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>
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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>
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2 tsp Yeast Nutrient<O></O>
2 tsp Yeast Energizer<O></O></TD></TR>
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6 oz chopped raisins<O></O>
10oz chopped dates<O></O></TD></TR>
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10 grams Lalvin D-47 yeast<O></O></TD></TR>
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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!