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3 gallon batch
9lbs orange blossom honey
Primary: 4.75lbs fresh sweet cherries (frozen, then thawed and pitted)
Secondary: 5.25lbs fresh sweet cherries (frozen, then thawed and pitted)
Lavlin 71B-1122 yeast
No heat method; mix honey, 3 campden tablets, 3 tsp. pectin enzyme with water to almost three gallons. Cover with napkin. Pitch yeast 24 hours later. Degas daily and follow staggered nutrient additions. Attach airlock after last nutrient addition.
Ferment for ~33 days, rack onto other cherries.
Rack after a month and top off with show mead (1 gallon batch made with 3lbs orange blossom honey and 71B-1122 yeast)
Rack and top off as needed until clear
Age on a medium toast oak spiral for six weeks and then bottle and age for at least six months.
2012 Mazer Cup - bronze medal category 26C (45/50)
2012 NHC 1st round category 26C (40.5/50)
The cherries:
Fermenting:
About done fermenting:
Secondary:
Hydro sample at bottling (the hummingbirds went crazy! ):
9lbs orange blossom honey
Primary: 4.75lbs fresh sweet cherries (frozen, then thawed and pitted)
Secondary: 5.25lbs fresh sweet cherries (frozen, then thawed and pitted)
Lavlin 71B-1122 yeast
No heat method; mix honey, 3 campden tablets, 3 tsp. pectin enzyme with water to almost three gallons. Cover with napkin. Pitch yeast 24 hours later. Degas daily and follow staggered nutrient additions. Attach airlock after last nutrient addition.
Ferment for ~33 days, rack onto other cherries.
Rack after a month and top off with show mead (1 gallon batch made with 3lbs orange blossom honey and 71B-1122 yeast)
Rack and top off as needed until clear
Age on a medium toast oak spiral for six weeks and then bottle and age for at least six months.
2012 Mazer Cup - bronze medal category 26C (45/50)
Fantastic! The cherry and oak work perfectly! Dead on semi-sweet. Don't change anything!
2012 NHC 1st round category 26C (40.5/50)
Very good mead; all elements are evident and in concert. No single ingredient is dominant. Very tasty!
The cherries:
Fermenting:
About done fermenting:
Secondary:
Hydro sample at bottling (the hummingbirds went crazy! ):