Brew Journal 1

MEAD BREW JOURNAL

Friday August 16, Day Zero, 12:00-4:00 PM

TRADITIONAL
2.5 lbs Sams Club Honey
1/2 lb Boston Honey Company Honey
Lallemand Nottingham Yeast, accidentally rehydrated with nutrient mix at a slightly high temp
1/8 tsp Yeast Energizer
1/4 tsp Yeast Nutrient
Honey added, some water added, shaken
More water added, yeast added, shaken
Water added, shaken
Reading taken
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.12
Stopper and airlock affixed
Placed in cool basement, wrapped in a towel
Expected to go to at least 14%, would give a FG of 1.013 - Semisweet to sweet
FG 1.03
ABV 11.8%


SASSY METHEGLIN
3 lbs Sams Club Honey
Lalvin D-47 yeast, accidentally rehydrated with nutrient mix at a good temperature
1/8 tsp Yeast Energizer
1/4 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 medium-small ginger root, peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces
1 sassafras root of the same size, cleaned and cut into 1/4" pieces
Zest of one orange
Roots and zest added to a medium flat bottom saucepan, then filled with water to a bit below the top
The tea was set to simmer at medium-low for at least 15 minutes
After a while, the tea was removed from the heat, and allowed to cool
Honey added, some water added, shaken
More water added, yeast added, shaken
Cooled tea (under 100 degrees fahrenheit) added, shaken
Water added, shaken
Reading taken
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.2 (Incorrect, actually probably more like 1.105)
Stopper and airlock affixed
Placed in cool basement, wrapped in a towel
Expected to go to about 15%, would give a FG of about 0.996


CHERRY AND BLACKCURRANT MELOMEL
3 lbs Sams Club Honey
Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast, accidentally rehydrated with nutrient mix at a good temperature
1/8 tsp Yeast Energizer
1/4 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 lb Sweet Cherries, destemmed, pitted, frozen overnight, thawed, and sanitized
1/2 lb dry weight dried currants, reconstituted in hot water for 1 hour
Honey added, some water added, shaken
More water added, yeast added, shaken
Cherries and currants pulped in food processor, added to sanitized cheesecloth bag
Cheesecloth bag squeezed over bowl, liquid then strained through a second sanitized cheesecloth, leaving only a few very tiny specks of fruit
Juice added
Water added, shaken
Reading taken
ORIGINAL GRAVITY 1.22 (Incorrect, actually probably more like 1.126)
Stopper and airlock affixed
Placed in cool basement, wrapped in a towel
Expected to go to at least 18%, would give a FG of about 0.996
FG: 1.000
ABV: 16.54

4 hours later, around 8:00 PM

Traditional shows no signs of fermentation

Metheglin bubbles about every 6 seconds, slightly foamy

Cherry bubbles about every nine seconds, quite foamy

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Saturday August 17, Day One, 12:50 PM

Traditional: Bubbling along happily, the must is fizzy, and small groups of bubbles are apparent on the surface

Metheglin: Also bubbling nicely, the must is fizzy, and more groups of bubbles are evident on the surface than on the traditional must

Cherry Melomel: Large bubbles every 2 seconds, very vigorous. Krausen slightly lower than markings on glass indicate.
It appears to be a little under an inch thick. The top has some spots which almost look like soap bubbles: foamy, white, and pearlescent.
Between the high points of white bubbles are lower brown "valleys", in which large bubbles slowly rise to the surface of the krausen, then pop.
The must is populated by many small brown specks, blown about by the internal currents caused by the ferment.

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Sunday, August 18, Day Two

11:00 AM
All three have lost their foam later on top, including the melomel’s entire krausen, though their airlocks kept bubbling. Did not look at the musts.

12:30 PM
Must was pulled from each of the carboys, and 1/8 teaspoon yeast energizer was mixed in, along with 1/4 teaspoon of yeast nutrient, and then returned it to the main must. The carboys were lightly shaken to mix. Towels were reapplied. (First SNA)

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Monday, August 19, Day Three

1:00 AM
Concerns over too high a SG led to the cherry melomel being poured into a heavily sanitized bucket to prepare for dilution, but it was returned to the carboy when it was discovered that the original gravity readings were incorrect, and the must was fine.

CORRECTED THEORETICAL READINGS CREDIT OF U/CMC589

TRADITIONAL: Correct originally at 1.12

METHEGLIN: 1.105

MELOMEL: 1.120-1.126

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Tuesday, August 20, Day Four

1:00 PM
Must was pulled from each of the carboys, and 1/8 teaspoon yeast energizer was mixed in, along with 1/4 teaspoon of yeast nutrient, and then returned it to the main must. The carboys were lightly shaken to mix. Towels were reapplied. (Second SNA)

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Wednesday, August 21, Day Five

12:00 PM
Observed musts, the melomel has once again developed a kraeusen, primarily composed of the lighter bubble groups.

7:00 PM
No Change

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