Just bottled, and tasting very nice, so here's wot I dun...
I did 2 gallons of this, one with honey, one with golden syrup (5lbs total in each case). The honey one maybe wants a month or so for a very slight harshness to mellow, the syrup one is fine right now and has the characteristic background cinder toffee flavour syrup gives. I think next time I'll try a 3/2 and a 2/3 mix!
They're both sweet but in a good way, and somewhere around 16 or 17 %
If I'd kept them warmer they might have gone quicker, or stronger, or both. And I'm thinking of looking into whether normal yeast nutrient is the best for meads.
2013-12-18 In a 1 gallon bucket: 1kg rasp, 918g bramble, 1tsp citric, short tsp tannin, 2tsp nutrient, short tsp pectolase, 3lb honey, 1.5l boiled water.
When down to ambient temp, mashed and pitched half pack GV4 (high alc yeast)
2013-12-22 Strained to demi, added 1lb honey in as little water as poss
2014-01-08 Racked off large amount of pulp. Added 1lb honey in as litte water as poss
2014-01-15 Topped up
2014-02-10 Racked
2014-02-23 Racked through muslin onto stabiliser
2014-02-25 Bottled.
I did 2 gallons of this, one with honey, one with golden syrup (5lbs total in each case). The honey one maybe wants a month or so for a very slight harshness to mellow, the syrup one is fine right now and has the characteristic background cinder toffee flavour syrup gives. I think next time I'll try a 3/2 and a 2/3 mix!
They're both sweet but in a good way, and somewhere around 16 or 17 %
If I'd kept them warmer they might have gone quicker, or stronger, or both. And I'm thinking of looking into whether normal yeast nutrient is the best for meads.
2013-12-18 In a 1 gallon bucket: 1kg rasp, 918g bramble, 1tsp citric, short tsp tannin, 2tsp nutrient, short tsp pectolase, 3lb honey, 1.5l boiled water.
When down to ambient temp, mashed and pitched half pack GV4 (high alc yeast)
2013-12-22 Strained to demi, added 1lb honey in as little water as poss
2014-01-08 Racked off large amount of pulp. Added 1lb honey in as litte water as poss
2014-01-15 Topped up
2014-02-10 Racked
2014-02-23 Racked through muslin onto stabiliser
2014-02-25 Bottled.