2-4-23
Earl’s Pineapple Mead:
2 Gallons Purified Drinking water (from Dollar Tree)
2 hand fulls raisins (not measure, not chopped)
2 tspn yeast nutrient
1 tspn pectic enzyme
5 lbs honey (2.5 Walmart honey & 2.5 local honey from Glenn)
15 oz Hot black Earl Grey tea
3 cans of Great Value Pineapple in syrup
Lalvin 71B yeast
So I sanitized everything. I’m using the Killwin’s 3 Gallon buckets for this recipe.
I started by adding 1 full gallon of the water to the bucket. I’m rehydrating the yeast in some warm water (not from the purified water) at about 94 degrees. I added the raisins to the water and 1 tspn of the yeast nutrient. I added the OTHER 1 tspn of nutrient to the yeast during rehydration. I added 1 tspn of the pectic enzyme to the bucket. I poured 2.5 lbs of honey in the bucket and poured another 2.5 lbs of the local honey in the bucket. I used the hot tea to get ALL of the honey out of the 2.5 lb vessel. I added that to the bucket. I added the next gallon of water to the bucket. Somehow I’m very close to the top of the bucket with the ingredients. It should’ve only been a little over 2 gallons but it’s looking more like a full 3 gallons. That’s OK but the gravity reading will be a little off.
The must was cold so I let it warm to about 65 degrees before I pitched the yeast. I took a gravity reading and got 1.074. This has the potential of 10% ABV if yeast gets to work. I’m NOT using the pineapple until I rack this off so the pineapple will be put in AFTER primary fermentation.
2-5-23
I didn’t see any activity in the airlock until late today. It was working pretty well. I’m using the heating pad to try and keep this a little warmer. It’s setting in the piano room at room temp which is about 65 degrees. I’m hoping that this yeast can stay working.
2-6-23 (Monday)
Degassed by lifting lid off the bucket. Not a ton of activity in the airlock.
2-15-23 (Wednesday)
The air lock has been working very well. This stuff is still going I believe. I’m not ready to take a reading just yet.
2-24-23 (Friday)
Reading = 1.006. I racked the mead into a clean bucket with 5 cans of pineapple. 1.4oz in each can. Pretty clear after 3 week. 1/4 tsp potassium metabisolfite 1 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate to STOP the yeast. I don’t want it to go any dryer than what it is.
SG = 1.074
RG = 1.006 = 9.35% ABV
I will take a FINAL gravity reading in a couple of weeks but because I stabilized the mead it shouldn’t go any lower.
3-9-23
I’m pulling off the pineapple today and going to let this cold crash over night outside at about 30 degrees.
I took a gravity reading. I also added 3/4 cup of brown sugar to sweeten just a bit. I think this may be perfect. Delaney tried it and agreed. I will bottle this either Friday morning or Saturday. I have 2 growlers 1/2 gallon each and I will bottle the rest.
FG = 1.006 or 9.35% ABV
4-7-23
I’m really liking this mead. It will continue to mellow with time.