6/9/25 (Day 1)
2 Gallon batch
The goal of this one is a chocolate covered banana flavor.
5lbs frozen bananas that were very ripe going into the freezer.  Thaw them today in a clean bucket.
6 lbs honey
2 gallons tap water
1 packet Mangrove Jacks Mead yeast
1 full cup Cocoa nibs toasted
1 lbs honey for back sweetening.

6/10/25 (Day 2)
I could only get 1 3/4 gallon of water in the bucket with the thawed bananas.  I also added 2 cups of tea (2 black tea bags and 1 caramel bag) steeped for 5 minutes.
1 tsp Fermaid-O
O.G. = 1.110 (~ 13.3 ABV possible)  Mangrove jacks will go to 18% so not worried about the yeast.

6/12/25 (Day 4)
1 tsp Fermaid-O.  No gravity reading today.

7/1/25
Racked off bananas.  Stabilized.  1 cup nibs toasted at 400 for 10 minutes added.
S.G. = 1.000

7/22/25
Racked and back sweetened.  S.G. = 1.022
Let bulk age for a month.

8/7/25
Bottled this beast today.  The chocolate is really prevalent.  I hope it chills over time and the banana starts to come through a little more.

5/31/25
1 Gallon Recipe
1 lb Blackberries (Frozen and thawed)
3 lb honey
2 cups hot Earl Grey tea (2 tea bags in 2 cups of water)
71B Yeast
Mixed all ingredients.  Pitched yeast.
O.G. = 1.080 (~10%)

6/3/25
1 tsp Fermaid-O

6/25/25
Racked and stabilized today.  It’s thin so I added 1/2 tsp tannin.
S.G. = 1.000 or 10% ABV

7/22/25
1 cup black currant.  Back sweetened to 1.040.
Kegged and set to 20 lbs pressure.

8/7/25

This mead is really good.  It’s super sweet though.  Almost to sweet for me.
I’m drinking it though.

1 Gallon recipe
3/8/25 (Day 1)
1 Gallon GV Apple juice
1 1/2 lbs frozen strawberries
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
Lalvin 71-B yeast pitched dry

Mixed all ingredients and pitched yeast.  S.G. = 1.049 or about 6.4% if goes dry.

3/22/25 (Day 15)
Racked and stabilized
Kegged and drank.
Was good but needed more sweetening.

Start on 7/7/25. Finished on 7/22/25

Really loved this book.  It took a while to get to the “meat” of the story but once I was there…Didn’t want to stop.

Emma went to camp 15 years ago.  Three girls in her cabin disappeared.  Lots of therapy later she’s asked to come back to the re-opening of the camp as an art teacher.

What do you know but the three girls in the same cabin go missing.  She has to uncover the secrets of “Midnight Lake”.

Great story.  9/10.  Chapters were relatively short and characters were very well written. 15 Days.

Started on 6/9/25.  It’s Lucinda so I have a feeling this one will go fast.  I absolutely love her work and can’t wait to start this one.
This book did NOT disappoint.  6/11/25 finished the book.  I could NOT put it down.
Single mom, raising a good son.  Party gets out of control and girl gets gang raped.  (Dark I know).  Boy claims no knowlege and girls parents go to police.  The story that unfolds is very very dark.

Lucinda never lets me down with a dark tale.  10/10 for me and a 2 day read.

6/12/25.  TikTok recommended this book.  I’ve read John before.  I just finished Lucinda’s book last night.  I think it’s going to be along the same lines…. haha get it?

6/21/25.  Finished in 9 days. Well this book is certainly a twisted revenge story.  Laura, the “End of the Line” volunteer finds “candidates” to help end their life to listen to their last breath.  Ryan’s wife is one of those victims.  He goes to great lengths to get her back for ending his wife’s life.  Who wins in the end?  Read it to find out.

I couldn’t put this book down once it got to the “meat” of the story.  Giving this book a 9/10.  Chapters were short, characters very well written.

Started on 4/2/25.  Finished on 4/30/25.  28 days.  Typical for me for a J.S. book.

A famous beauty star, her friends and ex boyfriends.  She is murdered and Lucas must find the killer.
Several more people are murdered who are the famous star’s friends or family.  Is it the creepy preacher, the weird art friend or someone you’d never suspect?

Lucas and Weather may be getting back together??  Then there is the hussy that he is sleeping with in this book but she goes back to France soon.

Overall I’ll give this one an 8/10

4/14/25
2 Gallon Batch

6lbs Honey
1 lbs Briess 2-row Black Malt
2 gallons spring water
1 T yeast nutrient
D-47 yeast

S.G. = 1.088 (about 10%)

4/21/25 S.G. = 1.042

5/4/25
S.G. = 1.000
Racked and stabilized.
1 t metabisulfite
1/2 t potassium sorbate
.75 oz cascade Hops

6/4/25
Labels Created.  Bottles prepped.

Amazon First Read: Started on 5/15/25.  Finished on 6/9/25. 25 Days.

Chapters were short.  Characters were written well.  Story drug on a bit for me.  I didn’t like going back and forth between past and present.  The chapter cliff hangers were few and far between but when done they were done well.

3 friends try and help the “fourth” friend escape her parents.  Mary Beth, the sister of the fourth girl was already banished by the parents.  The four girls promise to help Caroline and to meet at the 1 year anniversary of her escaping.
Then on the 25th anniversary Gordy gets murdered.  Is it Caroline?  Is it Talia?

Was a fairly decent read but it did drag a little.  I’m giving this book a 7/10.

Amazon first read.  Started on 5/13/25.  This was a 1 day book.  It was short but very good.  Giving this book a 9/10.

Tells the story of an inmate on death row and the struggles of the last days.