Mead

[Lars]

After 6 months in the fermenters, I'm just now starting to drink my first mead. It was a fairly simple recipe, just honey (around 15 lbs) mixed with warm water, sulfited and then some rehydrated yeast added. racked to secondary after 3 or so weeks and then bottled last week. I'm drinking it still (petulant) not sparkling. It is very nice, and I'm expecting it to age quite well for a few years. I used some pecan honey I bought while on vacation in Arizona, the pecan comes through nicely.

[Brewbear]

Lars - thank you for making my point. It took you six months before you could start enjoying the fruits of your labor. The Ancient Orange is pretty good at 2 months and really good at 3 months. If you don't believe it, check out the threads on www.gotmead.com or better yet, make one gallon of it

After all, take a chance,....Custer did!
Brewbear

[Lars]

No problem. I actually have a few brews that are aging quite nicely too (2 yr old barley wine, and a 1 yr old cider). Several of my brew buddies have asked just how I can let my beer sit that long. The secret, forget about it! Brew something else right away. Enjoy your dreams of how great your aged brew will be while enjoying your fresh brew.

[Homegrown Hops]

No problem. I actually have a few brews that are aging quite nicely too (2 yr old barley wine, and a 1 yr old cider). Several of my brew buddies have asked just how I can let my beer sit that long. The secret, forget about it! Brew something else right away. Enjoy your dreams of how great your aged brew will be while enjoying your fresh brew.

Solid advice, this is the one major flaw in my method. I have a serious time trying to age anything. The oldest brew I have is an Oatmeal stout that has made it 4 months now on the first keg. I am saving the other keg for a friends wedding at the end of May. I am making two meads, first one will be the Orange that brewbear suggests and the other I will be bottling for my own wedding in Aug 2007. I like the idea of the short batch so I will have something to sip on, but still pretty excited about a 5 gallon batch that will have time to mature.

HH

[Brewbear]

HH,
I would strongly reccomend a 1 gallon batch as a test run. Just remember to follow the instructions to the letter, I deviated a bit and ended up with a slight pithy taste in the first batch. I cut the slices too thin. If you can find the kind of oranges with a thin skin, that much the better.

Cheers,
Brewbear

[KC-Dave]

Heidrun is an great Meadery. They're Sparkling Meads were poured at a New Years party I was at 2 years ago and people were wanting the mead over $100 a bottle Champagne.

I plan to get a bottle or two when I'm in SF next month.