# Tupelo Vanilla Mead



## masta

Valley Brew’s Tupelo Vanilla Mead<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><?:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><?:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O></O> 
<O></O>
<TABLE style="MARGIN: auto auto auto 4.65pt; WIDTH: 258pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=344 ="MsonormalTable"><T><T><T><T>
<T>
<TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 0">
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 258pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 12.75pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=344>
18 lbs <?amespace prefix = st1 ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficearttags" /><?:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><?:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>Tupelo</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> Honey (not heated)<O></O></TD></TR>
<TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1">
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 258pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=344>
2 tsp Yeast Nutrient<O></O>
2 tsp Yeast Energizer<O></O></TD></TR>
<TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2">
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 258pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=344>
_6 oz chopped raisins<O></O>_
_10oz chopped dates<O></O>_</TD></TR>
<TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3">
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 258pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=344>
10 grams Lalvin D-47 yeast<O></O></TD></TR>
<TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes">
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 258pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15pt" vAlign=bottom noWrap width=344>
18Sweet Bourbon Vanilla Beans from <ST1:COUNTRY-REGIoN><ST1LACE>Uganda</ST1LACE></ST1:COUNTRY-REGIoN>
<ST1:COUNTRY-REGIoN><ST1LACE>Water to ~ 6 gals</ST1LACE></ST1:COUNTRY-REGIoN></TD></TR></T></T></T></T></T></TABLE>


OG 1.112; FG 1.005


Only warm the honey enough to get it out of the jars. Submerge them in hot water for 5-10 mins. Rinse out jars with warm water in primary


Use dried fruit with no added sorbate and chop into small pieces


Mix honey,water,nutrient,energizer well in 7.9 gal primary fermenter and stir very well with drill mounted stirrer


Check SG and then stir in dried fruit


Re hydrate per instructions on package and then pitch yeast


Stirred each day for 3 days with long handled spoon and enjoy the wonderful aromas


Rack to secondary6 gal carboy after 28 days and add scraped seeds from split vanilla beans. Stir well to mix in vanilla and also to degas mead then top off carboy well.


Wait till mead clears (up to 4 months or more) and rack then add sulfite to 30 ppm. Filtering will help with brilliance and then you are ready to bottle.


Bottle and place in cellar for aging (at least 4 months). Will continue to get better up to 2 years.*Edited by: masta *


----------



## Steve

Thanks for reposting...


----------



## masta

Started another batch of the Tupelo Vanilla Mead yesterday. I personally think the Tupelo has one the best aromas of all the honeys I have used so far for making mead.


It also foams up a lot and hopefully won't overflow my primary!


----------



## Steve

Scott,


Where to you order your honey from?


----------



## masta

Most of the honey I have used came from Fruitwood Orchards in NJ.


http://www.fruitwoodorchardshoney.com/index.html


----------



## Steve

Great site, lots of honey and good prices.


Thanks...


----------



## Steve

Scott,


About how many pounds of the honey come in a gallon? I am only looking to do a 3 gal batch and do not want to buy to much honey.


----------



## masta

12 lbs per gallon of honey is the standard andI would get at least 10 lbs just so you have enough to sweeten in the end if you want to for a 3 gal batch.


----------



## masta

Another Good source of Honey I have found is on E-Bay. They have a limited choice of honey right now but was told they willmany more varieties in the spring.


Some of their auctions for "Buy-It-Now" has an option for submitting your best bid and I have been successful getting a gallon for $20.00 plus shipping.


 [url]http://stores.ebay.com/Abigails-Honey-Farm_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1Q QftidZ2QQtZkm[/url]


----------



## masta

Transferredthe Tupelo Vanilla Mead last weekto secondary and added 10 Vanilla Beans....SG was down to 1.020 and fermentation is still quite active.I split the beans and scraped the seeds out and then added everything to the carboy.


----------



## Steve

Scott in the recipes you are adding water to 6 galand later you say to rack to a 5 gal carboy... Is this a recipes for a 5 gal or 6 gal batch? My honey came in the mail and I am about ready to get it started.*Edited by: Steve *


----------



## masta

Steve,


The recipe is for a 6 gallon batch...I made the correction on the original post.


Thanks for catching that error!


Did you get the Tupelo from Fruitwood Orchards?


----------



## Steve

Thanks for the info. I did get it from Fruitwood Orchards. I only got a gallon of it. Orginally I was just going to do a 3 gallon batch, but I think I am going to do a 4 since I should have enough honey for that.


I just have to find the Vanilla Beans now then, I will get it going...


----------



## masta

Steve,


I have had a few comments on my first batch that there was too much vanilla in it. I personally don't think there is but I can't wait to get some feedback from the pros when it is judged in February at the International Mead Festival to see what they think of it.


http://www.meadfest.com/


I have a second batch going now and plan to test it shortly for vanilla flavor. I used 10 beans this time and split then scraped them before adding everything to the secondary.I will post results of this in the next few days.


Here is where I just bought some vanilla beans (*BOURBON VANILLA) *for this batch and they were very nice quality


http://stores.ebay.com/The-Organic-Vanilla-Bean-Company





*Edited by: masta *


----------



## Steve

Thanks for the info on the beans. I was just out shopping for them and could not find any, who would have thought vanilla beans would be so hard to find. I went to the link you gave me and found some at a really good price and am bidding on them now. If I don't win them I'll just pay a little more and do the "Buy it Now." I guess it will be a few more days before I get started...


----------



## Steve

Are you going or did you just submit for judging?


I personally love vanilla and that is the reason I chose this one to start with...


----------



## masta

I am not going even though I would love to...I submitted my very first batch of mead which was the Tupelo Vanilla.


----------



## bilbo-in-maine

My local whole food store has vanilla beans availabe. No selection, just 
tahitian beans, but certainly available quickly. I didn't need most of what I 
bought, and stored the remaining beans in the sugar jar - yum!


----------



## Steve

Scott,


Your recipes says to leave it in the primary for 28 days, I was noticing that you transfered yours after about 19 days. 


The reason I am curious is I am going to Florida on the 18th and that will be right at 10 days and I am going to be there for 10 days. I have an empty 6 gal carboy, would it be ok to go ahead and rack it to that prior to going on vacation or should I leave it under air lock in the primary and rack when I get back?


----------



## masta

Steve,


The timing on thetransfer from the primary to the secondary of batch #2 was actually 13 days and SG was at 1.020. I would go ahead and transfer to your carboy before you leave to make sure you are under a good airlock while you are away. Please check your SG for info to help tweak this recipe and I would be interested on how far it progressed after 10 days.


The recipe was ingredients and notes from the original batchand Ihave made some changes to batch #2. I had made up the batch #1 in a carboy and that was a mistake since the initial fermentation created way to much foam for the head space of the carboy. 


After this second batch is done I will adjust the recipe as needed. 


Thanks for asking questions and please keep posting your batch progress as this will help get the recipe to a tried and true winner!


----------



## Steve

Scott, 


Here is what I have so far:


1/8 - mixed must (1 gal Tupelo Honey, 1 1/2 tsp yeast nut, 1 1/2 tsp yeast ener, chapped raisins 4 oz, chopped dates 6 oz, water to 4 gal, and 2 pkg K1-V116) SG 1.102 This a little lower than your recipe called for but, I did not have a scale and just used the whole gallon. I will try to let it ferment dry and then sweeten to taste. I used that yeast because it is what I had on hand, I am working on the patience thing...









1/9 - SG 1.104 (came up a bit)/70 degrees F/stirred must








1/10 - stirred must


1/11 - SG 1.082/71 degrees F/Added 10 Bourbon Vanilla beans split and scrapped/stirred must/sealed lid and installed air lock


----------



## PolishWineP

Mmmmmmmm.... I think I can smell it here in Minnesota! Vanilla wafting over this way!


----------



## masta

Steve,


Looks great I would suggest to transfer all of the contents into your 6 gallon carboy if you decide to move it before you go away to FL. I say this since I think the SG will still be fairly high &gt; 1.030 and the contact with the dried fruits will help provide nutrients for the yeast and the beans will continue to add vanilla to the mead.


----------



## Steve

1/14 - SG 1.053, still going strong...


----------



## masta

Sounds good Steve...fermentation of honey is a slow and steady process unlike grape juicewhich is normally fairly quick.


----------



## Steve

I wanted to wait another day but, I am going to be to busy tomorrow so I had to transfer today...


SG 1.036


Temp is getting a little low, 68-69, so I put it on the floor next to the heater to warm it up a bit...


----------



## masta

Lookin great and it is moving along nicely!


----------



## Steve

SG - 1.002/Temp- 68


Still getting a bubble every couple of minutesand is starting to build a nice bed of lees...


----------



## masta

Sounds great Steve....my current batch appears it will end up drier than the first batch.


Not a big deal as you can always add some honey before bottling to sweeten.


----------



## pkcook

I've never made mead before. Is head space in the carboy not an issue with mead?


----------



## masta

It isn't an issue if there is still an active fermentation as the headspace will be purged with the CO2 from the fermentation.


----------



## pkcook

Thanks Masta,


Learned something new today. As my grandma use to say, "You are never too old to learn."


----------



## Steve

Ok, looks like fermentation is complete. Steady SG @ 1.002, I racked it off the vanilla and fruit. Do you adjust the pH or just let it be?


----------



## masta

I had not adjusted pH of any of mymeads.


----------



## masta

Results showed up today for my Tupelo Vanilla that I entered in the International Mead Festival. Final Assigned Score was 25.5 out of 50 so it came in at a borderline good/fair.


I took big hits on too much alcohol and not enough sweetness with too much tannin coming through from raisins and dates.


So I will try again and not use any dried fruits or whole beans maybe just the seeds for flavor. Also will reduce the alcohol content and sweeten a bit more.


I was a bit disappointed but I think I set my expectations a bit high for my first try but now I think I know how to improve it.


----------



## MedPretzel

Do _*you*_ like it? How about your wife? Your friends?





I know how disappointing critique can be, but...... If you and your closest people like it, *that's* what counts.


----------



## Waldo

I agree with Martina Masta...If you like it the way you are fixing it then i would change nothing


----------



## pkcook

That is the wonderful thing about wine, you are the only judge that counts!


----------



## bilbo-in-maine

Scott - Congratulations for even daring to submit an entry! We are behind 
you in spite of the remarks.

Do you agree with the critiques? Now that you've received the comments, 
is there validity to them do you think? Just curious.

Bill


----------



## pkcook

Masta et all,


Is there a minimum alcohol volume for mead to be safely stored? 


Also, I'm planing on making1 gallon of basic meadand want to let it ferment to dry. Will sweetening back with honey at the end cause any cloudiness?


----------

