small batch
Erik
How much honey would I need to make 24 12oz bottles of mead? Some of the
recipes I see call for 20 lbs of honey. How many bottles will 10 pounds of
honey yield? I do not want to start out on such a grand scale, can anyone
offer some advice or recipes. I'd like to add some berries for flavor.
thanks,
Erik
Duke
"Erik" <koehl...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:TrWBf.1256$dF5...@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
I'm no expert here, but 24 12oz bottles sounds like about a 2.5 gallon batch
of mead. It seems people use anywhere from 24 lbs. per 5 gallons to 12 lbs.
per 5 gallons. I'd say you need something in the middle of 24 and 12. Just
depends on how you want to make it ?
HTH,
Duke
nos...@nowhere.edu.invalid
> thanks,
> Erik
12 oz * 24 = 288 oz = 2.25 G
I'd go with a 3G batch (pretty common carboy size).
Assuming you're using some kind of wine yeast .. a good place for
a straight mead is about 9 pounds of honey, giving about 1.1 SG.
Of course, you're going to want to use less honey, depending on the
amount of (and type of) berries you add. Might I suggest you play with:
http://www.gotmead.com/making-mead/mead-calculator.shtml
.. and shoot for an SG right around 1.10?
-- WB
nos...@nowhere.edu.invalid
> thanks,
> Erik
3 gallon carboys aren't hard to come by, so I'd round this 2.25G batch
up to 3G. You'll lose some to racking, and to tasting, and probably
to initial consumption at bottling time.
If you weren't adding berries, I'd say 3 pounds of honey per gallon,
or 9 pounds total. This comes out to a starting gravity of about 1.10.
I'd recommend playing with:
http://www.gotmead.com/making-mead/mead-calculator.shtml
.. with a target gravity of 1.100. Choose your berries and quantity
wisely.
Raspberries are overpowering,
blueberries add relatively little flavor,
and too many strawberries can give an ugly metallic taste.
Search around for a successful recipe featuring the fruit
you've chosen, and heed the ratio that has been proven therein.
-- WB
are very overpowering (rap
Phil
wrote:
Seven to nine pounds of honey would be sufficient for a 2.5 gallon
batch.
Phil
======
visit the New York City Homebrewers Guild website:
http://www.hbd.org/nychg
Dick Adams
You will need a pail for your primary and a carboy for your
secondary - plus other equipment. If you don't already have
all the equipment, I suggest you get it from your LHBS (Local
HomeBrew Store). If you don't know where your LHBS is, just
post where you live and you will get lots of help.
I recommend Lalvin EC-1118 as your yeast. Others here may
recommend Lalvin K1V-1116 or Lalvin 71B-1122. It's all a
matter of preference. And add yeast nutrient (1tsp/gal).
See http://www.gotmead.com for mead recipes.
As for the berries, I would wait a week to ten days, puree
the berries and then pour the puree into a hop sock above
the primary, tie up the hop sock, and drop it in the primary.
Oh and get a large marble, boil it in water, and put it into
the hop sock so the hop sock sinks to the bottom.
24 12oz bottles is 288oz. A 2.5 gallon batch is 320oz and
you will lose some oz when racking. 5lbs in a 2.5 gal batch
haas an expected O.G. of 1.074 and an expected ABV of 9.83
That sound good to me. 10lbs in a 5 gallon batch has the
same expectations.
If this is your first time, post where you live and we may
be able hook you up with a local meadmaker to get you started.
Dick
Erik
What a great response to my post. Thanks everyone, this what I was looking
for. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Are there any brew shops in south
Florida? When I said berries I was thinking raspberries, thanks for the tips
on raspberries. What would be a nice and easy fruit to add?
Erik
"Dick Adams" <rda...@smart.net> wrote in message
news:11tghfp...@corp.supernews.com...
mtbarrie
Erik wrote:
> wow,
> What a great response to my post. Thanks everyone, this what I was looking
> for. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Are there any brew shops in south
> Florida? When I said berries I was thinking raspberries, thanks for the tips
> on raspberries. What would be a nice and easy fruit to add?
>
> Erik
I have had good luck with blackberies, 2 - 4 lbs per 5 gal batch.
Regarding the amount you want to make, be careful. If you like what you
have made 2.5 gallons will go away surprisingly quickly and it will
take several months before you can have more. You might consider making
5 gal, it only gets better with age. Also, my meads have always tasted
better after a few months (or longer) in the bottle. Don't give up on
an "Iffy" batch.
Mike
Joel
>On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:29:53 -0500, "Erik" <koehl...@bellsouth.net>
>>recipes I see call for 20 lbs of honey. How many bottles will 10 pounds of
>>honey yield? I do not want to start out on such a grand scale, can anyone
>>offer some advice or recipes. I'd like to add some berries for flavor.
>
>Seven to nine pounds of honey would be sufficient for a 2.5 gallon
>batch.
I'd put the lower end at 6 pounds (about a half gallon).
--
Joel Plutchak "If you got the grits, serve 'em!" - Stanley Crouch
plutchak at [...]
Dick Adams
> wow,
> What a great response to my post. Thanks everyone, this what
> I was looking for. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Are there
> any brew shops in south Florida? When I said berries, I was
> thinking raspberries, thanks for the tips on raspberries.
> What would be a nice and easy fruit to add?
From www.beertown.org/homebrewing/shops.asp
Heart's Home Beer and Wine Making Supply
6190 Edgewater Drive
Orlando FL 32810
phone: (800) 392-8322
fax: (407) 298-4195
email: mailto:home...@heartshomebrew.com
website: http://www.Heartshomebrew.com
Raspberry Mead is great choice.
Dick
Erik
Orlando is 4 hours from here.... I'll do my shopping on-line. I guess
homebrewing is not a popular hobbie here in South Florida. There used to be
a homebrew store in West Palm beach, but i can not remeber where it was, or
is located. I'll let me fingers do the wlaking in the yellow pages.
Erik
"Dick Adams" <rda...@smart.net> wrote in message
news:11ti4g2...@corp.supernews.com...
Droopy
or
I just did a google search for homebrew clubs in the area, they almost
always have information on their pages for LHBSs
Duke
> wow,
> What a great response to my post. Thanks everyone, this what I was looking
> for. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Are there any brew shops in south
> Florida? When I said berries I was thinking raspberries, thanks for the
> tips on raspberries. What would be a nice and easy fruit to add?
>
> Erik
>
>
IMO raspberries are best added to the secondary, after most of the
fermentation has completed...
Duke
nos...@nowhere.edu.invalid
> wow,
> What a great response to my post. Thanks everyone, this what I was looking
> for. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Are there any brew shops in south
> Florida? When I said berries I was thinking raspberries, thanks for the tips
> on raspberries. What would be a nice and easy fruit to add?
> Erik
Raspberries are a very good addition to mead, you just have to keep in
mind that a little goes a long way. My last 3G batch of raspberry mel
featured 3# of raspberries after the first racking. The taste is
very noticeable, and is very smooth after 6 months.
As for finding supplies.. these guys might be able to tell ya the
best place ... http://www.webreflections.com/flab/
Here's one out of the phonebook ... of course, never been there m'self.
Brewmaster Supplies CO
8320 West State Road 84, Davie, FL 33324
954) 577-8711
-- WB