SECOND BATCH AT MSR!
10/20/24

1 16.7 oz “Dryck Lingon” from Ikea (lingonberry drink mix)
1.37 lbs Rekeweg honey (This one is from Decatur)
1 packet 71B yeast
10 Grams Fermaid-O
1 gallon filtered water

S.G. = 1.080 (10% ABV possible)

I was surprised at the gravity reading with only 1.37 lbs of honey.  The drink mix must be very sugary.
I will probably add tannin and some other flavor at the end of this depending on how it turns out once it’s done fermenting.

11/3/24
S.G. = .994 (He’s Done!) 11.3% ABV!!!!!
Racked and stabilized
Added Mexican Hibiscus (about 1 oz)

12/3/24
Racked off hibiscus.  It’s way to much.  Can’t taste lingonberry at all.  It’s all hibiscus.
Back sweetened to 1.036 and added 1/8 tsp vanilla.  It’s still hot and way to much hibiscus flavor.  I may try to grab another bottle of lingonberry or try to add something else to this.  The hibiscus is just way to much.

12/19/24
I had a small glass of this (still bulk aging) and it actually wasn’t bad.  Going to bottle and let set for a while.

1/4/25
Bottled this today.  The labels are wrong.  They say it was bottled in 2024.  It’s good.  I got 4 bottles out of it.

10/20/24 FIRST BACTCH AT MSR!!!!
(10/19/24) Thawed 5 lbs of blackberries in a Kilwins bucket

10/20/24
5 lbs blackberries
5 lbs McComb Bees Honey (From Decatur)
2 gallons Crystal Geyser water
10 grams Fermaid-O
Mangrove Jacks Yeast
S.G. = 1.082 (10% ABV possible)

Mixed all ingredients.  The bucket is full and the airlock is getting a little cramped.  It’s going (I lifted the lid once).

11/3/24
S.G. = 1.000 (He’s Done!!)
racked and stabilized.  Tart but flavorful.
Added small amount of sage.

12/3/24
Tasted both the dregs and the good stuff.  I threw out the dregs.  It was bad.  The good stuff tasted great.

1/4/25
1 Gallon for me.  Back sweetened to 1.020 and it tastes amazing!
1 Gallon for Grace.  No sweetening.

Bottled and labeled 1/4/25

11/21/24
96 oz G.V. apple juice
1/2 gallon Kekionga Cider
1/4 lb honey
2 cinnamon sticks
S.G. 1.064 (about 8%)
71B yeast pitched dry

12/3/24
S.G. = 1.010
Nothing added and Nothing racked.  I think it’s still going.  I have another half gallon of cider to mix in to give it a really good flavor.
Going to keg this one though.

12/23/24
He’s done!  Kegged with a backsweetened (Eurithritol) cider.  The cinnamon doesn’t really “shine” on this one.  It was only 2 sticks.  The flavor is really good and can’t wait to see how it taste carbonated!  Final gravity was 1.000 so this is about 8% ABV.  A little less because I diluted it with a little more cider for flavor.

1/5/25
Drinking this now and boy oh boy is it good.  A little sweet, a little tart.  Apple flavor really comes through.  Cinnamon shines but isn’t overly done.
I will make this again for sure.

6/19/24 (Day 1)
6 lbs Golden Lake Honey
1.5 lbs very ripe bananas
2 Gallons spring water
1 tsp pectic enzyme
Mangrove Jacks yeast

Boiled the bananas (peel and all) in about 1/2 gallon of the spring water.  Used the other half to help warm the honey for easier pour.  It worked!
Boiled bananas for 20 minutes.  Added the bananas to a bag while straining the hot water into the bucket.  Added the warm honey.  Added the rest of the water.  Mixed well and let cool.  Don’t want to kill the yeasts.
S.G. = 1.080 but the water was very warm.  Gonna take another reading after it cools a bit. (10.6% potential ABV)
I used all of my Golden Lake honey so I won’t have any for back sweetening.  I’ll have to use another for that.

6/21/24 (Day 3)
Added 1 tsp DAP

6/24/24/ (Day 5)
Added 2 tsp Fermaid-O

7/5/24
S.G. = 1.000.  Removed bananas.  Still setting on yeast.

7/19/24 (Day 30)
Racked off yeast into new bucket and Stabilized with 1 tsp metabisulphite and sorbate.
Leave it for 24 hours.

7/24/24 (Day 35)
Added 3 lbs of frozen bananas, 6 full graham crackers, 1/4 lb brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Will back sweeten in a week or two.

8/12/24 (Day 55)
Removed the bananas and graham crackers.  Added another 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Let clear and bottle.

9/4/24 (Day very long time)
Bottled today.  The labels are dated wrong for the bottle but by only a few days.  It’s clear and nice today.  Let’s see what it looks like in a month.

Final bottling gravity was 1.018.  It still tastes sweet even though it isn’t.

5/21/24
2 Gallon Recipe
4 lbs Honey.  I used a mixed batch of honey for this one
2 96 oz Great Value White Grape Juice
Lalvin 71B yeast
8 Grams Fermaid – O
.5 Grams tannin
Mixed all ingredients.  Added yeast.  S.G. = 1.118 (15.5% potential ABV)

6/19/24 (Day 30)
Racked into big glass carboy.
Added 1 tsp Sorbate and 1/4 tsp metabisulphite.
It’s STABILE!!
Added 2 campden tablets.
S.G. = 1.004 (15.2% ABV)
Going to give it a week to clear.

7/5/24
Back sweetened to 1.035.  Added 1oz Dark toasted American Oak chips in cheesecloth bag.

7/19/24 (Day 60)
Bottled and labeled this beast!  It’s gonna be good!!!!

NOPE, Not a mead, but kind of is.
6/19/24 (Day 1)
1 Gallon recipe for the keg

2.12 lbs CDW Bavarian Wheat Extract
.75 oz Citra hops (60 min boil)
.80 oz Calypso hops (30 min boil)
.50 oz Tettnang hops (5 min boil)
8 oz Trader Joes Honey
1 gallon spring water
1 package SafAle S-04 yeast
S.G. = 1.060 (potential 7.9 ABV)

The total boil time was 60 minutes.  Added the hops during the schedule.  It boiled over once.  Directions for yeast say just sprinkle so no hydrating before pitching. I bought more tube to use as a blow off.  It needed it.  It started very strong and is still going after 2 days.

6/24/24 (Day 5)
S.G. = 1.010

7/5/24 (Day 17)
F.G. – 1.010
1 Tblspn Eurithrotol, 1 Tblspn Lactose powder
Went into keg today.  35 psi of pressure till Drew gets home then we will drink it all.  She’s hoppy for sure.  6.6% ABV.

5/2/25 (Day 1)
1 Gallon Spring Water
32 oz Knudsen Black Cherry juice
32 oz Knudsen Tart Cherry juice
12 oz frozen raspberries
24 oz Frozen Sweet Cherries
2 Black Tea bags
1 oz Mexican Hibiscus
1 oz TeaJitsu Cherry Tea
2 lbs honey (I forget what I used)
Mangrove Jacks Mead yeast

Brewed the black tea, hibiscus and cherry tea in coffee pot with 6 cups of water.  Then I poured it back in and ran it through again so it’s double brewed tea.  I was strong.
Thawed the fruit and added to mesh bag for easy removal.  NOT DOWN THE DRAIN!!!!
Mixed the ingredients in bucket and pitched dry yeast.
Somehow I failed to get a starting gravity reading.  I think it was 1.080 so it won’t be super strong.

5/10/24 (Day 8)
S.G. = 1.002.  It’s thin but very tasty.  Not hot at all.  This one isn’t going to last long at all.

5/24/24 (Day 23)
Racked off berries and yeast to 2 gallon carboy.
1/2 tsp metabisulphite
1/2 tsp sorbate
It’s stable!!!

6/19/24 (Day 49)
Racked into single gallon carboys.  I got just a little over 1 1/2 gallons.  Added 6oz (weight) of honey to back sweeten to 1.018.  It’s perfect!!  I mean really really good.  I added 1 campden tablet per gallon.  Gonna let that set for a week then bottle this bad boy!!!  This will be about a 10.6% ABV.

7/5/24
Bottled this beast today and already can’t wait to start drinking it.

4/14/24 (Day 1)
2 Gallon recipe
1 lb Trader Joe’s Mesquite honey
3 lb Glenn’s Honey
2 gallons spring water
Lalvin QA23 yeast
1 tsp Fermaid-O
.5 – .8 oz Zatarains Root Beer extract

Mixed the ingredients to start a traditional mead.  I reconstituted the yeast with a small amount of water and honey.  Will let this ferment and add the root beer extract in secondary.
S.G. = 1.062 (about 8% ABV)

4/15/24 (Day 2)
1 tsp Fermaid-O

5/1/24 (Day 18)
I did a lot of other mead stuff but didn’t touch this today.

5/10/24 (Day27)
Still pretty gassy.  S.G. = .996 so it’s done.
1/2 tsp Metabisulphite
1 tsp Potassium Sorbate
1 tsp Tannin
Stabilized and racked today.
Still waiting to add the root beer flavoring and back sweeten.  Gonna give it a week.

5/24/24 (Day 41)
Racked into single gallon carboy.  Back sweetened and added root beer extract.  Almost 2 full gallons.  It may need more sweetening.

6/19/24 (Day 67)
Bottling Day!!!!  I added 2 tsp lactose powder, stirred and tasted.  It’s good.  8.7% ABV so not super high! I got 9 bottles.  Labels printed and attached.

4/11/24 (Day 1)
1 gallon recipe
2.11 lbs honey.  I used several “leftover” honeys for this.
2 oz ginger.  cut into slices
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Black Tea teabag
1/2 tsp clove
Lalvin QA23 yeast
1 Gallon bottled water

I started by boiling the ginger, cinnamon and tea bag for 10 minutes in 1/2 of the water.  At the 10 minute mark I added the 1/2 tsp clove (ground) and boiled for 5 more minutes. While that was boiling I re-hydrated the yeast with some warm honey water that was 92 degrees.  Mixed all the honey and rest of cold water in the carboy and stirred vigorously.  I added the warm tea mixture to include the ginger and cinnamon sticks.  I pitched the yeast at 98 degrees.  Topped it with an airlock and now we let that ferment.

Starting gravity = 1.076 or about 10% ABV if it goes dry.

4/12/24 (Day 2)
1 tsp Fermaid-O for nutrient

4/14/24 (Day 4)
I had to remove the ginger.  It was to overpowering.  I can always add more in secondary.
1 tsp Fermaid-O
S.G. = 1.042

5/1/24 (Day 21)
I racked into clean carboy.  S.G. = 1.000.  I stabilized with Sorbate/Metabisulfite.  I added 1/4 tsp tannin.
It’s very gingery.  Not sure I’ll do much more to this than back sweeten.  ABV = 10%

5/14/24 (Day 34)
Bottled this beast today.  It’s nice.

4/14/24 (Day 1)
1 Gallon recipe
2 1/2 2 liters of Dr. Pepper (Just filled to the gallon mark)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 packet Lalvin 71B yeast
S.G. = 1.042

Mixed all ingredients and let degas.  Pitched yeast dry.

4/15/24 (Day 2)
1 tsp Fermaid-O

5/1/24 (Day 18)
Racked into clean vessel.  S.G. =.996 so it’s done.  Stabilized with Sorbate / Metabisulphite.  1/4 tsp tannin.  Will need some back sweetening before bottling.  It’s thin but does taste like D.P.  6% ABV so not to bad.

5/14/24 (Day 30)
Bottling day!!!  Labels created and printed.  Back sweetened to 1.020 and bottled.
It’s thin and not very flavorful.  I almost dumped it but Kendra said no.  She’d drink it.