Mead Journal: Whole Lotta Racking
Ok so a busy sundy:
Racked the following on the final racking:
Bamboo Jasmin: Nice almost zinfindel flavor and a nice floral nose. This will mellow out great. Ready to bottle.
Blueberry Vanilla: Almost opaque still but no signs of fermentation in over a month and very sweet. This will be a great batch for those with a big sweet tooth. It should age out well. Drinkable now and smooth now but young. The oaking really was great. Ready to bottle. A beautiful dark purple.
Strawbery with Orange Blossum Honey: This is sweet and almost drinkable now. Though the strawberry is not fully in bloom as it were, like the other one it will age nicely. Ready to Bottle
Mango with Orange Blossom Honey: This one is very nice nose, sweet and light. The Mango has not come into it's own yet but it is nice and clear. A comment from my wife is that "I see it coming up to the top of the racking cane but it's like nothing coming down."
This one is ready to bottle.
Pumpkin Hazelnut: This one had a scent that I didn't like and was a little cloudy. I racked on to some more sparkloid and potasium sorbate. Alas, I didn't taste it. It should be ready to bottle in a month.
So 4/5 ready to bottle. My Apprentice and I needed to de-lable bottles, got through 6 cases. With the 1 1/2 case I have de-labled, it is not enough for ALL the bottling. 2 of the 3 batchs that I started will be ready to rack in 2 weeks. So I think that I have enough to keep ahead of the curve. I will need to delable the rest prior to fall settling in.
My Apprentices 1 gal batch of wildflower honey is going well, we took gravity readings all around and had some incredible drops. Her mead may be ready to rack next time, possibly. We still may give it 2 weeks more to settle and clear.
Next up: Whole Lotta Bottling and possibly racking to secondary for the Peach Vanilla Nutmeg and the Mojito (AKA Lime Vanilla Mint)
That's all for now.
Dave
Racked the following on the final racking:
Bamboo Jasmin: Nice almost zinfindel flavor and a nice floral nose. This will mellow out great. Ready to bottle.
Blueberry Vanilla: Almost opaque still but no signs of fermentation in over a month and very sweet. This will be a great batch for those with a big sweet tooth. It should age out well. Drinkable now and smooth now but young. The oaking really was great. Ready to bottle. A beautiful dark purple.
Strawbery with Orange Blossum Honey: This is sweet and almost drinkable now. Though the strawberry is not fully in bloom as it were, like the other one it will age nicely. Ready to Bottle
Mango with Orange Blossom Honey: This one is very nice nose, sweet and light. The Mango has not come into it's own yet but it is nice and clear. A comment from my wife is that "I see it coming up to the top of the racking cane but it's like nothing coming down."
This one is ready to bottle.
Pumpkin Hazelnut: This one had a scent that I didn't like and was a little cloudy. I racked on to some more sparkloid and potasium sorbate. Alas, I didn't taste it. It should be ready to bottle in a month.
So 4/5 ready to bottle. My Apprentice and I needed to de-lable bottles, got through 6 cases. With the 1 1/2 case I have de-labled, it is not enough for ALL the bottling. 2 of the 3 batchs that I started will be ready to rack in 2 weeks. So I think that I have enough to keep ahead of the curve. I will need to delable the rest prior to fall settling in.
My Apprentices 1 gal batch of wildflower honey is going well, we took gravity readings all around and had some incredible drops. Her mead may be ready to rack next time, possibly. We still may give it 2 weeks more to settle and clear.
Next up: Whole Lotta Bottling and possibly racking to secondary for the Peach Vanilla Nutmeg and the Mojito (AKA Lime Vanilla Mint)
That's all for now.
Dave