Started just one DJ for now. Got the Lavlin EC-1118 Yeast for that high % with a dryness but i intend to back sweeten eventually once i reach that point.
I used 3 Jars of Grandessa Clear Honey from Aldi 1.35Kg at £1.35 a Jar and just mixed it with some boiled water which i left to sit for about 6 hours, enough to fill 2/3 of the DJ. Probably not long enough but the kid's started poking about so i had to get it done.
Then for some reason it took me about an hour to get the temp down to 26*c so i was using a pan basin of Icey water then once i was there on the right temp i added 2.5g of the Yeast. I've read its super fast and can reach 20%+ but I'm not overly keen on a super super dry mead..
I did something I've seen people do but i wasn't overly sure if i was doing the right amount but as it's my first try and not a lot can go overly wrong i used a heaped teaspoon of some Yeast Nutrient I was given in a massive box of old brewing gear tonight. so that should help and i Had no raisins.
Seen about 300 videos saying add a cup of black tea. let it brew for 10-15 mins then throw it in the mix. I haven't added any fruit nor anything else. As a first stab at making mead this will be my learning curve and to give me something to benchmark, I'm doing this as my first mead run. I also have another Demi john i was considering making a wine , using my other 2.5g of yeast for a dry white and swap out wine yeast for the Lavlin EC-1118 yeast and make some sparkling wine. just an idea but i need to research for now.
But this gallon of mead has cost me ::
Grandessa Clear Honey 454g x3 =£4.05
Yeast 2.5g - £1
Water - £0.05
£5.10
I'll let ya know how it goes in a few weeks.
merry xmas
but i defo would try the Orange Blossom Honey.. I can see that being a great way to get extra flavour into the final product. Gonna use that Champagne yeast and back sweetened when it comes to it. Im very excited to try it.
