# Waldo's Spiced Mead



## Waldo (Jan 23, 2007)

I just couldn't stand it. Last sunday evening, having finished bottling my wines and getting everything cleaned up and put away I went into withdrawal. I had nothing currently fermenting and just couldn't stand it. I remembered that my Sis had given me a nice jar of honey for Christmas that was sitting in the cabinet so.................................. 





4 lbs of Clover Honey boiled and skimmed with the following spices tied up in one of my famous "pantyhose strainer bags and added to the boiling honey.






Letting it cool down to a nice warm 82 degrees I stirred in 2 tsp of yeast nutrient and sprinkled a pack of Lalvin K1V-1116 yeast and put the lid on my fermenter loosely and this morning I had a one gallon batch of spiced mead in the making



*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Wade E (Jan 23, 2007)

Yummy!


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## smurfe (Jan 23, 2007)

Waldo, did you put all of those cloves in that gallon batch? I put maybe 10-15 in a 3 gallon batch and they were pretty evident in the taste. Of course you are using a bag and can remove them when you want. You might want to keep an eye on them. As you know, they are pretty potent critters.


Smurfe


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## masta (Jan 23, 2007)

Lookin good...some of my meads are finally starting to taste pretty good and they do take quite a long time.


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## Dean (Jan 23, 2007)

Looks really good. I agree with Masta. I had a glass of my spiced cyser, which was nothing more than fresh apple cider, honey, a cinnamon stick and yeast. I made it the middle of 2005, and it is just now starting to come around. It finally has a nice nose to it. It smells of Calvados, or very nice apple. The cinnamon has finally muted and integrated into it, and it is starting to get smooth.


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## sangwitch (Jan 23, 2007)

Interesting mix there Waldo. My first thought was the same as Smurfe's. "That's a whole lot of cloves." I was thinking that because of Joe M's ancient orange where he writes to use only one clove because of their power. But hey... there's nothing that beats personal experience! 


I'm assuming those other things are candied ginger pieces. I love those things and I like that idea. I may have to do some experimenting with them myself. 


EDIT: looking around gotmead.com for ideas this afternoon and I came across recipes that call for a few tablespoons of cloves. Maybe they're just too strong forJoe M. I also saw some recipes that call for candied ginger. That one I'm gonna try*Edited by: sangwitch *


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## Waldo (Jan 23, 2007)

Thanks all......I will leave the cloves in until in the morning, and depending on how the mead tastes I will probably remove them. I think Joe M had to have been out of cloves when he made his first batch


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## Waldo (Jan 26, 2007)

I racked the spiced mead into glass yesterday evening and I do believe this is going to be another one of those, "Damn, I wish I had made a 5 gallon batch"I'll have to sneak over to sangs tonight and filch me a gallon of that honey he just got.







*Edited by: Waldo *


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## smurfe (Jan 26, 2007)

Waldo said:


> Thanks all......I will leave the cloves in until in the morning, and depending on how the mead tastes I will probably remove them. I think Joe M had to have been out of cloves when he made his first batch







Maybe so. I made a 3 gallon batch of a modified Joe's Mead and used about a dozen cloves in it cause I thought the same thing. It don't look like enough. All I can say is the mead came out great and I have received tons of compliments on it but you can definitely taste the clove in it. It and the cinnamon is very pronounced as I added a couple extra cinnamon sticks as well. In the end, it all blended nicely together. I just thought looking at your pic WOW, that is a gallon batch. Good move on putting it in the bag you can remove when you reach your preferred taste point. I am sure it is gonna by scrumpdillyishous.


Smurfe


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## rgecaprock (Jan 26, 2007)

Waldo,


Your mead looks great. I haven't tried the panty hose yet. Almost forgot what they are, it's been so long since I wore any. Do women still where those things?


Ramona


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## Waldo (Jan 27, 2007)

Hmmmmmmmm. Maybe I could recycle mine I use for fermentingand open me up a line of scented pantyhose



Bwahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


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## sangwitch (Jan 29, 2007)

Waldo, you didn't tell me you needed some honey! 


I'm gonna have to try that panty hose trick. Are there no dyes, etc. in panty hose? I hear paint straining bags are cheap as well.


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## Waldo (Jan 29, 2007)

None that I am aware of sang and yes the paint strainer bags work great too


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## sangwitch (Jan 29, 2007)

Dang Sang, you were just at the grocery store too!


Waldo, we should try to get together this coming weekend and share a bottle. I got official word today that I won't be around much longer. You may have to stop by and take care of my wine after I'm gone!


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## masta (Jan 29, 2007)

sangwitch said:


> Dang Sang, you were just at the grocery store too!
> 
> 
> Waldo, we should try to get together this coming weekend and share a bottle. I got official word today that I won't be around much longer. You may have to stop by and take care of my wine after I'm gone!




Where you going?


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## sangwitch (Jan 29, 2007)

masta said:


> Where you going?




I'll be travelling most of the year. That means some aged wine! I've been teaching the wife the past few weeks, but she won't know the difference if I tell her it's not ready to be touched.


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## Waldo (Jan 30, 2007)

Sounds like a plan to me sang.......I do believe you are the possessor of a rain check for breakfast at the Frontier Diner


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## masta (Jan 30, 2007)

...and don't forget dinner at Pinelli's if you get up North !


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## sangwitch (Jan 30, 2007)

But Waldo... do you have to get up so early??






masta, i was working in Rhode Island a couple months back. In fact, that's where I started working on your hot sauce labels. I didn't realize you were from there at the time. 


And if you guysvisit Peru this yearI'll take good care of you.Their wine isn't really up to par yet, but there should be plenty of wine from Argentina and Chileaboot. The Peruvian's use most of their grapes to make something called pisco, which is then mixed with egg whites, lemon juice, sugar and a few drops of bitters. Explosive stuff. 


So Waldo, what's the latest on this spiced mead? I'm real anxious to hear how the level of ginger is after using the candied ginger.


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## Waldo (Jan 31, 2007)

It is still bubbling away sang and the spices are right on. Not too dominating to me.


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## Waldo (Feb 21, 2007)

I racked the spicedmead again this morning. It is clearing nicley and should be ready for bottling before long. I do believe I am going to do me a 5 galllon batch of this. 




*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Wade E (Feb 21, 2007)

Are you sure thats not the stain you used on that table?


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## Waldo (Feb 21, 2007)

Does it look that bad wade???? And I was so proud of it !!!


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## Wade E (Feb 21, 2007)

No Waldo it looks that good! I like a wine with color. Just seeing the color tells me that theres a lot of money spent on honey! Nothing wrong with your table either. I was just saying that cause it is similar in color buddy. 

*Edited by: wade *


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## sally3 (Feb 21, 2007)

Hey Waldo, it lools like an amazing sack mead to me. Great full honey content and higher SG. Yum!!


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## Randy1 (Feb 23, 2007)

I tell ya what, Waldo, this looks like something I definitely have to try. It looks great! Do grocery stores carry candied ginger? I don't remember ever seeing it before.


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## Waldo (Feb 23, 2007)

I knew ya was just a kidding wade
Yes, I got mine at Kroger Randy


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## Wade E (Feb 23, 2007)

Waldo you almost made me PM ya with an "I'm sorry buddy". No wine can look bad but they can taste bad!


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## Waldo (Feb 23, 2007)

Sorry wade.......No im not....Yes I am


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## Waldo (Feb 23, 2007)

sally3 said:


> Hey Waldo, it lools like an amazing sack mead to me. Great full honey content and higher SG. Yum!!


Thanks Sally.It is very yummy..even if it doeas look like furniture stain









*Edited by: Waldo *


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## grapeman (Feb 23, 2007)

Wade, you being a woodworker should recgnize "Honey Locust" when you see it.






Actually, I was thinking it had a wonderful deep rich color to it, very much like the honey it is made out of. I casts such a wonderful glow on the beautiful table. I would be proud to have either-or both of them Waldo.


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## Waldo (Mar 8, 2007)

Bottled my spiced mead last night. It was quite "yummy" 




This batch is going to a good friend of mine at work. 
The label is his family Coat of Arms and he requested that all I put on it was the type of mead.








Decided to go ahead and really dress them up for him so I added shrinks to the bottles.


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## Wade E (Mar 8, 2007)

Awesome looking wine and labels Bro!


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## masta (Mar 8, 2007)

Yes...excellent job!


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## rgecaprock (Mar 8, 2007)

Waldo,


Very nice job on the labels and your mead looks beautiful!!!!


I need to try your recipe!!
Ramona


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## NorthernWinos (Mar 8, 2007)

As usual that wine and labels looks great... The label reminds me of smurfe's avatar with his family's Coat of Arms... Great Idea for labels...any more members using their Coat of Arms on their labels????


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## sangwitch (Mar 8, 2007)

Looks great waldo. How's the ginger flavor? Did it come through using the candied ginger? Did you use any clearing agents?


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## Waldo (Mar 8, 2007)

Thanks all


I am thinking of maybe using our family crest on maybe a Port label.


Sang the Ginger flavor ended up excellent in my opinion. It was detectable but not overwhelming.


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## sally3 (Mar 13, 2007)

I finally bottled my sack mead that I put together February 14,
2006. It is amazing! Everyone that has tried it wants
more. I can't wait to start another...but it takes soooo long to
be drinkable. I tried to stick as closely as possible to a 600
year old Celtic receipe. I added 2 lemon halfs and tea but that
was about it. It is a real treat!


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## Wade E (Mar 13, 2007)

Sounds great Sally!


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## Waldo (Mar 14, 2007)

Sally, do you have the recipe posted here on the forum?


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## Waldo (Apr 28, 2007)

*




That last batch turned out so well I decided to make another one. 



Started my 5 gallon batch of Spiced Mead last week by boiling my Cloves ( 3 tbsp), Candied Ginger (2 tbsp.), Cinammon Sticks( 5) and Nutmegs (2) in 3/4 gallon water for about 5 minutes. I then poured all of this into a gallon carboy and have let it steep until this morning. I strained out the solids and added the liquid to my Primary Fermenter ( 6 gallon carboy) along with 3 gallons of bottled Spring water. I brought another gallon of Spring water to a boil in a large pan, turned off the heat and then added my 16 lbs. of Clover Honey to this and stirred well to dissolve the honey. I added this to my primary fermenter. My next step was to dissolve my 3 tbsp. Tartaric acid, 2 tbsp. of Malic acid, 1 tsp. liquid Tannin, 1/4 tsp. Pottasium Metabisulphite and 2 tbsp. Yeast Energizer and add to my Primary Fermenter. Using my drill mounted stirrer I stirred everything together well and will now let this sit until in the morning at which time I will have decided whether to leave it in the glass carboy for fermenting or back out and rack it off into a plastic primary,whichever I descide to do I will add a little yeast nutrientcheck my SG stir it well againand then pitch the ole Montrachetyeast to it. Anyone have an opinion on fermenting in the glass carboy?**Edited by: Waldo *


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## JWMINNESOTA (Apr 28, 2007)

Wouldn't it be OK if that is the amount of head space?


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## Waldo (Apr 28, 2007)

I am hoping it wlll be JW. I have cautioned others against doing this and here I amabout to give it a whirl myself all in the cause of..I just wanna see how it does and to be able to really watch the fermentation process. I kinda figure that worse case scenario I can transfer to a conventional fermenter if I can't get it to ferment properly in the carboy. Time will tell !!!


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## Wade E (Apr 28, 2007)

That mead really sounds good Waldo.


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## JWMINNESOTA (Apr 28, 2007)

I did have a mead volcano , on one of the first batches I ever did, but didn't have near that space.....I would place a light towel over the airlock...just in case



so you wont have to clean the ceiling like I did.


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## Dean (Apr 28, 2007)

I think all that you will really notice is that it will be hard to clean the shoulders after ferementation is complete. Otherwise, with that headspace, I think you'll be good. Now, if that was beer, a LOT of the yeast selections are very high foaming, and the Krausen (foam) would quickly overwhelm even that amount of headspace.


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## Waldo (Apr 29, 2007)

I pitched the yeast starter I had goingto the mead around 2pm yesterday at an SG of 1.092 just before we left for Hot Springs, We got back about an hour ago and the airlock is chugging like an ole locomotive pulling a full load up Pikes Peak. Absolutely very little foaming so it looks like I am going to be OK. *Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo (May 2, 2007)

Racked the Spiced Mead this evening at an SG of 1.030. I am confident at this time that my pre boiling and steeping the spices is going to work fine. Has a nice spicy flavor I was wanting and am just hoping it will not finish off too sweet. Got the pictures out of whack...The top picture was after the racking...as you can see in the racking picture, my buddy "Addy" was there to assist me in any way possible.
Had to throw in a picture of my smallest secondary fermenter too. Works great !!! 






*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Wade E (May 2, 2007)

The airlock hind of dwarfs it but its cute!


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## dsiddall (Jun 24, 2007)

is this a "quick mead" and how long after bottling should you wait to drink...mine is super thick and sweet, like a heavy liquor/dessert wine, with a bunch of bite.


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## Waldo (Jul 2, 2007)

Well, I bottled my spiced mead sunday evening and will get some pictures when I get the labels put on. In the interim, here is the label I designed for my mead. I think it turned out pretty danged good and will improve more with some more age to it. May bring a couple of bottles to Winestock

*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo (Jul 3, 2007)

Got the labels put on 

















*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Waldo (Jul 3, 2007)

dsiddall said:


> is this a "quick mead" and how long after bottling should you wait to drink...mine is super thick and sweet, like a heavy liquor/dessert wine, with a bunch of bite.


I am going to try and wait at least a few more months on this one disdall. It is drinkable now but will get better with age


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