Type: Mead Style: Capsicumel Yield: 5 Gallons
Specific Gravity (SG): Percent Alcohol: Percent Total Acidity (TA):
Initial:  1.095 Volume (ABV):  12.469 Estimated:  0.50 – 0.55
Final:  1.015 Weight (ABW):  9.975 Actual:  0.50

 

Instructions:
 
  1. Add 3 gallons of water to the cook pot and bring the temperature up to 150ºF;
  2. Add the New Mexico Green Chiles, Nebraska Honey, and the Tannin Powder to a cook pot;
  3. Pasteurize/infuse the contents for 20 minutes;
  4. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for 24 hours;
  5. Stir contents and strain into the primary fermentor;
  6. Add water to bring level to the 5 gallon mark;
    Adjust total acidity;
  7. Crush 5 Campden Tablets and stir into mixture;
  8. Add airlock and wait 24 hours;
  9. Stir contents and take specific gravity;
  10. Add Yeast Nutrient to primary fermentor;
  1. Pitch yeast and reseal with airlock;
  2. When fermentation slows, rack to a secondary fermentor;
  3. Check specific gravity once a week;
  4. When fermentation becomes negligible or specific gravity is met, rack a final time;
  5. Crush and add 5 Campden Tablets to stop fermentation;
  6. Wait 24 hours and rack again;
  7. Add Sparkaloid to clear the wine;
  8. After one week, rack again;
  9. Take final specific gravity;
  10. Bulk age wine for two months;
  11. Bottle; and
  12. Bottle age for at least another four months.
Notes:
 
  1. Pasteurizing the mixture at 150ºF for 20 minutes will infuse the Green Chiles into the mixture and ensure the desired Honey flavor and aroma is not lost but kills any unwanted bacteria or yeast.
  2. This recipe should take approximately five weeks to ferment and two months for finishing.
  3. The finished bottled product should sit for at least six months before it is drank to allow the heat of the chiles to mellow.
History:
Date SG Actions/Notes
10/20/2007   Pasteurized/infused the ingredients.
10/21/2007 1.092 Strain liquid from wine into the primary fermentor and brought level to the five gallon mark. Increased the TA from 0.05 to 0.50 and added Campden Tablets. SG taken prior to TA increase.
10/22/2007 1.095 Added five more Campden Tablets. I meant to add them to a different batch of wine. The moral of the story, "Don't Ferment Fatigued!"
10/23/2007 1.095 Stirred, added Yeast Nutrient, and pitched Yeast (2 pkgs Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast – Active Dry Wine Yeast).
10/25/2007   Fermentation still did not start, so and additional tablespoon of Yeast Nutrient was added and a different brand of Yeast Was Pitched (2 pkgs of LALVIN: EC-1118).
    Racked several times every couple of months.
03/30/2009 1.015 Bottled.

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