Bodvar's Recipes

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Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:22

"strawberry experiment"
first batch - march 2003 - may 2003 (when it was consumed)

12 lbs crockett honey
6 lbs frozen strawberries. whole
1 meadster's pack
lavin RC 212 yeast
4 gal water

the must was combined on the stove, by bringing the honey, water and strawberries up to ~ 180 F for 20 min. allowed to cool overnight. packet and yeast was added after temp had settled the next morning.

1st rack from primary to secondary after 3 weeks - specific gravity readings indicated approx. 12% alc content.

2nd rack to clean carbouy after 1 month, campden added

mead was consumed before proper aging had taken place.
it exibited a sharp flavor, somewhat tart. not a pleasant aroma or clarity.
somewhat smooth aftertaste. example of an oxidized mead?

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:22

1st boysenberry batch - branched into two bottlings "maidens song" and "wondrous wings".

started april 2003 - oct 2003 (final tasting)

12 lbs crocket honey
(2) 40oz jars of knott's boysenberry preserves
1 meadster's packet
4 gal water
lavin RC 212 yeast

must was combined, and mixed with 4 campden tabs. no heat was used. after 24 hrs, the meadsters pack and the yeast were added.

1st rack from primary to secondary after 1 month

2nd rack after ~3 months (some mead was bottled at this point), campden added to ensure elimination of yeast

the remaining mead aged until oct for the wedding

was a dark, semisweet mead. showed progress with time, so i am willing to make this batch again in the future. nice color, didnt clarify completely, but was somewhat clear at time of bottling. after aging, the aroma smoothed out even more.

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:22

"caramel apple" batch
started mid oct 2003 - bottled feb 2004 (for war)

12 lbs crockett honey
1 industrial size can (7lbs?) of mott's apple sauce
(2) 1-pint cartons of caramel apple dipping caramel
4 gal water
1 meadster's pack
lavin RC 212 yeast

must was combined without heat, but using 4 crushed campden tabs and meadster's pack. yeast was pitched the next day.

racked into secondary after 1 month

bottled in feb (this batch unfortunately wasnt racked more than once, wich resulted in cloudiness.)
consumed at war, entered into the Brewing Competition at Estrella War XX. a very smooth mead, not much taste from the caramel, but plenty from the apple. once again, this mead was consumed at an early stage.

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:22

"Sif's Nectar" (mixed passion fruit melomel)
started feb22 (the week after war XX) - to be bottled

14.4 lbs rasberry blossom honey
1 flat of kerns nectar (24 cans - guava, mango, apricot, peach)
5 gal water
1 meadster's kit
lavin RC 212 yeast

another cold-must process- added mead packet to cold must as well as 4 ground campden tabs. pitched yeast after 24 hrs

rack to secondary after 21 days
racked to 3rd on may 9th (approx. 52 days after secondary rack)

still has a cloudy look so far. NOTE: the racking process went very smoothly since this was my first mead free of fruit solids (i only used juice). for future reference, you will get air in your racking cane when you are siphoning if there's any solids that can (and will) get stuck in the bottom of the cane. the air gets sucked in through the seal in the outer shaft of the cane.

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:23

"back in black - boysenberry #2 (this time with vengeful blackberry)

started april 4, 2004

18 lbs crockett's honey (may have been 12, will check and edit later)
(3) 40 oz jars of knott's boysenberry/blackberry preserves
1 meadster's pack
5 gal of water
lavin 1118 yeast

cold must process - must was mixed, packet added, 4 crushed campden added. yeast pitched 24 hrs later

racked on april 25 (20 days later), was still bubbling as it was racked. fruit solids caused problems with the racking cane, as discussed in the passion fruit post above. has a very dark, blood-like color.

racked to 3rd container after an additional 60 days

bottled Sep 10, 2004

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:23

rude beard mead

started 6-28-2004 (not absolutely sure, will check and edit if nec.)

18 lbs crockett honey
meadster's kit
lavlin 212 yeast
5gallons water

racked after 1 month - still in secondary

plan is to add root beer flavoring (already purchased), and then look into carbonation techniques.

flavoring added at 7 months. The mead is not sweet enough to carry the root beer flavoring, so it must be sweetened.

at 8.5 months, was not happy with sweetness level, and decided to freeze reduce the mead.

First freeze took 17 hrs and 1.5 gal of ice was removed. Second freeze took 5.5 hrs and 1 gal of ice was removed.

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:23

"Sif's Nectar #2" (mixed passion fruit melomel)
started aug3 (the week after highland) - to be bottled

12 lbs cockett's honey
1 flat of kerns nectar (24 cans - guava, mango, apricot, peach)
5 gal water
1 meadster's kit
lavin RC 212 yeast

another cold-must process- added mead packet to cold must as well as 3 ground campden tabs. pitched yeast after 24 hrs

first rack after 3 weeks. rack went fine, this batch is MUCH more clear at 1st rack than the first sif's was. only change was different honey.

bottled at 6 months
carbonated in the bottle, had to drink it up

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:23

unnamed cranberry

started 8-03-2004

15lbs crockett's honey
3 lbs dried, sweetened cranberries (brand was called "craisins")
5 gallons water
1 meadster's kit
lavin RC 212 yeast

another cold-must process- added mead packet to cold must as well as 3 ground campden tabs. pitched yeast after 24 hrs

first rack after 3 weeks, racking went great. The layer of cranberries was very stiff and provided a protective barrier for the mead while it was siphoned. has a nice light red color.

has shown zero activity 3 weeks after 1st rack (might be in stasis…)

stasis theory was correct, unfortunately. After second rack, and the introduction of Owain's climate control, it began to bubble again
This will cost a significant portion of mead, as I lose mead with each rack that has sediment.

racked to fourthyary on aug 21, looks clear and clean. tastes semi-sweet, can't wait to try it cold!

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:23

ginger mead

started : 8-23-2004

15.5lbs camelthorn honey
5 gallons water
1 meadster's kit
lavin RC 212 yeast

another cold-must process- added mead packet to cold must as well as 3 ground campden tabs. pitched yeast after 24 hrs

the honey was nice and pale. added aprox 6 oz fresh shredded ginger, zest of 2 lemons

racked at 4 weeks, looked and smelled like lemonaid (serious)

Re: Bodvar's Recipes

Teagan Jameson 28 Feb 2010 02:24

honey mead
herbs to be added later

18 bs crocketts
6 gal water
meadster's kit with campden must

date: to be inserted later

racked to secondary: to be inserted

racked out of secondary: to be inserted

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