2/2/24 (Day 1)
1 Gallon batch
2.8 lbs Kroger Clover honey
1.5 lbs crushed Worthers candies
1 tsp Fermaid-O
1/4 tsp wine tannin
Lalvin QA23 yeast
1 gallon spring water from dollar tree

Crushed the candies and added about 1/2 gallon of the spring water to a pan.  Added the crushed candies and made a “syrup” out of it.
Added honey to carboy and a little more of the water from the gallon.  Shook it vigorously for several minutes.  Added the candy syrup, Fermaid-O and tannin.  Mixture was still kind of warm.  Pitched dry yeast at 110 degrees.  It started fermenting very quickly.

O.G. = 1.130

2/3/24 (Day 2)
1/2 tsp DAP

2/4/24 (Day 3)
1/2 tsp DAP

2/5/24 (Day 4)
1/2 tsp DAP

2/12/24 (Day 10)
Still bubbling strong.  S.G. = 1.042
It’s got a weird flavor.

2/23/24 (22 Days)
S.G. = 1.014.  It’s hot.  Needs lots of time to sit and clear.

3/2/24 (30 Days)
S.G. = 1.014 (I think it’s done!!!)  Racked into clean carboy NOT STABILIZED!
15.6 % ABV

3/15/24 (Day 43 )
added 1 cup salted caramel tea (steeped for 5 minutes)
1 lb Sam’s Club honey for back sweetening

4/6/24 (Day 65)
Bottled this beast today.  It’s still got a bite to it.  Once the heat leaves the mouth, the Worthers taste comes through a bit.  Not my favorite but we will see how it tastes in 6 months and a year.  Not really happy with the yield.  The thin layer at the bottom was very cloudy and I really probably only had a little over half gallon to bottle.

2/16/24 (Day 1)
This is take 2 of the blueberry that was such a hit we almost drank it all quick.  Not many changes made to the recipe.  Here we go!

6 lbs Golden Lake Honey
6 lbs G.V. frozen blueberries (thawed and mashed)
1 1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 tsp acid blend
8 oz Ribena Black Currant Concentrate
Lalvin QA23 yeast (This is one of the changes for the recipe*)
S.G. = 1.104 (14.2% ABV if goes dry)

2/17/24 (Day 2)
1 Tblsp DAP

2/19/24 (Day 4)
1 Tblsp DAP

2/23/24 (Day 8)
S.G. = 1.020  It’s almost time to rack this.

3/2/24 (Day 16) Stabilized
S.G. = 1.000 IT”S DONE!!!!!!  STABILIZED
1 tsp Sorbate
1/4 tsp Metabisulphite
Racked into 2 gallon clear carboy.  The rest went into Frakenstein Bottle
14.5% ABV

3/29/24 (Day 43 )
Racked off oak chips.  It’s been more than 16 days and it’s really oaky.  I back sweetened to 1.024.  It’s not super sweet but it is super oaky.  I’ll let it set in the bucket for a week or two and then bottle.  I’m in no hurry with this.

4/6/24 (Day 51)

It went into bottles today.  I’m happy with the yield and I’m happy with the taste.  It is a bit more oakier than the last batch but it’s got a LOT of character.  Mouthfeel is good, blueberries shine through and it’s really not to sweet.

I’ve read a book by John before.  I’m starting this one on 3/11/24.
3/29/24 and I finished this book.  19 days.  Man this book had some twists and turns to it.  Mia falls pregnant just as her and her husband purchase a house.  The in-laws didn’t want them to have the house.  We find out later why.

40 suitcases filled with bones.  Dave & Debbie (the in-laws) are responsible.  Debbie is pure evil.

I’m giving this book a 8/10

2/16/24 (Day 1)
1 1/2 gallon recipe
1 Gallon G.V. Apple Juice
1/2 Gallon G.V. 100% Pure Pear
2 cinnamon sticks
1 lb of White Sugar
Lalvin 71B Yeast
Mixed in bucket, added yeast.  S.G. = 1.064 (8.4% ABV if goes dry)

2/17/24 (Day 2)
1/2 tsp DAP

2/19/24 (Day 3)
1/2 tsp DAP

2/23/24 (Day 7)
S.G. = 1.000 added 1 lb Blueberries.  It’s gonna be ready soon!

3/2/24 (Day 16)
Racked into keg (1 gallon) and stabilized.  Will open tomorrow to sweeten with apple juice.
1/2 gallon set to clear, stabilized and sweeten to bottle for Drew.

3/15/24
This, in the keg, is amazing.  Phenomenal flavor, the cinnamon is there but not over powering.  The blue berries are there but not over powering.  There’s still a weird “soapy” flavor in the keg.  I haven’t bottled the 1/2 gallon yet for Drew but I plan on doing that tonight.

3/29/24
Keg is gone.  It was good but still had a “soapy” flavor.  I’m hoping the beer I just keged isn’t soapy.  There’s still a half gallon in a glass carboy that needs bottled.

Started on 2/29/2024 (Yes it’s leap year day!).
It’s Lucinda so my hopes are very high that this book is as good as the others she’s written.

Amber ~ The saved boy’s mother
Jules ~ The mother who lost her child

Finished on 3/10/24 (Keaton’s birthday).  11 Days.

Wow.  The twists and turns in a Berry book….I didn’t see it coming.
Isaac, the boy who lives struggles with survivors guilt.  He and Jules have a relationship apart from Therapist and client.  Jules isn’t all there either though.  She struggles with disassociative disorder.  Amber and Mark (Isaac’s mom and dad) struggle to keep him from going….Off the Deep End.

I’m giving this book a 10/10.  I loved it.

Amazon first read.  Started on 2/22/24.  Never read the author before. Finished on 2/28/24. 6 Days.
Daaaayyyyuuuummmmm!  I’ve got to see what else this author has written.

Rae, a dominatrix had a hard life, she was trafficked and mom didn’t want her.  Her friends passed and then when she was 8 months pregnant the couple that took her in wanted to steal her baby.  Jump ahead and back.  Chapters were short and characters were very well written.  Giving this book a 10/10

This is an Amazon First Read book.  Long time relationship with this author.  I’ve read a lot of his books.  I started this book on 2/4/24. Finished on 2/22/24.  19 Days.  I didn’t really care for this book.  It was long.  Characters were really well written but some of the chapters were really long.  I wouldn’t recommend.  Giving this book a 6/10

Benny, an always nice guy has his life turned upside down by a group of people because he is too nice.  Harper Harper (Yep that’s her name) and Spike (the craggle) is on his side and protects him.  He lived through some horrific things both in his adult life and his childhood.  It was just OK.

`1/5/24 (Day 1)
4 lbs fresh peaches from Rita Smith
1 tsp Fermaid-O
1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 tsp Tannin
3.16 lbs Trader Joe’s Mesquite Honey
More than a gallon of spring water
S.G. = 1.072

1/6/24 (Day 2)
2 tsp DAP Nutrient

1/8/24 (Day 4)
1 tsp Fermaid-O

1/11/24 (Day 7)
S.G. = 1.000 (It’s DONE!)
2 lbs thawed fresh peaches in bag
1 Campden tablet

1/19/24 (Day 15)
Stirred peaches.  I think it may need some stuff added to secondary and clearing.
1/24/24 (Day 20) Stabilized
1/2 tsp Metabisulphite
1 tsp Potassium Sorbate
Racked into new bucket off the peaches.  Gonna cold crash for a few days.  May need more tannin and back sweetened. 9.5% ABV
2/12/24 (Day 39)
Racked into bucket.  S.G. = 1.000.  Back sweetened to 1.020 and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.  Tastes good.  Gonna bottle in a few days.

2/16/24 (Day 43)
Bottled today.  It’s NICE!  Peachy and sweet.

First Mead of 24!!!!

1/4/24 (Day 1)
2 lbs Golden Lake Honey
1.95 lbs Maple Syrup from farmers market (Left some for back sweetening)
1/2 tsp Tannin
1/2 tsp Fermaid O
Lalvin QA23 Yeast (rehydrated in spring water)
Spring water
S.G. = 1.100 (13.3% if it goes dry)

So I originally had this in a glass carboy but the S.G. was way to high.  I moved to a fermenting bucket to add more water.  I’ve got over a gallon of must.  I pitched the yeast.  No other ingredients today.

1/6/24 (Day 3)
2 tsp DAP yeast nutrient

1/8/24 (Day 5)
1 tsp Fermaid-O

1/11/24 (Day 8)
1 tsp Fermaid-O
1 campden tablet
S.G. = 1.030

1/19/24 (Day 15) Stabilized
Well I messed up.  I racked into clean carboy and stabilized.  I thought we were further along.  I didn’t even take a gravity reading.  Shoot.  Well I got a completely full gallon and then racked 1 more bottle into swing top.  (That swing top is NOT stabilized!!!)  Shoot!

2/12/24 (Day 39)
Racked into bucket.  S.G. = 1.000
Back sweetened to 1.020 with rest of maple syrup.
1/8 tsp Acid Blend
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup French oak chips to mellow for 3 days
Flavor is bitter, but somehow still sweet.  It reminds me of a whiskey.

2/16/24 (Day 43)
Bottled today!!!  Still a bit “hot” and has a slight burnt rubber taste.  Gonna let it age for a year and see how it tastes.

10/16/23
MRM ~ Tatum’s Black Currant Masterpiece #5
1 Gallon batch recipe:
28 oz Rebina Black Currant concentrate
1 tsp acid blend
1/2 tsp wine tannin
3 lbs plain white sugar
Lalvin RC212 yeast (16% tolerance)
Crystal Gyser water

Mixed all ingredients and topped to 1 gallon with water.  O.G. = 1.140 (potentially 18.8 if goes dry)
This is obviously NOT a mead.  It’s made with sugar instead of honey.  It’s technically a wine.  Just a nice experiment and we shall see how it turns out.
This is not the week we studied Art Tatum but we rated him pretty high so I wanted to do him some justice with this wine.

10/31/23 (16 days)
It’s fermenting nicely.  Not much activity in the airlock but a little.  Couple more weeks and I’ll open it up and taste it.  It’s clearing out OK though.

11/10/23 (26 days)

OMG I tasted this today and OMG!!!  It still has a lot of residual sugar but it feels good in the mouth and is sweet.  The black currant shines through nicely.  It’s not hot at all.  I didn’t take a gravity reading yet.

11/21/23 (37 days)
Um….I took a gravity reading today and it may have stalled.
I added:
1/2 packet 71B
1 tsp yeast nutrient.  S.G. = 1.108

12/1/23 (47 days)
It’s not fermenting at all.  I may try to add this to another gallon of mead or something to see if I can at least use it for something.  Still at 1.108 (yes 1.108)

12/22/23 (68 days)
I added more nutrient.  It’s still fermenting cause it’s down to 1.090.  This is just a very slow fermentation.  It may be June before I get to bottle this.

1/11/24 (a whole lotta days)
S.G. = 1.072
Sweet, good mouthfeel but not very tastey.
2/12/24 (Even more days)
Not good.  I actually dumped it.  There was NO saving this one.