Batch Sampling
A lazy night at home waiting for the new Who to download...
I tasted my home batches back in early February, then gasped in horror as I opened the brew closet in March to see dried out airlocks. Here we go...
Batch 16: Orange Blossom Mead
Slightly astringent in the nose, becoming more honeyed than floral (as compared to February). The taste is a bit creamier than the last time I sampled it, and there's still barely perceptible hints of an off-yeast that rise in the finish.
Specific gravity is 1.010, which slightly higher than the 1.008 reading in February. Considering the original reading at brewing was 1.104, this is going to be a powerhouse. Not surprising, considering I mis-calculated the honey ratio a bit on the heavy side.
Fermentation is done at just under 13% abv. This one's slated for bottling soon.
Batch 17: Unoaked Clover Mead
There were hints of fizzyness filling the test tube, but thankfully there's no sign of carbonation in the carboy. I really don't want a repeat of the Twelfth Night mead. Six out of twenty-five bottles of that batch have blown their corks...
Anyhoo... The nose on this one is also a bit citrus and slightly astringent. Maybe my palate's off tonight? There's a lemony character, which makes sense considering the zest from February. It's definitely smoothed out since then. The flavors continue to round out, and there's still yeast late in the finish. I'd say this one's progressing nicely.
Specific gravity is 1.008, also up slightly from the 1.006 in February. Original reading at brewing was 1.090, so this one's right around 11% abv. Again, I'm tempted to bottle this one now that fermentation has long since stopped.
Batch 17a: Oaked Clover Mead
Oh my. The nose is immensely full and rich. The oak and resulting vanilla are right there on top of a thick honeyed foundation.
The taste is equally full and rich, and very drinkable. However, there's still that odd soapiness in the finish, and a slight yeasty tinge.
Specific Gravity is 1.006, effectively the same as the 1.0065 reading in February. This one is ready for bottle aging.
Batch 19: Wildflower Mead
At six months, the nose is full of caramel, just like the honey I used. That shouldn't necessarily be a huge shock, but it's the first time one of my meads has so closely resembled the honey I made it with.
The taste is, well, nasty. Under-developed. Plain. Cloying without being sweet. I think we'll keep this one in the "work in progress" category. The nose is really, really promising, though. I need to get this one racked into a 3-gal to get rid of the air space.
Specific Gravity is 1.000, the density of water. Original reading on brew day was 1.080 for (get this) an alc/vol reading of 10.66%. That number ring a bell with anyone...?
Batch 18: Catawba Wine - Oaked
I pulled a tiny sip of this; not even enough to take a hydrometer reading.
There's isn't much to the nose, but there's only 1/8" in the bottom of the glass.
It tastes like pink lemonade. That's about it.
Batch 18: Catawba Wine - Un-Oaked
I pulled a teensy sample of this, too. There's only a half-gallon, after all. Like the oaked stuff, there isn't much of a nose, and again with the pink lemonade.
I tasted my home batches back in early February, then gasped in horror as I opened the brew closet in March to see dried out airlocks. Here we go...
Batch 16: Orange Blossom Mead
Slightly astringent in the nose, becoming more honeyed than floral (as compared to February). The taste is a bit creamier than the last time I sampled it, and there's still barely perceptible hints of an off-yeast that rise in the finish.
Specific gravity is 1.010, which slightly higher than the 1.008 reading in February. Considering the original reading at brewing was 1.104, this is going to be a powerhouse. Not surprising, considering I mis-calculated the honey ratio a bit on the heavy side.
Fermentation is done at just under 13% abv. This one's slated for bottling soon.
Batch 17: Unoaked Clover Mead
There were hints of fizzyness filling the test tube, but thankfully there's no sign of carbonation in the carboy. I really don't want a repeat of the Twelfth Night mead. Six out of twenty-five bottles of that batch have blown their corks...
Anyhoo... The nose on this one is also a bit citrus and slightly astringent. Maybe my palate's off tonight? There's a lemony character, which makes sense considering the zest from February. It's definitely smoothed out since then. The flavors continue to round out, and there's still yeast late in the finish. I'd say this one's progressing nicely.
Specific gravity is 1.008, also up slightly from the 1.006 in February. Original reading at brewing was 1.090, so this one's right around 11% abv. Again, I'm tempted to bottle this one now that fermentation has long since stopped.
Batch 17a: Oaked Clover Mead
Oh my. The nose is immensely full and rich. The oak and resulting vanilla are right there on top of a thick honeyed foundation.
The taste is equally full and rich, and very drinkable. However, there's still that odd soapiness in the finish, and a slight yeasty tinge.
Specific Gravity is 1.006, effectively the same as the 1.0065 reading in February. This one is ready for bottle aging.
Batch 19: Wildflower Mead
At six months, the nose is full of caramel, just like the honey I used. That shouldn't necessarily be a huge shock, but it's the first time one of my meads has so closely resembled the honey I made it with.
The taste is, well, nasty. Under-developed. Plain. Cloying without being sweet. I think we'll keep this one in the "work in progress" category. The nose is really, really promising, though. I need to get this one racked into a 3-gal to get rid of the air space.
Specific Gravity is 1.000, the density of water. Original reading on brew day was 1.080 for (get this) an alc/vol reading of 10.66%. That number ring a bell with anyone...?
Batch 18: Catawba Wine - Oaked
I pulled a tiny sip of this; not even enough to take a hydrometer reading.
There's isn't much to the nose, but there's only 1/8" in the bottom of the glass.
It tastes like pink lemonade. That's about it.
Batch 18: Catawba Wine - Un-Oaked
I pulled a teensy sample of this, too. There's only a half-gallon, after all. Like the oaked stuff, there isn't much of a nose, and again with the pink lemonade.