul 27, 2013)

CoastalEmpireWine said:


> What was your recipe for this mead?



I think it is this one, http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f2/caramel-apple-mead-6448/

and then here it is again with addition comments/questions, http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/caramel-apple-mead-68519/


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