7/29/2023
I got some new honey at the GE farmers market. It tastes amazing. I’ve been reading recipes again and you know what that means. Got to get another batch going. (I now have 2 fermenting. This one makes 3) Here we go:
1/2 oz Paraoh’s Paradise (Loose leaf tea from teajutsu.com)
32 oz Just Tart Cherry from Knudsen (Kroger)
32 oz Just Black Cherry from Knudsen (Kroger)
12 oz frozen Raspberries (Kroger)
12 oz frozen Sweet Cherries (Kroger)
1 tsp fermaid O
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
2 lbs honey. (Name goes here)
Spring Water (Dollar Tree)
I started by steeping the loose leaf tea in about 1/2 gallon of spring water and reconstituting the Lalvin yeast with the fermaid O in a small amount of spring water. While the berries were thawing, I added the 64 oz of juice to the carboy and the 2 lbs of honey. I shook the bejesus out of it. The mixture wasn’t going to fit in the gallon glass carboy so I had to switch to using a Kilwins bucket. I let the tea steep for 20 minutes. I added the mostly thawed fruit and tea to the bucket. I took a temperature reading and it was 72. I pitched the yeast and covered the bucket.
S.G. = 1.106 (if dry it’s going to be 14.2%)
8/18/23 (21 days)
S.G. = 1.006. 13.3% ABV. I racked off the fruit today. It’s dry and HOT. Cherry taste comes through nicely. Not much hibiscus though.
8/29/23 (33 days)
Stabilization DAY!!!
1/2 tsp potassium sorbate
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
1/2 tsp Wine Tannin
9/1/23 (35 days)
Bottling Day!!! I back sweetened with honey ONLY to 1.030 and bottled.