Meadings

Sess came and we did a bunch!

Fern
The ten liter heather honey mead I was so sad was bitter. I think the bitterness already improved a bit. SG 1.030. Somehow I thought it was sweeter so did not consider upping the sweetness to counteract the bitter - I figured that would just make it sweet AND bitter. At 1030 it was worth a try. We mixed it with about two liters of January (finished too soon and much too sweet) and that levelled it out to very drinkable. What a relief!

Result: Fernuary
Fern + 2 liters of January. This worked perfectly. Still heathery, but now tastes earthy/herby instead of bitter. The heather nose remains strong (yay). Like walking past a heath in bloom.
SG 1.050, no starting gravity for Fern but approx alcohol level 12%?



Very belated realisation that batches I(Imrahil) J(January), K(Kiryandil) and L(Landroval) all somehow stopped fermenting much too early. They were all much too sweet and on calculating, nowhere near alcoholic enough to warrant the yeast just packing it in. Not sure what happened there.


January:
SG 1125 (!) and on calculation maybe 7.5% vol.
2 liters mixed with Fern. Rest mixed with spiced rum, bottled, then on reconsideration unbottled to clear it.


Imrahil:
SG: 1070. 10.5 % alcohol, but it's just way too sweet. Repitched with port yeast.


Kiryandil:
SG 1092 approx 7.5% alcohol.
Added juice and pulp of 4 oranges + zest of half one. Repitched with port yeast.


Landroval:
SG1080. approx 7.5% alcohol. Repitched with port yeast.

Fennah II
SG 1042. Alcohol ~13%

A throwback to my 6th ever mead batch.
Tasted, heartily approved of and bottled. Lovely and minty, almost green-tasting. Not green like freshly mown grass, but sitting in a field of grass. Summery.